sd5782 

I posted recently before about a vintage Fuji I really wanted to purchase at my local co-op. it had been WELL used and seen an active life. I narrowed it down and guessed it to be a 1972-1976 Fuji Newest. As it sat, not much was stock except perhaps the crank. It came in with fenders and barcons. When I was ready to make an offer, one of the mechanics was building it for himself but he had just gotten another job. It was/is kinda rough but seemed straight. Superbe RD and headset, Dura Ace hubs with mismatched 27" rims, Universal center pulls, early Blackburn rack, and a mix of other stuff, and missing stuff. I really wanted to adopt it.


nothing stock here, but decent chrome



A small ding at top tube and scratches



Scratches all over, and reflective tape etc



non stock cable guide I think



44-52 rings



Superbe, but not really appropriate here



Dura Ace I think

I think it needs too much. I haven't painted a bike but this needs paint and decals. Mechanical parts wouldn't be too hard, and I have a fair bit of appropriate ones. Pride of ownership is a big thing on a vintage bike, and this was fairly high end for Fuji in an early desirable era. If it had most of the stock parts but needed decals and paint, I would go for it. Conversely if the paint and decals were 80-90% and it needed the mechanics, I would be fine. Needing everything however would to me not really give that pride of ownership. I don't need a rider, as I have this niche covered by a vintage Trek. Oh well.

repechage

It is a Warhorse, Preservation Class. Negotiate the price, rebuild it as you see fit. Buy graphics, remove the errant stickers.

merziac

@sd5782

So DA, Superbe and The "Mighty" Sugino Mighty Competiton crankset don't get you there?

That's all pretty good stuff IMO, albeit mismatched a bit, maybe. If the price is right enough and it fits, this seems like an ok deal, maybe a winter bike or gravel runner or some such.

sd5782 

That is my quandary though. To me personally I don’t think the finished project would give me that satisfaction. Just as a rider yes, but not as a “collectible”. I could purchase for $100 and parts could be worth that, but in the end I may be let down in satisfaction. Others not perhaps, but I really don’t need another bike either.

SurferRosa

Too many nice bikes lose their original paint because of a few scratches.

seypat

+1. Sounds like the mechanic was building up a pretty good bike.

seypat

I picked up an 83 Centurion Turbo that had the following after market parts:

Campy Record hubs
Suntour Superbe RD
Simplex Retrofriction DT shifters
Cinelli stem/bars
The best part was the original Tange Aero headset had failed. A Shimano 600 headset had been swapped in. But to do that, the original Tange 1 fork was replaced with a chrome Tange Prestige fork. Super sweet! The guy was a weekend racer that built up a bike to win races. Sometimes, the mismatched parts are there for a reason.

sd5782 

Actually, the higher end parts were on the bike when it came in I was told. It seemed that the donor was somewhat eclectic and donated other parts too. Perhaps he was elderly? The mechanic put the later Suntour barcons and aero levers on. It may have had Universal levers on it when donated.

I also save original paint and just touch up. No full profile pic, but plenty of scratches where clamps were and other scratches. All the graphics gone, perhaps to not call attention to a working bike. It even had 4 spokes taped to the rear rack. The red seat tube panel and long point lugs pointed to a Newest. Well used and loved in its day.

And yes, it wouldn’t take a lot to make a sweet rider of this one if it isn’t worn out frame wise as I questioned in another post. The upgraded parts are indeed nice, but that goes back to the original question as to whether even a nicely finished product would speak to me. My skills don’t match others here in restoration. As for just being a sport touring rider, I doubt it could overshadow my 83 Trek 700 in full 531c, so there’s that too.

machinist42

I was not aware "need" enters into any decision involving this Hobby, especially when it involves only $100? (I'm not sure I know what that word means, or need to know.)

I think you may be posting to the wrong Forum, and to the wrong audience?

I don't ken a word you wrote, but I did like the Pretty Pictures!

(Admin: Banish this Blasphemer, please?)

(Pride goeth before Destruction,
And a Haughty Spirit before a Fall.)

markwesti 

A recent acquisition ? Pictures ?

seypat

I put a triple/barcons on it, because that's what I do. Also 6400 hubs/8 speed cassette. The Campy hubs/dark Mavic clinchers are the clinchers going on the 85 Prestige so I can keep the original DA hubs/Mavic tubulars intact.

seypat

Of course after I built that bike up, Lord Voldetunes gifted me an 84 Turbo frame like the Comp TA he gifted you. I built it up with one of his visions in mind. 9 speed Microshift brifters. The rest of the components are a hodgepodge of parts. It morphed into a middle finger build towards the components companies and their constant planned obsolescence.

The blue Turbo went to Storming Of Thunder Ridge where I met up with Voldetunes. I took the black one to the HotterNHell 100 where I also met up with him for the ride. Both are really nice riding bikes.

Chuck M 

When I pick up a bike, I'm always disappointed by the scratches. But I always find that a week later, they don't bother me as much. Perhaps it is because my eyes are vintage too, but I like to believe it is because I like preservation over restoration. As it has been said, it is only original once.

As for the OP, I can't tell if you are still wanting the bike or if you have purchased it. If you already have it purchased, perhaps you can just sit on it a while before deciding what to do with it. If you were that attracted to it initially, I think it will grow on you.

John E

I ride my bikes, so they get scratched.

I live 1 km downwind of the Pacific Ocean, so things get rusty.

So be it.

JohnDThompson 

Nice bike. Make sure the seatpost isn't frozen in place. Those Sugino posts with the deep flutes were notorious for allowing moisture to collect in the flutes, leading to galvanic seizure.

wrk101

Yep, that particular post design is the worst for getting stuck. Huge flutes allow massive amounts of water intrusion.

Myself, I prefer original paint with scratches over pristine. I'm a patina guy.

And a bike that is no longer original gives me the freedom to re-imagine it. My chrome Katakura Silk originally came with Suntour LePree components (under-whelming). But those parts were long gone, so I rebuilt it with Superbe Pro instead.

3alarmer 

.
...I'm not 100% sure, but I think that frame was fully chromed before it was painted. If so, rust is a minor concern.
Some paint scratches and localized areas of loss would be standard for something like that.

When you are reluctant to buy something like that, with the parts that you show on it, for a hundred bucks, you probably don't need another bike.

I don't think you can "wear out" a steel frame and still have that much of the original paint left, without crashing it into something, or having it fly off a roof rack on the highway.

Bianchigirll 

so you’re sayin you ain’t gonna use the Superbe?

non-fixie 

While I like my patina as much as the next guy, in this case I would consider a repaint. The chrome looks pretty good, and would really shine when offset by a dark glossy paint coat.

I had a frame that, when built up as the racer it was intended to be, was "just another bike". Nothing wrong with it at all, but just not as nice as some of my other racing bikes:



After a couple of adult beverages and some web browsing I decided to take a left turn. What resulted was one of my favorite touring bikes:

jdawginsc 

I don’t think the OP purchased the bike...

I don’t get wowed by Fujis but at $100 I would be running there...

Insidious C. 

I really admire sd5782 for passing up a bike that was cool but not quite what wanted. I am working toward acquiring that kind of discipline in purchasing bikes.

jdawginsc 

Self discipline has not been my strong suit of late...

sd5782 

Sorry to disappoint, but my disciple wasn’t that good. Subconsciously, I probably posted here so that others could aid my affliction.

I whole heartedly agree, and have never done a repaint. This one though is just ugly. I took more pics outside after getting it home. I will start another post with new pics soon and ask for advice.

This post put me over the top I think. I am retiring soon, so a nice winter project is in order. Of course, I will spend way more than I could ever get out of this bike too. Someone else in the meantime will post the same bike or another level higher that was purchased for $25 and only ridden to church by a little old lady before she died and has been sitting in a living room for nearly 50 years.

Anyhow, my guess is that this is/was a 1972 Fuji Newest. Serial number is K7C00031 which looks to be consistent with 72. Not sure of the K though. As stated, I will post more picks seeking advice, not least of which will be wheel building and rim choices. I have more expensive hobbies, so this will be a write off under the “fun” column. The problem is that I am now storing excess bikes in my daughter’s basement.

thook

OTS 

Problem? What problem? That's not a problem!