Hello:
first time poster here, and I am not sure if it is more appropriate to start a new thread or just append to this one...
I am hoping to get some help dating and assessing the model number of this Peugeot road bike, It's been in storage since at least 1992, and I don't know it's provenance before that. I picked it up at a yard sale in the early 1990's (USA), rode it very briefly, then left for college, and just now re-encountered it. I've done a little research, and my best, hazy guess, is a 197...6?7? UO-8, but I have read that the date of mfr cannot reliably be derived from the serial number (if in fact it is the factory stamped serial and not an aftermarket stamp). Adding to the mystery, there seems to have been some swapping of components going on. I'll list the specs as I can find them, and will try to post pics as well :
Frame ser. no. stamp (to get that out of the way): Y709 1596
rr. derailleur: Simplex, with a plastic (delrin?) portion
fr. derailleur: shimano exage 300 ex (narrow) (also some plastic)
frt brake: make not apparent, side pull, "odyssey" pads
rr. brake: Weinmann/610 (?) Vainqueur 999, center pull
custom crankset 170 (signs of hammer abuse)
weinmann brake levers
atax handleset stem
brazed on cable stops
suntour shifter levers, bar end (I haven't seen any bar end shifters in any online Peugeot references)
right pedal: Lyotard 136
left pedal: looks like it was scavenged from a schwinn stingray or sim.
saddle: San Marco "Souple"
seatpost: garden variety chrome plated
front hub: simplex quick release, inactive end is plastic capped
front wheel: rigida chrolux 27x?
front tire is a 28mm cheng shin
the cable housings are not sheathed in turn with a plastic jacket, but rather have the coil exposed. The handlebar grips are foam. the large front chainring has a "guard" integral to it, so it appears that it was stamped from one sheet of metal, then folded outward.


https://s349.photobucket.com/user/drg...ooq5b.jpg.html https://s349.photobucket.com/user/drg...j0i7a.jpg.html https://s349.photobucket.com/user/drg...vz6dm.jpg.html https://s349.photobucket.com/user/drg...igmqy.jpg.html https://s349.photobucket.com/user/drg...7zjro.jpg.html https://s349.photobucket.com/user/drg...xaocw.jpg.html


So my questions are this:
Can anyone help identify the frame/ fork year, and perhaps some of the components, and importantly:
can you comment on its viability as a low budget restoration project (I am looking for reliability, ruggedness and coolness in that order- I'd like to avoid any "death stem" issues as I have read about with other parts)
Thanks!

You're correct, should be a 76-77 UO-8. They're decent bikes. If you're planning on restoring it with OE components, it wouldn't be worth the cost to do so. The OE threading on the crankset may have been damaged to replace with the Japanese one. Not sure on whether it was originally French threading or not. You'd need to replace the crankset, pedals, front brake, one wheel, cables, chain, bartape, etc, and it's just as easy to get a whole donor bike for the components. Then you'd possibly have a donor bike that's more complete than the one you want to restore. It still would be worth maybe $150.

But, you could just clean it up and only fix the most necessary stuff, pedals, cables, and chain. It should be a good rider.

I hope it is just the angle, lighting and all the shadows but I would really look at that fork or even have a shop check it.

The barcons are great -- keep them. As others suggested, just do a minimal fix-up and ride it. It's a decent bike (see my signature), just not anything worth a full-up accurate restoration.

I agree with what has been posted so far; if it was my bike, I would set about replacing that crank with something of better quality but roughly period correct. Then I would grease or replace headset, bottom bracket, and wheel bearings. Although as someone else mentioned, be careful with that bb. Replace consumables (tires, tubes, cables, brake pads, bar tape), give it a good, thorough scrubbing, polish, and wax, and you're good to go. Nice bike.

Learning a lot about these old steel road bikes...I think for this one I'll do as you've suggested, pugrider, and also might take a very close look at the fork as suggested above, but this one will likely keep the components, but will get a step-by-step lube job to get it running reliably. Much appreciation to all who commented.