I bought my first Viscount in the summer of '76 and they were the hot new thing, at least according to the LBS that sold it to me. Similar to what the ad says. A couple of years later the BB bearings failed and I ruined the shaft trying to get it all apart. The company was out of business by then, and for some reason I couldn't find a new shaft. I bought a used, higher-end Viscount and that's what got me through college.

So I think your timeline is about right, Neal. I didn't even know about the Fork of Death until a few years ago when I Googled Viscount on a slow day at work. That's when I decided to build a new bike up from the original frame and components off the used bike, since the bike I bought in '76 had a chrome fork. Somewhere along the line I found replacement BB bearings and a new shaft, so that ought to be good for a few years, though I suspect the design leaves something to be desired. I think that thin-walled chrome moly steel BB housing needs a little more support than a couple of sealed bearings and a thin shaft. The only things holding it all together are two snap rings on the shaft.