Katiesmalls

The serial number dates it to 1975, ( april ). It is mostly Suntour, has a beautiful Fujita leather copper saddle, and Bar-Con shifters. There are small Campagnolo pieces on it, although they must have been added later. Also the catalogue which I can post a link to if anyone asks, shows 27x wheels. This has Mavic 700cs.


next day frame is done

Lascauxcaveman 

Cool bike; and with barcons and upgraded wheels no less. That oughta clean up nicely.

bikemig 

Nice bike, I always wanted one of those bikes. It's a pretty tall frame; does it fit you?

I hate to be the first to say this but the fork looks a bit off. It's probably the camera angle though.

It's a really high quality early version of a touring bike and well worth restoring.

icepick_trotsky 

The catalog says Chro-mo double butted. Ishiwata maybe?

Katiesmalls

Rides perfectly straight with no hands. I have straightened enough old steel bikes with a milk/Seltzer crate in a NYC bike shop I worked at, to know enough to stay away from them. A definite sign of a front collision is the buckling of the paint on head tube/top tube ( a "crinkle" ). Fortuntely this frame is perfect, a pet peeve of mine is not having the stem perfectly aligned with the front wheel, because you are staring at that the whole ride. This bike is really just an old survivor, will look forward to cleaning it up over the next few weeks. Although it may lose its saddle to my ( hopefully coming in the mail ) Guerciotti. Time will tell.

Katiesmalls

Does anyone know, exactly which brake levers those are? I know they are Weinmann but I have never seen the flame design before on the quick release nub. Funny seeing those tire scrapers in picture six. They use to come on a display card in our shop that we hung in the window, I personally don't believe they did anything but cause friction and problems for me the installer, the buyer usually came right back and said " something is rubbing" hehe, but to each their own.

Thanks

icepick_trotsky 

Any mention of a Guerc perks my attention. What are you getting?

qclabrat

nice looking specimen

anyone know how far back the Suntour V-GTs went, seems like a possible upgrade with the barcons?

Katiesmalls

Just a quick link, thank you https://classicfuji.com/America_1975_Page.htm

Katiesmalls

Ebay one night this past weekend, when I should have been sleeping had a 7400 SL complete from 1984, minus wheels, cables, chain, the rest was all original Campy. I couldn't control my pointy finger and clicked $404 for it with shipping. Unfortunately for me it was an odd hour, and I won the auction. Now have to figure out how to hide it, when it comes. I have numerous parts to complete it so I figured a Columbus SL Guerciotti would be worth $400 I have into it. How much is a divorce these days???

qclabrat

can't help, but interested as well, what's the rest of the engraving say "REL..."
love the old levers with brake release thingy that flips down

icepick_trotsky 

More than $404.

qclabrat

late night itchy finger purchases are dangerous, I only check my saved searches after dinner, otherwise I'd be in twice the pickle I'm already at

jet sanchEz

Sorry to derail....but I have a nice frame here that has suffered a front end impact, what's your method with the milk crate?

pcb 

Dia-Compe Gran Compe levers, with replacement (and rotting like zombie flesh) Weinmann rubber hoods.

qclabrat

you're right, better shot here, the engraving is "RELEASE"

gerv 

Have you ever noticed how big frame bicycles often seem to have bent forks? I think it's an optical illusion.

Very nice bike. Beautiful saddle.

Katiesmalls

The bar-con flexible cables threaded through the handlebar. Started to overhaul the Fuji and cutting away the old tape found the Flexible shifter cable running through the handlebar exiting on top of the brake lever. Never saw this before, anyone else? Crank is dated 74-11. Campy cable clips drew first blood. Flexi cable routed through bars? Tried to take everything as whole as possible, in case cable ends are frayed, then a quick wipe of rear drop out. The real KATIESMALLS and her "CREW", and finally the fork before I drop it. Beautiful attention to fork steerer, and serial number shot. Drilling of cable holes through handlebar look factory, but I have never seen this before. Did someone just take a lot of time and attention with them or is this the way back them?
Done ( frame anyway) Just a note, crank grease seemed as new, although black. I always try to use red marine grease, it expels water, and stands up to the harshest environment. If Yamaha marine uses it on their salt water bearings, its good enough for my round the block excursions.

elboGreaze

Looks to me like the the cables are custom rigged, thats not factory work , from what I've seen . (I have two bikes with bar ends , a 1979 Fuji and a 1980 Trek ) Nice bike BTW, looking forward to the "after" photos !

Katiesmalls

I have about 19 too many bikes soo hopefully this will be gone funding another project before it is "finished". I never saw the handlebar drilled that way either. Someone obviously went through a lot of work to to make it look that nice. I did start working in a LBS in 1974 or so but was too young to remember any small thing like that. I do remember a Ross Appolo bicentennial banana bike that came through and sat for years. Kinda Evil Knievel looking. But, those and the beautiful Hetchins, Frejus, and Raleighs were what stand out, and my Orange Paramount track bike with wooden rims ( I'm coming Elizabeth "). you'll be home soon

Katiesmalls

Guerciotti came USPS today. had some parts laying ( lying ? ) around, threw them on and pedaled around the neighborhood. felt nice

noglider 

I believe Fuji made their own frame tubes.

clubman 

Yup. There's no good reason to drill the bars when the cable run for bar cons work well as designed. These internal cable runs end vertically, with no benefits.

Seattle Cajun

I saw that one on eBay too, very nice! Guess I should finish the cabling on my Guerciotti frame...

leicanthrope

There's a strong suspicion that they rebranded Tange and/or Ishiwata tubing, possibly made to spec for them. My Fuji Team has an Ishiwata stamp on the fork steerer.