Mystery Frame Identification

[Southwestslacker1]

Hi all, first time on a new thread for me. I've been stripping an old frame to restore and build up with an RSX groupset but I have no idea what it is, it was blue when I got it with orange underneath with no decals or badges.
It's not the end of the world but it would be nice to put the right name on the downtube (and possibly the right tubing decal!)


There's a link to some photos of it but here's what I know.
Original colour was orange
68mm English BB
Huret dropouts (old Huret b screw stop positions)
120mm dropout spacing
Nice pointy lugs and fancy plates round rear brake bridge, all bronze brazed
No other brake ons, cable guides or bottle bosses
Band on stop on downtube looks like the batman symbol
Serial number on the BB shell running front to back on non drive side
Serial number is 13882
BB shell also has 57 58 stamped on it but I guess that's just the size guide?
Lugged fork crown
No obvious seams on any tubes

Photos are here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/157053716 ... res/3160m8

Like I say it's not the end of the world if no one can help but there seems to be some real experts here !

It's a bit of a project and I was going to cold set the rear spacing and have a go at brazing on some cable guides and downtube and bottle bosses. Also I'd need to add a bit of something to the rear mech hanger to bring the stop round.

Look forward to the replies!

 

[Southwestslacker1]

Not sure that link was working properly, try this one

https://flickr.com/photos/157053716@N06 ... 2717920318

 

[torqueless]

Re:

First off, I'm not an expert and I have no idea who built your frame. Bearing that in mind:
I don't think I've ever seen Huret dropouts before.. I guess it makes sense- just about every other derailleur manufacturer seems to have got into making dropouts. With French dropouts there is always the suspicion that the frame is French-built too? You could check the tubing diameters for metric dimensions, check the seat pin diameter and possibly French thread on the steerer? I know you said it has English BB threads but they could have been re-tapped? Absence of braze-ons and 120mm rear end makes it likely to be a '70s frame, maybe even '60s. The fork bend certainly looks 'old-fashioned' by later '70s standards. I don't know when those Huret dropouts were first available. The 'slanted' termination of the chainstays at the dropouts is distinctive and probably your best hope of identifying the frame builder. Looks like a quality frame. Imo it's a shame to start up-dating it by pulling the rear end out and adding braze-ons- there are plenty of later frames about with those features, and it becomes increasingly unlikely to find period frames that haven't been 'modernised'.
You know if you had removed the blue carefully you might have found some decals- or the ghosts of decals- underneath? If it was originally orange, French, and '70s, the obvious candidate would be Motobecane... which doesn't mean it is a Motobecane, of course..

Your first link worked ok for me, btw..

 

[Midlife]

Gitane sprang to mind,. Before their dropouts went all odd looking....