Originally Posted by
Charles Wahl
I have frame 12470, and BJ confirmed that it's a 1977. They won't look up or print the shop card anymore, like they used to. My frame has no braze-ons at all for cables, excepting the stop for RD housing on R chain stay. Are you sure about the 2nd number of the serial -- doesn't look like a 2 in your photo to me, but I can't see it that well.
Here's a better picture of the numbers and the fastback stays. If yours is 470 and a '77, then my 969 I think would be a '79-'80. Does yours have the fastback stays? All the BJ's I've seen have the traditional seat tube and stay cluster. I wonder if it's a custom bike? I've heard that BJ would warehouse frames and use them up as needed, even years later. Don't know, just rumors. Thanks for the info Charles Wahl.