# Merckx Faema



## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

This is not as exciting as getting a NOS Merckx from South Africa, but I've finally had time to get the Merckx I bought last year out of mothballs. I still haven't given it a good cleaning, or done touch ups, but here it is anyway.

It has a full panto group, flat fork crown, and over the bb cabling. Mavic 280/330 combo Vittoria Corsa CX tires. It's a 1983, I believe.


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## r_mutt (Aug 8, 2007)

faema paint, crit bars, cloth tape, and merckx pantographed components everywhere...i'd say that it's more than equal to the SA merckx's if not one upping them. 

that's a looker!


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

Thanks, a few more pictures here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ypsibikes/Faema

I will take better pictures as I clean/touch up. The bike rides beautifully, and is actually my lightest bike.


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## kjmunc (Sep 19, 2005)

Very sweet indeed......I'm still kicking myself for not pulling the trigger sight-unseen on a local Faema Merckx with alloy Chorus that sold on craigslist over the weekend. 

Some day......at least now I have great pictures to use as a goal!


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

zmudshark said:


> This is not as exciting as getting a NOS Merckx from South Africa, but I've finally had time to get the Merckx I bought last year out of mothballs. I still haven't given it a good cleaning, or done touch ups, but here it is anyway.
> 
> It has a full panto group, flat fork crown, and over the bb cabling. Mavic 280/330 combo Vittoria Corsa CX tires. It's a 1983, I believe.


Oh oh oh Lordy Lordy, Zmud. I just peed myself.


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

With those bars and the little buttons on the toe straps, that bike must have been owned by the coolest kid on the block. I found an old picture from a triathlon in 1983 when I was a hotshot cat 4, note the same buttons on my Binda extras and the totally cool Cinelli hairnet in white, which I latr topped off with a cap worn on the outside like Phil Anderson...


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## nickb4 (Jan 24, 2006)

Gorgeous. From the pics you provided it doesn't seem to require too much touch-up work.


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

barry1021 said:


> Oh oh oh Lordy Lordy, Zmud. I just peed myself.


Sorry b21, Hope you're working from home today


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

nickb4 said:


> Gorgeous. From the pics you provided it doesn't seem to require too much touch-up work.


Well I have seen Zmud's "cleaning and touch-up" up close and personal. Quite impressive, to say the least.

b21


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

nickb4 said:


> Gorgeous. From the pics you provided it doesn't seem to require too much touch-up work.


Not a ton of work, but I will probably strip it down and relube everything. It also came with a Merckx panto'ed stem on some 64-40 bars. I have an extra set of mounting hardware, and may swap out the bars, leaving the Cinelli stem and Crit bars with the cloth tape intact.


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

jroden said:


> With those bars and the little buttons on the toe straps, that bike must have been owned by the coolest kid on the block. I found an old picture from a triathlon in 1983 when I was a hotshot cat 4, note the same buttons on my Binda extras and the totally cool Cinelli hairnet in white, which I latr topped off with a cap worn on the outside like Phil Anderson...


I remember when my dog chewed up my Cinelli hairnet. He was my dog, so I couldn't really be mad at him.

I was the slowest Cat 4 around in 1983!


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## innergel (Jun 14, 2002)

Do you really need that much brake cable? Seems too long to me, but then again I've never run that non-aero routing.

That bike is lovely. I <3 panto'd bits and pieces.


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

The rear cable does look a bit long in the photo, I'm not sure it was pulled through properly at the rear.. As the bike sits is how I received it last Fall, I'm just now getting to mess with it.

I put red housing on my other Faema, and may do that on this one as well.

I did ride it today (brakes worked fine), and I must say , I'm very impressed. My other Merckx's have sloping crowned forks, but are the Professional model. I'm not sure if it was the 280/330 Corsa CX combo, or the fork, or all the TI components, but this bike seems more responsive than the sloping crowned bike. I have a feeling the tires have a lot to do with it.

I just went to the garage, and checked the cables, yes the rear is long. I'll shorten it, maybe change to red, what do you Merckxamaniacs(tm pending) think? Red or Black?


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

zmudshark said:


> The rear cable does look a bit long in the photo, I'm not sure it was pulled through properly at the rear.. As the bike sits is how I received it last Fall, I'm just now getting to mess with it.
> 
> I put red housing on my other Faema, and may do that on this one as well.
> 
> ...


I vote black. It doesn't need any more color, its freakin' PERFECT!!

b21


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## r_mutt (Aug 8, 2007)

white, red, or black would work. i'm leaning towards red or black as white get dirty easier.


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## vlckx (Mar 4, 2005)

stick with the black housing, perfect in balacnce with the rims and seat.
btw, lovely machine!


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2008)

zMud,

Sorry just saw this.

Beautiful, which I guess is to be expected.

Absolutely lovely machine.

Can you take a pic of the rear der. / freewheel - please?


TMB

PS Black.


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## cannibal (Dec 3, 2004)

After viewing the photos of your rig, three words come to mind: classic, vintage & pristine. I noted columbus decal on ST. 
Is it SL?


zmudshark said:


> This is not as exciting as getting a NOS Merckx from South Africa, but I've finally had time to get the Merckx I bought last year out of mothballs. I still haven't given it a good cleaning, or done touch ups, but here it is anyway.
> 
> It has a full panto group, flat fork crown, and over the bb cabling. Mavic 280/330 combo Vittoria Corsa CX tires. It's a 1983, I believe.


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

It's SL. 
The rear derailleur is Pat 83 and the freewheel is Everest. It's raining here now, will take more pictures soon. How's Sedona, 2many?


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

For TMB:


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2008)

I LOVE those Everest Freewheels, thank you.

Drilled Chain too? Nice.

Sedona was beautiful but WAY too much road work going on, hard to get around - anywhere.

In the Valley now. 105* .

Gawd, I'm in heaven.


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

I guess I shoulda warned you about the 5 year road construction project!

Yes, everything seems to be done 'just right' on this bike. The paint is a bit rougher than I had hoped, but the components are better than I had hoped. The bike rides like a dream, did I mention that, in spite of being my oldest bike, it's my lightest?


Geez, I had forgotten how nice a set of (Italian made) Vittoria CX's on 280/330 rims really are, talk about heaven!


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

TMB,

I forgot to ask, since you are now at your second home, what do you think of the red Italian frame I left in your garage?

Does it meet your expectations?


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2008)

zmudshark said:


> TMB,
> 
> I forgot to ask, since you are now at your second home, what do you think of the red Italian frame I left in your garage?
> 
> Does it meet your expectations?


zMud,

First thing I did when we got here was look in the box.

Holy gawd almighty, it is beautiful, stunning.

Why on earth anyone ever thought to put a plastic fork on that is absolutely beyond me.

Just beautiful.

The Coppi ain't bad either - but not as good as Red.


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2008)

The pile of boxes in my garage look like I'm living in a bike shop!!

Am I gonna have fun!!


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2008)

zmudshark said:


> I guess I shoulda warned you about the 5 year road construction project!
> 
> Yes, everything seems to be done 'just right' on this bike. The paint is a bit rougher than I had hoped, but the components are better than I had hoped. The bike rides like a dream, did I mention that, in spite of being my oldest bike, it's my lightest?
> 
> ...


We had thought we would go up to Sedona again while ae are here.

Idea scratched. The line of traffic going into Sedona stretched from d/t Sedona to Bell Rock.

I don't need to sit in that.


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

You may want to put AC in the garage, like a friend of ours did, or work at night. At least there's no mosquitoes! You can go to my garage and borrow the big floor fan in there.

I think you'll have plenty to keep you busy. 

I take it Red is first on the list?


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

toomanybikes said:


> We had thought we would go up to Sedona again while ae are here.
> 
> Idea scratched. The line of traffic going into Sedona stretched from d/t Sedona to Bell Rock.
> 
> I don't need to sit in that.


I'll send you a good route for a day trip that avoids the mess on 179, and gets you to great hiking. I'll give you a call once you get settled a bit.


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2008)

zmudshark said:


> You may want to put AC in the garage, like a friend of ours did, or work at night. At least there's no mosquitoes! You can go to my garage and borrow the big floor fan in there.
> 
> I think you'll have plenty to keep you busy.
> 
> I take it Red is first on the list?


Red starts tomorrow.


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## nickb4 (Jan 24, 2006)

toomanybikes said:


> Red starts tomorrow.


We need to see some pics of Red. Remember seeing some thumbnails a while back but that was not enough.


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## r_mutt (Aug 8, 2007)

red? what's this infamous red?


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

r_mutt said:


> red? what's this infamous red?


I can post a picture, but don't want to steal 2many's thunder. If TMB says ok, I'll post, of course, it's in his hands, now, so he could do the same.

It's not a Merckx.


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2008)

I did not set out to hi-jack zMud's thread, apologies.

"Red" is here - - - > http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?p=1623486#post1623486

I will start building it up today.


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

toomanybikes said:


> I did not set out to hi-jack zMud's thread, apologies.
> 
> "Red" is here - - - > http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?p=1623486#post1623486
> 
> I will start building it up today.


Not a problem on my end, no apologies needed. Waiting for a ride report!


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

*I*



zmudshark said:


> You may want to put AC in the garage, like a friend of ours did, or work at night. At least there's no mosquitoes! You can go to my garage and borrow the big floor fan in there.


am renting out work bays at reasonable prices.

b21


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