Maruishi Competition STC
 

My friend is willing to give me a free Maruishi Competition STC. I have no knowledge about this brand and even if it is a good bike. I was going to make it into a little fixie towny .
I was wondering if it is a good company and good frame.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...aruishi014.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...aruishi019.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...aruishi018.jpg

I've got a Maruishi catalog, and only one other model was higher than the STC Competition. Likely it is Tange or Ishiwata tubing even with that generic looking sticker. The catalog I have has that model with Tange #2 tubing. Per the decals that one looks mid-1980's.

Is that a Tange decal on the lower part of the seat tube?

Maruishi made some nice bikes. Looks like a good frame for a project.

I believe it is a tange decal.

I've got a Maruishi RX6 touring frame that I turned into a coastie


http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/...2/PICT1812.jpg


it's Ishiwata 4130 triple butted



I'm quite pleased with her

That is a nice looking bike.

Do you know how I could try to restore the paint? and decals and such

There are two dents I have noticed on the frame on the top and downtube.
is that a problem?

Size of dents and placement of them may be important. If you provide some photos of them you'll likely get some good opinions.

are people really starting to use this term? I thought that was a joke sometime last year

This showed up this week on the local Craigslist if you wanted the rest of the stuff to go with that frame.

http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/bik/1157135062.html

What would be a good filler for the dents?
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...uishi/024a.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...uishi/025a.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...uishi/028a.jpg

I'm no expert in dents, but those are pretty small and don't look very compromising. Anyone else care to chime in on the dents?

Decals will be mostly impossible to find, and that down tube looks ratty. If it is a budget project then painting is more expensive than powder coat unless you want to rattle can it.