Classic & Vintage - What did I buy?

Well, trade for actually but long story short I got a janky but apparently nice old frame I intend to build but I am kinda new to older bikes so, at the recommendation of a friend, I was hoping you nice folks might be able to help me out a bit.

Frame is a theft recovery and painted about 4-5 times but looks like it was originally dark blue; it had been built up as a fixie with some decent components but neglected for ages. The BB is stamped with a S/N that looks like it may be NW6210 but it is crazy hard to read.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3317/3229343330_60018e0c4a.jpg

the drop outs are stamped Shimano and EF and the stays are chrome most the way up.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3428/3229347540_64eac58d69.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3077/3229984205_98aa4fe52a.jpg

The lugs are nothing ultra fancy but seem to be a bit nicer then most and it has some nice details like a pump peg and the lug to hang the chain from. It also has some small square braze ons for the down tube shifters and front derailure. Standard bottom bracket and 26.8 seat post. It seems to have a short TT given the size of the ST leading to the tall head tube and a really long (8 1/4") steerer. It came with a Tange fork but I am pretty sure it is not the original.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/3229348928_b68cdb0cf5.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3407/3229350166_019da08edd.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/3229351474_c388924133.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3465/3229983347_25e0020fae.jpg

I will be happy to provide any pics or info you request; thanks in advance for any help on the ID.

Someone cut the shifter braze-ons off. That is what the squares are. The diamond cut-outs are familiar and the lugs do look nice. The fastback stay treatment is also very cool. There are a lot of defining features so I predict this will be a quick ID.

Some good pics of the fork could help the ID crew.

Fork pic, but as I said I do not think it is original to the frame. It's marked as a Tange.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3474/3230947568_a18c6f9246.jpg

Like you said, I doubt that the fork is original - it has canti bosses for one, and there are none on the seat stays. Looks like a pretty decently built frame, but unfortunately I can't shed any light on the manufacturer. The Shimano dropouts and diamond cut in the lugs make me think Japanese.

edit: Maybe a Univega or Miyata, or Apollo?

It is Japanese. The lugs except for the BB are similar to those found on upper end early-mid 80's Univegas, Miyatas and Panasonics, but the BB shell is lower end Japanese found on nearly everything from 1970 to 1990. The fast-back seat stays are interesting, also indicating a higher end bike, but I do recall seeing any mid-80's Japanese bike other than 3Rensho's, etc (this is NOT one of those). The rear dropouts appear to be Suntour GT's. The fork is definately not original. The chromed rear triangle mis-matahced with the non-chromed main tubes also suggest a mid-level concern.

If you held a gun to my head and said 'pick one' I would guess (and really guess) it came outta the Panasonic facility in the early 80's as a mid-level bike. They made bikes for a number of folks, so until you find a sticker under the piles of paint, I do not know. If T-Mar would check in, I would say he may be able to draw someting from the Serial #.

From the angle of the head-tube as compared to the seat-tube's angle, the original fork must have had a rather extreme rake by today's standards. So I'd venture a guess on when this was made - early 1970's.

I'm claiming Lotus:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2250/2280452124_7a26d12b2c.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/108/261362807_70fdfbc8d2.jpg?v=0

Fastback & diamonds...

That's one heck of a nice touring fork. Let me know if you ever decide to part with it.

-Kurt

That's one heck of a nice touring fork. Let me know if you ever decide to part with it.

-Kurt

I was gonna say the same thing...The crown, reinforcement tangs and dual eyelets....Can't tell if it has half rack mounts but either way. :love:

Like you said, I doubt that the fork is original - it has canti bosses for one, and there are none on the seat stays. Looks like a pretty decently built frame, but unfortunately I can't shed any light on the manufacturer. The Shimano dropouts and diamond cut in the lugs make me think Japanese.

edit: Maybe a Univega or Miyata, or Apollo?

Definitely not any of these three. Serial number (and positioning in the case of Apollo), lugwork, seatstay arrangement is wrong.
It is definitely Japanese with the 26.8 seatpost. My bet is on one of the other big manufacturers such as Panasonic, Centurion, or even something like a Lotus as someone suggested.

That's one heck of a nice touring fork. Let me know if you ever decide to part with it.

-Kurt

The fork is, sadly, bent up a bit it just does not show in the pictures.

Looks very much like a Univega Competizione, though the fast back is slightly different. Possibly a later model than the one I sold, since the cables are routed under the BB.

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff297/velomateo/postings/competizione001.jpg

I was going to vote "Univega/Miyata" based on the lugs, but that was before I saw the Lotus pic...however NONE of these has exactly the same fastback treatment...close, but that only counts in horseshoes. T-Mar would nail it based on the serial number, if only he'd answer... "Commissioner: use the Bat-signal on those gathering storm clouds!"