85 Club Fuji
 

Just a couple of before and during pics...bike was in pretty good shape, just very very dirty.

Before:

http://home.comcast.net/~khatfull/im...IMG_3971sm.jpg

During:

http://home.comcast.net/~khatfull/im...IMG_4016sm.jpg

An example of the grime:

http://home.comcast.net/~khatfull/im...IMG_3980sm.jpg

...and after:

http://home.comcast.net/~khatfull/im...IMG_4006sm.jpg

More as something becomes interesting.

Oh, and I also recovered the saddle as it has two tears in it. I'm really pleased with how it came out! The vinyl was a bit thick (marine vinyl from Jo-Ann) so the folding over underneath was challenging. So, for the cost of a flipper saddle I got enough spray adhesive and vinyl to do about 8 saddles total, as long as their black :) Pics when I shoot them.

Wow, I wish mine had been that nice. Someone really neglected the one that I had. Is that one a keeper or are you going to trade it to me?

This one had been waxed at least once in it's life...lots of old, dry wax in the lug lines, etc. I found the PERFECT touch-up in Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear nail polish, Cherry Red #07.

http://www.sallyhansen.com/product.cfm?product=75

It is so close as to be uncanny and was literally the first one I tried painting on the steerer tube. I must look like a dork carrying a fork around in the beauty department at Walgreens. :) I tried a paint match at the auto place again..and never again...they just can't get close enough. My touch up comes from Walgreens from now on, no matter how weird it looks. I'm a bit disappointed with the finish on the crank. It got a little too bright I think so I'm researching methods to get back to a little more satin finish.

As to whether or not it's a keeper? Jury is out. I read about how nice a ride the Club Fujis are...I'll put a couple hundred miles on it before I decide. If it were a 58 it'd be more of a sure thing. My guess it is will be "available".

LOL. Khatfull, you are a freakin polishing machine!

Haha...yeah, probably too much so. I'm 90% sure this one will be turned...probably shouldn't spend quite so much time on it. But, it's the fun of doing it as much as anything else. If I make a few bucks that's good too.

The Tivoli was my first "sale". It was funny...the gal who bought it was standing a few feet behind me when I opened the hatch to the Subaru and pulled the bike out. Without saying a word I heard a BIG sigh behind me. I knew from that moment forward it was sold, the only question was how much. That sigh was actually quite gratifying...she really liked it (as did I) and I was happy that someone who really liked it got it.

Funny story along the same lines, my wife and I were shopping for new bedroom furniture when we first moved to MN...we're in this oak furniture store looking and come across this bed (which we do have) and my wife just loved it....a LOT. So a sales guy comes over and says, "So what do you think?" and my wife says "That's the most beautiful bed I've ever seen in my life." BAM! Negotiating power shriveled like you-know-what in a cold shower :)

Fiance did a similar thing at a used car lot a few weeks ago. "The price certainly seems fair" left me scratching my head. After we left(without the car) I asked her about it and she said "with the internet, they don't negotiate anymore.":twitchy:

Hmmmm...I'm a little unhappy with the crank as it got very mirror shiny and doesn't match the rest of the Al bits very well. While looking for methods to do n even satin finish I found this:

http://www.pinnaclesupplies.com/brush.htm

Could be interesting.

I totally disagree in this economy...I think in the industries where negotiation is typical: cars, furniture, jewelry, this is a GREAT time to negotiate. Just two things: 1) be ready to walk away once or twice and 2) have cash. Walking away indicates you're serious about negotiating and when the merchant can save 3-4% from the CC fees you just made a 5-10% or more discount a lot more palatable for them. That's hard with cars but you get the drift.

I bet you could negotiate at a Toyota dealer :)

I like that Club Fuji, been looking for a nice yellow headbadge example for some time.

I have cash.

I like my cranks with a mirror finish.

And...I can sigh real purty.

Haha...too funny. If you're serious...PM or e-mail. I'm pretty sure this one will be let go. However, I require audio of the purty sigh before any transaction :)

That Fuji is really nice. Once again making me want to restore mine. You won't catch me going in to buy ladies nail polish, though. :):p

ive taken an entire bike into walmart to find a match...

he shares his secrets too! this stem was anodized matte gray for years before khatfull sent me a pm...
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...d/DSC00895.jpg

im down in iowa, but my girlfriend is currently a northwestern student. maybe the next time i am up we can go out for a ride and you can get a few miles on that beautiful fuji.

I tend to specialize in mixte's and smaller frame sizes, and (coincidentally enough :)) sell a lot of bikes to city girls and co-eds. On many occasions, I've actually had them squeal with delight upon laying their eyes on the bike for the first time. Really - squeals, while shifting from toe to toe Homer Simpson style and clapping their hands. Like they won something.

And they almost never, ever negotiate. They just hand the money over and walk away with the bike.

Keith, if you don't use those hoods, let me know. As usual, I need something I sent to someone. There's always more.....

Don't worry, if I end up turning it it won't be with those hoods on it...wouldn't do that to you.

If you need them now I'll send them right back...I can get another pair for the Tiara on eBay or, if you just want to get another pair from Patri2k I'll send you back the purchase price, your call.

I forgot about the cracked up, er, I mean cracker jack, er, I mean, funny paint on that Tiara. Keep the hoods. With two red Fuji's, you need 'em. The OEMs on the Trek 560 were black in the brochure ('84), so I'm pretty sure I can score some black ones.....the red are a little bright for the Trek's lettering, anyway.

I haven't forgot...should be here soon too. Can't wait to see it in person.

Few more pics, including the recovered saddle which is on the bike now.

Overview:

http://home.comcast.net/~khatfull/im...IMG_4024sm.jpg

Saddle before:

http://home.comcast.net/~khatfull/im...ddlebefore.jpg

And after:

http://home.comcast.net/~khatfull/im...addleafter.jpg

Other shots:

http://home.comcast.net/~khatfull/im...ji/saddle1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~khatfull/im...ji/saddle2.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~khatfull/im...ji/saddle3.jpg

The vinyl is a little think and I couldn't get as clean a wrap as I would have liked, I'm going to work on it a bit more remove some of the overlapping material, and see if I can get the folds to lay flatter, I think I can.

Tires and wheels all cleaned up, frame all touched up and waxed, drivetrain reinstalled, once parts arrive I have about two more hours of work cabling, wrapping bars, lubing chain, adjusting drivetrain, etc.

Getting there...waiting on a package from Niagara Cycle to go much further.

EDIT: Oh, in the first shot of the underside of the saddle, check out the "MAED IN JAPAN" embossing :)

Upholstery... I'm at a loss of words.

What were you making shiny before you got a case of the C&Vs?

VERY nice! I personally like the shiny crank if you are still debating that. Those seat posts are great and I think they look really cool too, is it a Sugino? Nice work with the saddle, Im going to have to try that with a vetta saddle that needs recovered. Have any tips to pass along?

I know the feeling, selling something that you are proud of. That feeling is sometimes even better than actually selling the bike. That Fuji is going to make someone very happy

Looking nice! Mine is more of a beater type, not near as clean. Rides like a dream though, you should enjoy it! Mine is pretty light
even in stock form. Try leather on the saddle, it stretches better than vinyl could ever dream:D.,,,,BD

No kidding. I think that Khatfull and Night Tiger need to have a cage match polishing contest. "Two men enter; only the one that blinds the most people leaves..."

I spent about 20 minutes polishing a rim last night, got bored, and went upstairs to have a beer. Some of us just don't have that gene...

+1 I have the dominant beer gene.

LOL. If Paul sees this Fuji, he's going to be jealous. He rebuilt a Bridgestone for me, and the alloy rims were polished so thoroughly that they look like chrome!

When I was a kid my parents had an antique store. My "job" (more like being an indentured servant :)) was polishing the brass and silver. Later in life I designed and scratch built radio controlled sailplanes...made my own contraption to cut foam core wings with a nichrome hot wire, laid up my own fiberglass fuselages with a method I called "positive molding" (I could go on and on about foam wings and fiberglass) so I have a colorful history of tinkering and figuring stuff out. Good for the brain :)

Yes, it's a Sugino...I like it too with the recessed height marking and such, it's a very cool post. Getting those "flutes" polished without adversely affecting those recessed areas was a challenge. Ok, well, I stripped the saddle. I couldn't get those folds to lay any flatter and up by the nose I was really unsure of whether or not the vinyl would eventually start to pull away. So, off to Jo-Ann for a thinner vinyl. I think I'll be fine with something just a tad thinner and easier to sculpt. No tips yet, that was my first attempt. Yes, I'm pretty sure the bike will be for sale and yes, it is gratifying to have it go to someone who really appreciates it.

Yeah, I might try to quickly find a leather scrap here somewhere...have some time around lunch today.

Bring it on bay-bee...my fingers are only starting to get warmed up :D

Interesting...were the braking surfaces plosihed in that way as well? I would think that would be a low ROI just because after one long ride you'd probably have them all dulled again.

Holy cow. Looks like mercury.