Info on a specialized allez? help.
 

Can anyone help me get any information on a specialized allez I recently picked up? I'm assuming it must be a late 80s model but can't find anything similar online. It is a white crmo double butted "custom gauge" frame with purpleish decals. It has suntour sprint front and back derailers and crankset. The wheels are campagnolo lambda strata rims on specialized hubs. Also has black royal compe ll brakes. It is made in taiwan and has a serial number of GC733837. Does anyone know how to read their codes to posssibly tell me what year it is? I have seen other people comment that the "G" probably means it was made by GIANT. I would appreciate any help I can get. Thanks

I think you're on target. It sounds like an '88, '89, or '90; however, without Pics it's hard to say exactly. I can tell you for certain it's NOT an '87. Both the Allez and Sirrus models in '87 were wearing rather subdued paint schemes compared to what came the year after. Also, for the late 80s the Allez and the Sirrus were the same frame just different colors, stickers, and perhaps quality of paint. My Sirrus from that period has extremely soft paint.

If you believe the componenets are original, you can verify the age of the bike by finding the two letter date codes on the backs of the derailers and comparing them to the Suntour chart in the components section of this site:
vintage-trek.com
That's how I identify over 90% of the bikes I pick up.
EDIT: BTW, I thought the Sprint group was only out during 1985, 86,87, but I could be wrong about that.

Hmm... Maybe the components aren't original. It turns out, by using the two letter date codes and the chart on the website, that all the suntour parts on the bike are from 1986. Both derailers and the freewheel. I was pretty sure that the bike was later than that, and I'm not even sure if specialized even had production in taiwan in 86? Was there a year that it may have been more likely to have the campagnolo lambda rims? With these components, does it make the model a higher end bike? I know that the lambda rims aren't are high end campy model, but I haven't found much for specialized to have campy rims on their 80s bikes. Thanks a lot for your help.

Hmm... Maybe the components aren't original. It turns out, by using the two letter date codes and the chart on the website, that all the suntour parts on the bike are from 1986. Both derailers and the freewheel. I was pretty sure that the bike was later than that, and I'm not even sure if specialized even had production in taiwan in 86? Was there a year that it may have been more likely to have the campagnolo lambda rims? With these components, does it make the model a higher end bike? I know that the lambda rims aren't are high end campy model, but I haven't found much for specialized to have campy rims on their 80s bikes. Thanks a lot for your help.

Manufactured in 87 assuming the first number represents year like it does on modern Specialized bikes.

If you say so.. We need pics to nail it down..:o

Sorry, I'm not sure how to post a photo on here yet. New to these forums and a dont have an account with a photo site, I'll work on it. thanks

I have an 88 Allez and the catalog. I can check on the original configuration of that year.

88 Specialized catalog page. Note it came in 2 colors, white, or blue&white.
Shimano Ultegra, friction shift, Biopace, Wolber rims, Selle Italia Turbo saddle. I ended up quickly replacing the rims and chainrings, more recently replaced the saddle, BB, headset, fork, added fenders, and I'm commuting on it now.