Originally Posted by
desille54
I have a mystery frame that I think might be a late Centurion, or possibly a higher-end bike made by the folks at Centurion. It's been stripped down except for a Tange Prestige II label, and a few spots of blue/pink pearl paint. The brake cable is routed through the top tube, and the rear dropouts are Shimano EF. In addition, the seatstays curl up around the seat lug--not something I've seen on too many frames. Here's the serial number (note how small the number is): N8S0043. According to what I've read so far, the serial number places the frame--if it is a Centurion--in the later months of 1988. Any help identifying this frame would be greatly appreciated!
Centurion had their frames contract manufactured, so there is the possibility that it may not be a Centurion. Based on the serial numbers, it could be either 1988 or 1989 model. The Centurion model that used the Prestige tubeset at this time was the Prestige. However, the paint scheme makes me suspect it is not a Centurion. In 1988 the upper end models used a smoke paint job and in 1989 they used a marble paint job. Typically, the dominant colour in these schemes was white with contrasting smoke or marble finish on the front end and/or stays. Also, while I don't have a pic of the 1988 model, the 1989 does not have the rear brake cable routed internally. The resolution on the pic is not good eneough to identify the stay cap style. My current gut impression is that it may be a Panasonic. I seem to recall their model having internal routing and with the PICS system they offered numerous color options. Any chance of posting a good overall pic? Fork too, please.