Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Fuji Touring Series V

Hi, I have a line on a 1985 Fuji Touring Series V for $450.

It's in good shape, the the frame is nice with just scratches here and there, no rust that I could see. Definitely not mint, but still very nice. It has most of the original parts, except it has flat bars (so not original shifters or brake levers either), it has a modern rear derailleur, new pedals, and a newer seat. I have a set of classic suntour barcons, which would be perfect for this bike.

So do you guys think this is worth it? I have been in the process of planning a tour for next summer after I graduate to the west coast, and I'm thinking this may replace my ideas of transforming my mountain bike into a tourer.

Oh and it is my size :)

Thanks a lot in advance!

Hard to value w/o pics and component specifices, but seems over-priced by at least $150 to $200 considering the condition and part swapping.

Yeah sorry, no pics. I believe it was the 1985 model. So it had cool black ukai alloy rims, sansin hubs, sugino at triple crank, gran compe cantilevers, suntour mountech fr. The rd was a modern shimano tourney and they were some newer grip shifters. Forgot what the seat was.

Thanks for the assessment, maybe I'll see how firm the price is.

Grip shifters? Has this bike been redone as a strait bar if so that really drops the price down a lot to around $200 or less if done nicely and working well. Modified road bikes just aren't worth a lot to serious bike guys buyers for this price you want something that mostly original great shape or that has been really well rebuilt as a road bike with drops DT shifters or barends nice wheels good rubber and nicer vintage components.

Grip shifters? Has this bike been redone as a strait bar if so that really drops the price down a lot to around $200 or less if done nicely and working well. Modified road bikes just aren't worth a lot to serious bike guys buyers for this price you want something that mostly original great shape or that has been really well rebuilt as a road bike with drops DT shifters or barends nice wheels good rubber and nicer vintage components.

+1

Flat bars on a road bike = huge turnoff for a lot of buyers, including me. This does not seem like a $450 bike to me at all, especially without being able to see pictures. Usually when the bars are changed the stem and brake levers are also changed, and that is an added expense to change it back.

Oops, hadn't thought about that, the stem probably is changed out.

Yeah I agree, I'm not interested in it has a flat bar bike at all.

Thanks for the help. I have all the parts to switch it, but still, it's not worth it at that price for what it is.

If it had the original parts, it would be worth it. While you can dig into your bin to replace all the offending parts, you are consuming some good stuff in that process. For that, I would expect a nice discount.

That's a good point, I would have a lot more into it after the swaps. I have just one more question, this was at a lbs that sells a mix of new and vintage bikes, in your experiences, is it worth while to make an offer to get a big discount or should I move on?

"LBS" and "Big Discount" usually don't appear in the same sentence - move on.

Offer 300 or so if you really want it and have the parts on hand, what could it hurt?

Whether it can take 700c wheels with proper brake reach is a crucial question with regard to both value and whether you may want it.

That's a good point, I would have a lot more into it after the swaps. I have just one more question, this was at a lbs that sells a mix of new and vintage bikes, in your experiences, is it worth while to make an offer to get a big discount or should I move on?

LBS and discount? Rare indeed.

If you head down that trail, I would suggest you have the bike shop return it to its standard orientation: drop bars, stem, barcons. A shop that routinely deals in older bikes, should have a rich bin of parts. As a bare minimum, I would want those parts included, then install them myself.

I would jump at a Fuji Touring Series V, with the proper bars, for $350, maybe even $400. If I recall correctly, it was on par with the Miyata 1000, one of the best touring bikes around at the time. You don't see them all the time, either. So is it worth an extra $50 to have it in your hands now, and to support your LBS? Yeah, maybe. But I agree, ONLY if they'll put drops and the right brake levers on.

(As a side note, if you do decide to go forward with the purchase, now would be a good time to think about some other bar style that could suit the ride... mustache, perhaps? Or randonneur bars--I love mine.)

Agree with the above ^^^, this is a desirable touring bike. The frame will have all of the braze-ons and features you'd want. The LBS location is to the buyer's advantage, as the collector visibility into this bike will be very limited to walk-in customers.

That said, I'd want SunTour barcons and Nitto Randonneur bars on it, along with original DiaCompe levers. As someone noted above, conversion to 700c will be problemmatic, as I think that the calipers are DiaCompe 981's, too short for correct 700c use. You'll have to stick with the black anodized 27s. Throw out the Tourney and find a period SunTour derailleur, like the Cyclone MkII...

Anyway, I'd buy the bike at $300 as is. For the full price, I'd at least want the proper period parts for it. Time to negotiate...

Thanks for the opinions. I'll have time to go back to the shop and talk to the owner about what you guys brought up. I not he said they bought it with this set up so he probably doesn't have the original original parts, but I'll ask for other period parts and either expect a discount for the parts I supply or move on. I hope they negotiate as it is a really cool bike albeit with the unfortunate modifications.

Thanks again for the help!

Go in to the LBS and inquire about a new steel lugged touring frame of the same quality and add-ons as the TS V. Leave out the components for now. Just the frame. I think you'll experience sticker shock. :twitchy:

The TS V is a classic and an incredibly well designed touring bike. As long as it's not rusted or bent, $450 is not out of line for that bike, regardless of the straight bars. Keep in mind, it handles best with weight, lot's of weight. Yes, it can take 700c wheels, I've been riding mine with tubulars. Here's mine before some changes in bar tape and wheels:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff142/Head_High_and_Glassy/1984%20Fuji%20Touring%20Series%20V/_MG_3133.jpg

http://vintagefuji.posterous.com/1984-fuji-touring-series-v

Scott

Thanks Scott, that TS V is gorgeous!I love it. How does it run with the 700c? Do you have any pictures of it as it is now? I'd loved to see it :)

Probably not a good idea to ask about a new frame to negotiate for this bike :)
But point received, this is a lot less (and a lot cooler in my opinion) then a new tourer frame. I'll see how it goes Wednesday morning.

Thanks Scott, that TS V is gorgeous!I love it. How does it run with the 700c? Do you have any pictures of it as it is now? I'd loved to see it :)

Probably not a good idea to ask about a new frame to negotiate for this bike :)
But point received, this is a lot less (and a lot cooler in my opinion) then a new tourer frame. I'll see how it goes Wednesday morning.

Twolve, no current photos, sorry. I just recently switched over to the 700's so I don't have that many miles on them. Any notable difference would be due to the tubulars rather than change in rim size. Certainly felt faster that's for sure!

Good luck!

Scott

Twolve, definitely let us know if you pick up that bike, and post pics! As someone who went through a somewhat agonizing search for a high-quality tourer not long ago, I urge you to pull the trigger if it fits and you find yourself on the fence. These things don't generally drop from trees right when you want them.

Scott, I know you changed it, but I love the look of that clear bar tape. Mind telling me what kind it is?

ecnewell, it's just the standard white Benotto Cello tape. I love the way it looks and it's easy to clean but it wasn't very practical in regards to comfort after long hours. I needed something with a bit more padding.

Did you ever manage to find a touring rig?

Scott

Did you ever manage to find a touring rig?

Scott
I did. I found a 1990 Cannondale ST400 frameset in excellent shape. It came with modern XT front and LX rear derailleurs, DiaCompe XCT cantis, a Sugino AC crank set, and the original Cannondale rack. I built the rest up with parts I had here: 27" alloy Araya rims, Suntour bar-cons, Shimano 600 aero levers (and some other stuff not worth mention). She rides like a tank on glass, solid but so smooth.

My first decent bike was a Cannondale M300. I rode it from when I was 14 until it was stolen my senior year of college (not growing much has its advantages), so this bike fills two voids for me.

Thanks guys, I'm going to check the bike out tomorrow morning. I'll let you know how it goes!

Thanks,
Will