First off, I've always been into mountain biking. I decided to take the plunge and get a road bike. A friend of mine happened to have a road bike in a scrap pile that he let me have. It turns out all it needed was a shifter cable and a new set of tires. I would like to know a little background into on it. The bike is a Dolphin 250z with the serial number of 118844. When I googled it there were only 3 hits. None being helpful. Here's a pic of the bike as of now. I'm surer I'll start changing some things in the next little while as money allows.

I'd adjust that saddle immediately. Not only is the nose way, way too high, the saddle is on backwards. Interesting "fade" on the bartape.

Seatpost, derailleurs, shifters and turkey levers all say inexpensive bike but it's very clean and rideable so get out there and ride.

I am going to guess late 70's to early 80's era Japanese bike. Can you some pictures of the head badge, derailers, brakes, and shifters?

And the seat bracket bolt goes to the rear of the seatpost.

I'll turn the seat around right now. I turned the nose down before I rode home. It was really uncomfortable riding in. The tape is kind of cool. It's in pretty good shape so a low priority to swap. I'll get some pics of the parts and badges.

Don't misconstrue what was said - the saddle is straight, but the clamp below it is not. Rotate the clamp, but not the saddle!

-Kurt

I suspect early 70's. By the late 70's the cheap cranksets were much better than that.

It looks like a ca. 1972 model to me, based on the Sugino Maxy crank and the style of stem shifters. Nishiki's Custom Sport was similar, but with cottered steel cranks. Nishiki's Kokusai / International added the Maxy cranks, a straight gauge CrMo main triangle, and aluminum rims.

The first things I would replace would be the brake pads (KoolStop salmon!!!), brake cable housings, and brake cable inner wires. Unless you really like them (I don't), lose the suicide extensions on the brake handles and install a nice set of rubber hoods. Consider replacing the shifters with SunTour barcons.

suicide extensions?

Suicide extensions (levers) are the horizontal ones that are out in front of the stem/head tube. Braking at high speed in the upright postition could launch the rider over the bars.

Or... you will use them only to find that you can't stop with them as you can with the main levers.

That has to be the most amazing looking stem shifter ever mounted on a 10 speed! There's no missing those knobs. Great pictures and just the frame by itself is worth preserving for it's unique and quaint appearance. Thanks for joining C&V and welcome!

I really dig those shifters!

A new chain might be a good investment and you can clean the rust off the rear cassette with a wire brush.

nice find. cleaned up some, maybe a new chain and it should be a good bike. hope those are cotterless 3piece cranks because all cottered cranks eventually slip.