Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Fuji "Black Bike" 1980's

I have just started to collect (and use) Vintage Bikes, mostly Trek but last week I e-Bay'ed a Fuji Ace "Black Bike" supposedly from mid 1980's. It is filthy and needs some serious TLC but it's complete and shows no serious physical damage. The frame has decals saying, 1020 hi-tensile main tubes, designed in USA, made in Taiwan! It's 14 speed Exage 300EX with side-pull Exage motion brakes.

Will make an interesting project for restoration, I hope! Anyone have an ideas for a good source of "original equipment" parts? Or any links to other enthusiasts for older Fujis? Anyone want to put a $ sale value on this bike in VGC but not restored or upgraded to include "foreign" parts? .... BTW, where the heck is the serial #?

I paid $65 in shabby shape, which was probably $35 more than it was worth! But, as we all know, on e-Bay it's a game which one sometimes wins, and sometimes loses.

Parted out you may be able to recoup your $65, but it would be tough. Not sure where they put the serial number on fuji's, maybe BB, rear dropouts, around the head tube (those are the usual locations on most bikes). You've already paid the cash, now all that's left is to make it look like it's worth much more right! :)

Serial number should be underneath the BB. Sometimes they laid the paint on pretty thick obscuring the numbers somewhat.

Check the '89 and '90 years in the Classic Fuji website: http://www.classicfuji.com/

I think you did fine for $65, in my local market it would go for more than that. Enjoy riding it!

Scott

Hi-ten steel is the bottom end frame material. Earlier years were made in Japan, which is probably a little more desirable. But for $65, you still got a good deal (depending what you have to put back into it). Do the work yourself and that will help manage the cost a lot.

Thanks for all replies:
I was not “ticked” at $65, I was very ticked at an e-Bay seller who mis-represented the bike as VGC! Restoration is not a problem as I am retired (this is Florida!) and I have plenty tools and workshop space. I actually like the Fuji Ace and it will be a pleasure to tinker with it.



I will post some more questions when I get further into the project. Thanks for the link to classicfuji.com. You guys might be interested in http://www.vintage-trek.com (http://www.vintage-trek.com/) which I use as a reference point for Trek.

Jim, I hope you can find the serial number on the frame for an accurate date of manufacture or perhaps the component dating can help you.

The '89 and '90 Ace frames were chromoly according to the specs and not hi-tensile. The Classic Fuji website only goes up to 1991 and there wasn't an Ace in their line up that year. Perhaps the later years they re-introduce the Ace and changed the frame material. I'd love to find out.

The Ace was quite a nice bicycle back in the middle '70's, especially the '75. It was the first Fuji to come all equipped with Shimano Dura Ace.

http://www.classicfuji.com/1975_05_AceB.htm

Check out Robatsu's Fuji blog:

http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/

He posted some of my photographs of my '76 Finest that had the full Dura Ace switched over to it when it was originally purchased. Plus he's got other great Fuji info.

Feel free to PM me if you have Fuji questions.

Scott