Classic & Vintage - Viscount owners-past and present...need some help

I found an old Viscount road bike that a local bike shop has for $50 out in front of the store. The bike has what appears to be all original parts and has a dark red paint scheme with white stickers and a front fork that is red as well with chromed lowers. I imagine the bike is a very late 70s/early 80s bike due to the stem shifters. The bike is in fair condition with some rust in places where the paint was scratched and the chromed areas are a bit pitted. I'm wondering if there are any things I can look for the next time I stop by the shop to determine the age/worth of this bike? I'm looking for a spare bike to ride when it is raining/snowing out (Buffalo, NY) and want something that I don't have to worry about cleaning up. Is a bike such as this reliable for this kind of duty? I wish I would have paid more attention to the component group and model of the bike to give you more information. Any help would be a great help.
-Steve

What model is it? What components are on it? I have one of these, but I modernized it and made a tourer out of it, left little of the original, except frame/fork, but it is as good as fancy new expensive custom bikes, as far as I am concerned. Some of the models had aluminum forks, that used ot fail, and had to be recalled, so be careful about that. Sheldon Harris had some mentioning about Viscounts. Try this link: http://sheldonbrown.com/lambert.html. There are just too many variables to go just by the bike manufacturer name.

I also own an old Viscount Sebring, as the follwing article indicates Yamaha bought them out in the 70's and changed some things around. It sounds like the bike might be the same style mine is (although I have striped the frame and converted to SS) but it is a lugged steel frame with chrome tiped fork, not the death fork. If I remeber correctly mine had old Shimano 600 parts on it and steel rims, but it is made in England. I have comparted it to better "Aero tube" Viscounts and it is clearly not the same. From what I can say about mine is that it is not worth too much, but make a great beater bike.

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/British/Lambert/lambert_bikes.htm

My Viscount is the Sebring as well. It is little newer, I believe that I got it in '78. I modernized it, spread the stays, built it into a tourer, with XTR parts, added lot of braze-ons, and it is now equivalent to very expensive custom tourers - IMHO. It is comfortable, reliable and beautiful. I would not like to part with this bike.

I have a Viscount Pro from about 1975-76. Still in use for recreational riding. (I switch with several others)

W/ wider range gearing it carried me on a x-country US tour (W/ the orig aluminum fork)

Has been completely rebuilt, refurbished over the years w/ various parts.

BB: Tapped to Italian thread w/ old Campy style BB
Campy brakes w/ drop bolt to accomodate the 27" wheels
Huret Jubilee and SunTour Cyclone derailleurs (currently)
Ideale leather saddle
Avocet Crank 51/47
Regina freewheel 12-23? (1/2 step gearing)
Suntour Cyclone sf hubs w/ Araya rims

Still a comfy recreational ride.

anyone know of an old one that I can obtail the original head tube (Vicount emblem/sticker )from?