Classic & Vintage - Novice Restorer here. 1984 Fuji question

I have just aquired a 1984 Fuji America Touring V. The thing is in phenomenal condition. Everything on this bike is original catalogue stock. Short Story: I have a father in law who has always had more money than sense. He bought this bike the summer of '84, rode it for 3 months, as an occasional commuter bike, then when the weather turned cold, he parked it, and never rode it again. It's literally been sitting in the exact same spot in a dry, cool basement for 22 years. The rubber brake housing under the levers is slightly ripped (1/2 in) on one side, and the tires, of course needed replacing. I've just done a once-over degreasing, and am shocked at how great this thing looks.


Hear's the work I'm having a pro do:
Front and Rear derailleurs/shifters (SunTour Mountech) need adjusting. Hopefully, nothing will have to be replaced. But I am a very green novice, and have no idea. Niether derailleur will hold their position properly. Ogf course, they've had the same lube on them for 22 years.

The freewheel is completely "free" in both directions. Hopefully, I can keep the same hub and cassette.

Once those items are adjusted, the bike will be in like-brand-new condition. No WEAR ANYWHERE!!

Parts of this bike are stainless steel (beautiful road stem) and some parts are chrome(accent on the beautiful fork, cable guides, etc). Some of the chrome is spotty, and I'd like to shine up everything.

Finally, to my questions:

1)Do any of you refurbishers have any tips as to the best thing to use for the stainless and chrome? I don't want to ruin anything, and I want this bike to look like I just rode it out of Vinings Schwinn Cyclery in 1984.

2) Just to get it ready to ride, I replaced the tires with what the bike shop had at the time (regular ole Bonatrager Sport). Does anyone know where I can find some nice tan-wall tires like the originals? Are they commonly available? Because I can't seem to find any online.

Your help is greatly appreciated. Any advice is solicited. I'll be posting pictures soon.

What size are the tires? 27" or 700c?

I would venture to guess that you should probably repack the hubs, BB, pedal spindles and headset with fresh grease. The cables could probably use a once over maybe even replacement. Also check the brake pads to see if they are still "soft".

Honestly, it's worth taking it to an LBS and having a tune up done. I would err on the side of a shop that's been around a while and is familiar with older bikes.

Good luck. Post pics.

Thanks. Yeah, all of the dereilleur work and hub work, and anything else slightly technical, I'm having done at the bike shop it was originally purchased from (where I recently purchased my newest mountain bike).

But, all of the polishing, and appearance work I'm doing myself.

I should have pics up by this evening (at work now).

mmmm.... basement fresh. What a great find. The grease in the freewheel probably just hardened up. Can't wait for the pictures!

If the tires are 27's, here is a nice set:

http://harriscyclery.net/itemdetails.cfm?ID=1733&Catalog=39

or

http://harriscyclery.net/itemdetails.cfm?ID=696

the above is on closeout for $12, IMO a really good deal for descent 27's and in a pretty rare width. Most of what you find are 27x1 1/4 or 27x1 1/8. I tend to like the narrower ones much better, they ride a little nicer.

Thanks, Seanee. Those look exactly like what I'm looking for. I posted pictures of the bike in this thread:
http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=289031

Panaracer Paselas have a tan sidewall, come in 700c and 27" sizes, and are often available at very good prices. Nashbar frequently discounts them.

Neal

If you're going to use this bike for its intended purposes, you might want to consider the Pasela TG ('Tour Guard") (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=121&subcategory=1258&brand=&sku=4286&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%2027%22) version. They've been discussed recently on the commuter board, and seem to be regarded as worth the few extra dollars for their extra flat protection.

You have Fuji's top of the line Touring bike. It will take you anywhere & carry a load with no problems. Also good for commuting. I have a similar 84 Specialized Expedition Touring bike that originally had the same Mountech derailleurs. Don't have direct experience, but I read that the rear derailleur had problems & wore rapidly so keep an eye on it. My bike had the rear DR replaced with a Shimano Deore, long cage & the jockey wheels are Charmichael pulley wheels. Trouble free for many years & no problems with the front DR. Don

Just one question: What bike are you getting for your wife? You owe her big time for this gem.

If the derailleurs aren't holding their position, it is likely that the screws on the lever pivots just need to be tightened a little bit. Try a couple drops of oil (motor oil is about right) in the freewheel body. It's probably better if you remove the freewheel first. Worst case scenario is you have to by a replacement freewheel - not that big a deal in the grand scheme of things.

Also, I suggest you get a can of Nevr Dull, and use that on your steel and chrome. Be sure to wipe it off thoroughly with a cloth when finished.

Another possibility for autoshifting is that those bar-end shifters needed to be tightened down a bit. A bolt goes through the pod that fits into the handlebars and is tightened by a round slotted nut facing the inside of the bars. I'd take out that bolt completely, put some grease on the threads and tighten back down. You might find you need to tighten both sides, nut and bolt.

Neal

Wow. Thanks again guys, for the helpful advice. The next pictures I post will be my new find, loaded with gear, 150 miles from home, by a lake somewhere in the southeast wilderness. Your expertise and compliments have inspired me. I'll keep you posted if I run into anymore repair problems. Thanks again.

1) couple of drops of light oil in the freewheel and some spinning might loosen up the old grease and get it working. Otherwise, a new shimano freewheel is all of about $20.

2) New tires / tubes probably wouldn't be a bad idea. Regardless of the lack of wear, I'd be concerned about 20+ year old tires, especially as they've been sitting completely flat for so long. Small cracks in the rubber will likely give sooner than later if not already.

3) Inspect and if needed replace the cables and housings for derailleurs and brakes. Probably some deteriation of these even in the nice cool basement.

4) Mother's Mag Polish on aluminum bits. Turtle Wax brand chrome polish on the chrome are my choices for cleaning up unpainted areas. Hubs, stem, etc should sparkle like new with little effort. I'd stay away from the rims with most cleaning polishes as most contain some wax products that can reduce braking performance.

5) Repacking the bearings (hubs / BB / Headset) is a good idea to ensure that you get maximum life out of them. Bearings should be in prime shape still, but new grease is in order ideally. Marine grease from the automotive section will do, but better quality polymer greases are out there if you want to spend the money (Phil Wood waterproof grease comes to mind)

6) And most importantly, enjoy the process of restoring the mechanical bits and the fact that you'll have a touring bike on par or better with anything out there for considerable more money. There's just something soothing about carefully going over each part of a bicycle. It's such a simple machine, yet one can spend hours polishing, cleaning and restoring each part if they desire. :)

7) Ride, Ride, Ride!

P.S. - tan sidewalls: they are fewer and farther between these days. Conti still makes a model or two in a tan or skin wall. I have a pair of IRC Road Winner II Duro's that have a tan sidewall that aren't a bad tire either.