Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Name this frame

Just starting my first singlespeed build and came across this frame in my grandparents barn. Someone in the family worked for a bike manufacturer and gave them boxes of sample parts (dia-compe, shimano, speed pit, etc.) and a frame. Most of the parts have tags on them from 1973 so I'm assuming the frame is from the same year. I took the frame to a few bike shops and no one had an answer. The only info I know is that all of the tubing is magnesium alloy except for the seat tube which is steel. Also, the tubes have fake lugging and are bonded into place. The rear dropout is also very thick and unique. There are no markings on the frame except a serial number on the bottom.

So does anyone have a guess on this one? Any reason this wouldn't work as a singlespeed frame?

Thanks!!

Also, this is my first post so let me know if I need to post pictures in a different format.

Perhaps you or one of the mods could move this to the Classic and Vintage forum. Doesn't look like any Raleigh, Schwinn, Gitane, Peugeot I've seen nor does it appear to be Italian. Touring bike by the geometry and rack/fender eyelets. Cast bottom bracket.

A magnesium alloy would make it aluminum. Most likely Reynolds 531 Manganese alloy steel.

Nice bike.

its a huffy...

this could very well be a huffy--- no joke esp with the bonded drops---

My friend had a bike with lugs that looked a lot like that. It was called a Kabuki by Bridgestone. It was aluminum (magnet wouldn't stick) tubing with incredibly beefy, heavy lugs. I think the seattube came loose inside the BB shell/lug. It could be moved up and and down a few mm, causing the whole frame to flex in ways that frames should never flex. Especially aluminum ones. That can't be par for the course, though. I'm sure that something catastrophic happened in this frame's life that caused such crazy damage.

Try to stick a magnet onto the frame. If it sticks, it's steel, if it doesn't, it's probably aluminum. If it's aluminum, I bet it's the same kind of frame my friend had, even if it was branded differently. It will work as a singlespeed frame as long as it's not damaged.

Frame, I name thee Pedro.

My friend had a bike with lugs that looked a lot like that. It was called a Kabuki by Bridgestone. It was aluminum (magnet wouldn't stick) tubing with incredibly beefy, heavy lugs. I think the seattube came loose inside the BB shell/lug. It could be moved up and and down a few mm, causing the whole frame to flex in ways that frames should never flex. Especially aluminum ones. That can't be par for the course, though. I'm sure that something catastrophic happened in this frame's life that caused such crazy damage.

Try to stick a magnet onto the frame. If it sticks, it's steel, if it doesn't, it's probably aluminum. If it's aluminum, I bet it's the same kind of frame my friend had, even if it was branded differently. It will work as a singlespeed frame as long as it's not damaged.

I think there's some confusion here. I have a Kabuki, and it's actually the odd combination of steel tubing and aluminum lugs. The lugs look much like those in the picture, with a flat-ended lug detailed with a raised section to make it look pointed and fancy. But I've also seen this style on presumably steel lugs.

An interesting distinction for Kabukis is that the aluminum lug at the top of the seatpost doesn't let you clamp down with a binder bolt to hold the post in place. Instead, the post uses a wedge like a quill stem, with a bolt at the top of the seat post for releasing the wedge and adjusting seat height. If this bike has that sort of seat post, then perhaps it's a Kabuki after all. However, mine doesn't have the sleeved dropouts. Regardless, it would be really sad to have a Kabuki without the kickass headbadge.

EDIT: At first, I thought the bike had a seat post binder, but after a second look, I'm not so sure. Is that just a mount for the brake routing? If so, it may be a Kabuki after all: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/japan.html#kabuki

I name thee:

Rutherford Von Funkenstien III.