Hi folks at Mercian,
I just finished putting together a nice-looking 1980 Strada Speciale that I found recently. The bike was in decent shape already, with a few chips and scratches, and some dulled paint. Some paint touch-ups and a bit of effort with some buffing compounds, and the finish looks like new again. I built it up with a mix of age-appropriate components. I love the lugwork on this bike -- the shot-in stays, and the clover leaf cutouts in the the lugs. I got lots of complements from strangers on the bike's maiden voyage.
I've attached some pictures, and there are more on my blog, The Retrogrouch.
http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.com/2014/06/new-old-mercian-strada-speciale.html
Unless I've lost count, this now makes 8 Mercians in my collection. The others were pictured in the article I wrote about Mercian's history, including an interview with Grant:
http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.com/2014/02/mercian-cycles-history-and-tradition.html