> So far, I'm guessing this bike is somewhere between 1973 and 1979.
> My primary question for the list is if the SunTour derailleurs are
> original. It has a VGT, or maybe VxGT RD with a matching SunTour FD
> and the ratcheted SunTour DT shift levers. The most recent catalog
> on RetroRaleigh to show the Grand Sport is 1976, which shows a long
> cage Criterium-quality Simplex plastic RD (called the Simplex
> "Maxi"), a pushrod plastic Simplex front, and the truly dreadful
> plastic Simplex Prestige DT shift levers. The same setup is shown
> in the 1973 catalog on RetroRaleigh. A couple of Raleigh gurus on
> the list believe the derailleurs are not original. However, if the
> bike is late 70's, maybe 1977-1979, I think it is possible it might
> have come with SunTour, as Raleigh did use a lot of SunTour stuff
> in the late 70's, including the original derailleurs on a Grand
> Prix I bought my wife in that period.
>
> Anyone know of a blue and white Grand Sport(s) with original
> SunTour derailleurs?
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, TX
Jerry, I have the 1978 and 1979 Raleigh catalogs, neither of which list the Gran Sport. However, it appears again in the 1980 catalog (as Gran Sport), listed between the Super Grand Prix and the Grand Prix. It's no longer the Reynolds 531 frameset of previous years, but "light weight high tensile steel" and the mechs are Raleigh/SunTour VGT (rear), Raleigh/SunTour Compe V (front) with stem shifters. Interesting, too, in that the paint scheme is listed as Polar White/ Double Blue but the model pictured is red panels/red headtube on a white frame. I've also seen Gran Sport frames in that red/white motif that were made in Japan, early 80s Raleighs.
Neal Lerner
Brookline, MA