# Merckx MX Leader 57 cm



## mauricer (Aug 3, 2009)

hi everyone.

my first post here. coming out of hamburg/germany. great threads in here and a stunning eddy merckx gallery that made me think why i ever thought of buying other bikes. amazing.

i currently own this mx leader frame and also bought a dark green corsa extra (haven't received the latter one yet, but its campa record group is for the mx leader). problem with the mx is, i dont really like the color theme. as for much others my favorite is faema and therefore i am thinking about repainting it properly. what do you guys think? i know that a classic bike should ideally kept in the original state but am interested in your opinions. merckx has offered me to do a molteni repaint at their factory but as faema is the only combination i would do other than keeping it that way i do not consider that offer.

looking forward to your feedback. does anyone offer a merckx pista frame? i have been looking for one for ages.

best from germany

moritz


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## innergel (Jun 14, 2002)

I think as long as it's a proper MXL paint scheme and it's done correctly, then if you want to change it, change it. Having the Merckx factory do the respray is always a good idea.


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## mauricer (Aug 3, 2009)

i know, but they only do the molteni which i dont want. i am currently looking for the correct color numbers for the faema red and the white tone, but havent yet found anything and not even merckx can help me out.


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## innergel (Jun 14, 2002)

You could email one or two of the better known paint shops and see if they can help. Most of them do restorations, or if not, I'm sure they could point you to someone they know who does and would have the info. 

Cycleart
Southwest Frameworks
Spectrum
Joe Bell


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

i am surprised that merckx could not help you out-must have caught someone on a bad day. Someone must have it, or you can bribe a fellow Faema-holic like Zmudshark to take his to an auto paint shop and match it. Merckx reds tend to be easy to match. Steel pistas come up on US EBAY regularly. I have one but you can't have it, not even if you beg.

b21


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## HigherGround (Mar 3, 2005)

Nice! I'd be inclined to keep the paint job as it is. People may take a quick look, assume it's ti, and then get confused by the lugs.  

If you're determined to do the Faema paint job, I believe that Spectrum Cycles in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania would do a great job. I live about an hour from there, and I've seen some of their work, including a Merckx. Their quality is amazing! If you feel comfortable shipping a frame from Germany to the US, I'd give Spectrum a big :thumbsup:


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## mauricer (Aug 3, 2009)

you are joking? a merckx pista on ebay? i have never seen that before, of course other pistas but no merckx. can you show me pix of yours? merckx said, molteni is the only style they do nowadays for classic steel frames. unfortunately.


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## mauricer (Aug 3, 2009)

thanks. i am still in between chairs - keep the original or do a new paint job. i believe that a shipment plus the payment is way more than i'd pay for a paint job over here. i will be really careful with the selection......


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

mauricer said:


> you are joking? a merckx pista on ebay? i have never seen that before, of course other pistas but no merckx. can you show me pix of yours? merckx said, molteni is the only style they do nowadays for classic steel frames. unfortunately.


are you looking faithfully, they have come up fairly regularly in US. These are old pix when I was building it up a few years back, i never took finished pix. Its a repaint, dont know if the previous owner was aiming for Molteni and missed, but its more brown than Molteni. It has regular brake levers now, one a dummy, brown leather tape Brooks seat with matching saddlebag, a little bit of everything, the crank is campy 151 bcd.


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## mauricer (Aug 3, 2009)

looks like i have to up the frequency of my looks. do you know how expensive they regularly are? anyone on the board who might sell one?


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

I would leave your MX Leader the way it is. Molteni Merckx frames are a dime a dozen, but I've never seen one like yours before. It would look really nice built up with black tape, saddle, etc.


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## mauricer (Aug 3, 2009)

I know. Molteni never been a choice for me, only faema, but as you mentioned this one seems rare. I never found a pic of that color combination before. Therefore very likely to keep it original as the frame is as new. Also received the original campy record group today (together with a dark green corsa extra). Will post pix when the mx is finished.


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

mauricer said:


> looks like i have to up the frequency of my looks. do you know how expensive they regularly are? anyone on the board who might sell one?


there have even been a few MX Leader pistas, which are pretty rare, those have gone for a lot. I paid $900 for frame fork bb and HS which seemed reasonble for the condition and new paint job. Don't know anyone else on the board that has one.


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## bolo yeung (Jul 14, 2008)

....that paint scheme is awesome and it's quite possible you'll will build it and be thankful that you didn't get it resprayed. If next year, you've ridden it and are still not happy then go for it then.


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## mauricer (Aug 3, 2009)

decision's been made. the frame is in such a pristine condition that it would be wrong to destroy the original paintjob. means i need to look for a merckx in faema colors.....

or anyone offering me a merckx pista, i need one desperately!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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