Bicycle Mechanics - Will Suntour Symmetric shifters fit this 1985 Panasonic boss

Options limited for 7-spd indexed downtube shifters on my 1985 Panasonic, especially if I want to mount to original boss. Anyone know if the Suntour Symmetric shifter (pic at end of post) will mount to my bike? I have included pictures of the original friction shifters that came with the bike and the boss. thanks!


original shifters:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g218/steelkilt/Img_2606.jpg

boss:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g218/steelkilt/Img_3823.jpg

suntour symmetric (link to borrowed pic):
http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/benscycle/suntoursymetric.jpg

I am quite certain that the SunTour shifters will mount right to this braze on boss. I never knew that Shimano actually made a set of shifters to fit on this type of boss, and I sold Panasonic bikes for many years. With this type of top-of -the down tube braze on, your options are very limited.

I am quite certain that the SunTour shifters will mount right to this braze on boss. I never knew that Shimano actually made a set of shifters to fit on this type of boss, and I sold Panasonic bikes for many years. With this type of top-of -the down tube braze on, your options are very limited.

Thanks. Yes, in a sense it's a stroke of bad luck that I ended up with the Team frame from 1985. In the catalog, all the higher end Team models ahead of mine have the "normal" bosses on the sides of the downtube.

On the other hand, I consider myself lucky to have found a 1985 Panasonic Team at all, so I'm not complaining. I just wish...

A possible solution: when you remove the thumbscrews and shift levers themselves from the mounting body, are there standard braze-on style bosses on it? If, so you may be able to mount regular Shimano downtube index shifters on it using Shimano shifter spacers (you can get them from Rivendell for $4). Best of luck.

A possible solution: when you remove the thumbscrews and shift levers themselves from the mounting body, are there standard braze-on style bosses on it? If, so you may be able to mount regular Shimano downtube index shifters on it using Shimano shifter spacers (you can get them from Rivendell for $4). Best of luck.

Great idea. If I can convince the guy who bought them to sell them back to me, I'll definitely try it (kicks self)

cheers

Yes the suntour will fit but it is not indexed. I have the same mount with suntour shifter on a 85 Nishiki Cresta touring bike and have been searching for a way to convert to indexed shifting as well. I bought a shimano 600ex areo shifter (same top mount bolt) with the hopes that I could remove the shifters to attach some 7 speed indexed DT shifters. No luck but I haven't thought about the Riv spacers, I'll look into that. I'm still searching for a solution (albeit, not that hard).

I am quite certain that the SunTour shifters will mount right to this braze on boss. I never knew that Shimano actually made a set of shifters to fit on this type of boss, and I sold Panasonic bikes for many years. With this type of top-of -the down tube braze on, your options are very limited.
Shimano "AX" shifters used this mount.

+1 The old Suntour shifters, while quite nice, were not indexed. I have about six bikes right now with the symmetric shifters.

Another possible solution: If you know how to braze or have a local framebuilder, it wouldn't be too hard to build a shifter mount using a metal plate (drilled for your existing boss), two braze-on shifter bosses, and two small sections of tubing (to simulate the down tube and to accommodate the scalloped Shimano shifter rings). Then you could use any indexed downtube shifters you want. Luck.