Classic & Vintage - Sante Fe MTB? CrMo and forged drops.

Just hit my lucky thrift store and picked one up for $28. I passed right by it the first time, thinking it was some cheap Huffy type thing, but then came back to it and gave it closer look. It has a standard old school straight top tube, CrMo frame, canti brakes, etc. What really threw me for a loop is that it has quick release wheels, forged drops front and back, Shimano brakes, and Shimano 200GS components with a biopace triple in front. I grabbed it on the spot, hehe. The paint is red with that stringy looking black paint
treatment like someone flipped a paint brush at it a few hundred times. The decals are also cleared over. So what's the verdict, junk or not? I say not, but I'm sure some will beg to differ.,,,,BD

It looks like another garage kept machine just joined my fleet. No sun damage or anything. Like it was ridden a few times then put in the back of the garage to get flats and collect cobwebs.:p Now I just have to get it all spruced up to ride to work tomorrow.

It sounds at the very least interesting, give us a picture ;)

the 200GS is the tip off. Think old trek 800. prob. a good enrty level MTB, but nothing SPC..

Here it is. I haven't cleaned it yet. I only installed some new shifter cables, and tried to adjust it. I think the FD is flexing badly. It will only catch the middle on the way up. On the way down it jumps from the big to small with no stopping. I think part of it's made of plastic. Typical, lol.,,,,BD

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n267/Kustombyker/Red-Santa.jpg

I put the tires & seat on it too, of course. The old ones were Tioga Farmer John's that were too old to trust. I may have an FD to replace the cheesy one. I tore down an old Rockhopper I got burned on. It has Exage I believe. Can anyone speak for compatibility???,,,,BD

Exage components should swap-in just fine. There were a few different Exage labled varients but I think they were all 7 speed except maybe the earliest, and even then there'd be no major difference btwn a "6" and "7" speed exage deraileur. Are you sure the problem with the front isn't the shifter?

That would be a good candidate for a single speed, it looks like it's got horizontal dropouts. Or a reliable beater. That era there were a lot of mtbs being made, and every once in a while I'll come across some unknown brand that isn't huffy junk, but isn't super-great either. They all seem to be like your bike, entry-level shimano components on a decently-made frame. I'd say for $28 it's a good find.

I have had that type of shifter before, and it does seem to be working. It will go all the way up like it should small to big. First shift going back down won't go far enough to catch the middle ring, but the second shift will dump it all the way. The bike is very clean looking, but maybe the shifter is gummed up or something. It seems to make all the clicks and catches when it should though. I may go with a single front 44. It's already turned into my work rider. Back rack, head and tail lights, etc.,,,,BD

Yeah, something is gummed up. Easy way to check is shift it while it's on a stand or something and check out the cable movement at the derailleur. If the cable doesn't move till the end of the shift then the cable is sticking somewhere.