T-Mar

I'm almost positive it's a LeMans. It has stamped dropouts, chromed fork ends and top tube cable stops. The lugs are the corect style too. The only thing it seems to be missing is the black panel decal on the top tube, just begind the front cable stop. This would normally bear the model name. While I can't state the exact year, it is consistent with known mid-1970s models.

RobbieTunes

In those years, I thought a Centurion was a Buick.

cb400bill

And a Le Mans was a Pontiac.

T-Mar

I always associated Le Mans with the French race course situated near the city of the same name and famous for the 24 hour endurance race. IMO, Pontiac's use of the name was in poor taste.

revchuck 

Then again, it was used as the basis for the GTO...

RobbieTunes

They could have called it the Watkins Glen or Elkhart Lake, or even Riverside, but no one would have bought it. Those Americans.

rccardr 

Fresh build: 57cm frame I bought off Robbie a year ago- I think an '88- came with that nice red powdercoat and new Velocals. Has a 6 speed DA 7401 crank/shifters/FD/RD, with Shimano 600/6207 brake levers and calipers, and a pair of Campy Record hubs laced to hard anodized Campy rims.

Robofunc

That's a super nice ride. Well done.

RobbieTunes

Blindfold tested, you won't know that Ironman from some SLX wonder. Guarantee it.
Someone in the DC area will pay $1000 for a bike that won't ride as well. I guarantee that, too.
World domination is moving into Phase II.

rccardr 

Agreed. I now have six of these going through the lab: the completed '85 and '88, plus three more at the powder coaters (a 53, a 54.5 and a 55), and another '85, this one a gray 60cm, that showed up this week. Fork was damaged in shipment (not the frame, thank heavens) and cannot be repaired, so it will get a new unicrown fork and both frame and fork will be powder coated to match. Had really been excited about the gray metallic one, but honestly...not so fabulous as the red of the same year, IMHO.

tamaso206

Wow! Red frame with the black details + 74XX DA is an outstanding combo.

Tulok

1989 I believe. I put on some skin walls, fixed the frame pump and a lot of clean up. it's my main ride, I plan on upgrading it eventually. I had the flat pedals on there because my girlfriend wanted to cruise around the block a few times. I just ordered new cleats for the original LOOK pp66's(?) and I'm on the lookout for a turbo or regal in white.
I also hand painted the bottle cage, lol.

T-Mar

Without going back and doublechecking, I beleive the Shimano New 105 in coijunction with the Unicrown fork makes this a 1988 Ironman Ezpert as the 1989 version used SunTour GPX and the 1987 had a traditional crown. I'm also pretty sure that they came with New 105 pedals. Serial number?

Tulok

lets see here:
N7N7933

*edit* didn't realize t-mar was the guy who decoded the centurion srials, ha ha.

N-(1987 Manufacture)-(27th or 28th week of the year)-7933 one
so it would be an '88 model then.

RobbieTunes

No doubt an '88.

'89 Experts were only in Black Dog (all black) and Smoke on the Water (blue smoked fade) and had Suntour GPX.

The '88 Experts were some of the nicest models in the Ironman era, all were Straight Fades and came in many colors, Shimano 105 in it's second "new" year and Araya rimsets. BF member cehowardGS has a nice one, BF member drrobwave just sold one about that size, and I had one like that, too. Very nice bikes. Glad to have you on board.

It'll look great with the Looks and a white Turbo. Don't discount the new Turbo (non-leather) in white. A lot easier to keep clean.

An anecdotal update of sorts, appearance-wise:

1985 Centurion Dave Scott Ironman
Two color schemes that I know of, grey/dark grey and dark red/grey.
Only the head tube was the contrasting color, and always in the lighter grey.
600EX 2x6. Bronze-anodized Araya rims. "Shaded" font with "UR" in Centurion run together.
Basically, the previous year's Comp TA, but with Tange 1 tubing instead of Tange 2.
My memory doesn't remember if all the calipers/levers were DiaCompe or 600EX.

1986 Centurion Dave Scott Ironman
The seat tube now was the contrasting color, along with the head tube.
Introduction of red/white, by far the most common color for 1986's.
I think there may have been one other color. Still 600EX.
Wheels remained Araya, but changed to the 20A, I think.
Again, I've seen most with the DiaCompe levers and calipers, sometimes a mix w/600EX.
The new font was thinner, no longer combined the "UR" in Centurion.
The graphic style remained through 1989, with minor changes in font and decorative graphics.

1987 Centurion Dave Scott Ironman, two models, the Expert and the Master
Frames were identical, except for colors. The Expert was by far the most common.
Introduction of "new" 105 2x6 indexed on the Expert, the Master retained full 600EX.
No more DiaCompe, rimsets became Wolber Super Champion Alpine.
All frames were two-tone, with contrasting head and seat tubes.
Slight changes in fonts, graphics, and decal placement.
The Masters came in (at least) yellow and white, seafoam green and white.
The Experts continued in red/white and maybe other colors, I'm not sure.
The iconic "Miami Vice" Expert in fuscia and goldenrod was introduced, and a big hit.
The pricing of these helped to sell tons and tons of Centurion Lemans and Lemans RS models.

1988 Centurion Dave Scott Ironman, two models, the Expert and the Master
The Expert models continued the 105 group, the Masters had the "new" 600/Ulegra, aka "tricolor."
Rimsets were now Araya CTL-370, so named for the purported 370g rims.
The Experts were all Straight Fades, in many colors.
The Master was a smoked purple fade to pearl white, the Purple Haze.

Others
There was a marbled blue fade Master, I'm just not sure it was 1988 or not.
There was an all-red Master, (Red Menace) I'm just not sure it was 1988 or not.

1989 Centurion Dave Scott Ironman, two models, the Expert and the Master
The Expert models now had a Suntour GPX 7-sp group, both retained the Araya rims.
The Expert came in all black (Black Dog) and blue smoked fade (Smoke on the Water)
The Master retained the 600/Ultegra group. The Master was grey marbled fade, the Hard Rock.

See Others above. The Red Menace and blue marbled fade Masters may have been 1989

My memory isn't as good as it was, but I've probably worked on 40-45 different Ironman bikes.
The cult is well established, and like I said before, we're in Phase II of the takeover.

feetdry

I'm beginning to think that the Centurion Pro I bought back in 1977 is almost a one and only. I think I've seen 3 total. Does anyone know how many years Centurion made the Pro? Was it just 1977? I know all I've seen have been painted a bright orange, mine included. (That was until I powder coated mine purple a few years back). How many are left out there?

T-Mar

That's one of the advantages of having the database. To date, we've had samples spanning the timeframe of 1977 to 1980. However, it appears that they existed earlier than 1977 as there are photos of an Acer-Mex built Centurion Pro would extend the timeframe back to at least 1976 and possibly earlier. There was a decal that said something to the effect of 'Centurion by Acer-Mex', so it obviously wasn't a fake. Unfortunately, I never got data to determine the exact age. Acer-Mex being the original source would certainly explain the resemblance to Cinelli and the Windsor Professional.

RobbieTunes

Combine that with production/sales slotted for an era when people still received bikes for Christmas....

Tulok

really neat to think about isnt it? I love my centurion, I really regret selling my Master, it was an 87 I believe :/ but there is no serial code for me to look at now. ha ha

T-Mar

No serial number? As far as this thread is concerned, you didn't own one.

Tulok

sigh. Lol

cehowardGS

This seems to be a 87/88 Ironman Expert in great condition.. Seller is asking $260

58cm, but it looks smaller than that in the picture.. But, my eyes are old!

https://baltimore.craigslist.org/bik/3800424303.html

T-Mar

Agreed, it looks more like a 54cm.

CenturionIM

+1. looks like my size for sure

CenturionIM

Finally united with my Centurion! Thumbs to my parents.
Heavily modded Ironman Expert. Serial N8E7940. I'm guessing 87?