Thanks for all the informative responses.


Since making the original post, I've done extensive research of the archives on this site and elsewhere on the internet. I discovered:


1. My questions are fairly common.


2. Provable answers, not so common.


There seems to be an internet consensus that the head badge on my bike started in the early 1970's as a modification of the red-flame head badge Dawes used in the mid and late 1960s. It is clear there was a fire at the Dawes factory (1976? 1978?) and many people posting on the net believe the head badge on my bike was changed to the wreath badge (shown in Creindesign's post above) right after the the fire. This was the fire that burned up all the records that could answer my questions and most of the other questions about Dawes bike on the internet.


So....confident that there is not enough evidence to prove me wrong, I'm going to say my bike is a Galaxy GT from the mid 70s, just before the fire, and derailleurs/sifters I have are the original "Suntour V.G.T ensemble" listed in this catalog scan:


http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/Dawes-77/a3.JPG


My bike has a fork bend similar to this photo, and is missing the pump pegs, as per the listing.


juvela , good call on the headset. The bike does not want to ride in a straight line, and I was driving my self crazy with a string line looking for where the fame/fork was bent. After reading your post. I noticed the top lock ring was loose. When I hand tighten it to where I think it should be, the head set locks up. If I leave it loose enough to steer, the bike will not hold a straight line and the ring continues to loosen as I ride, like all the other miss-fit head sets I've had. Going to try to figure it out this weekend.