I'm thinking Nishiki from the serial but it would be cool to know for sure and maybe know more specifically. Serial is 'KA 14524' and there is also a 'W' or 'M' stamped into the BB shell as well. Thanks in advance!

more photos here

lug piercings look like Nishiki (and a few Miyatas used them too) but those drop-outs look like genuine Campy and with portacatena holes. Is the BB ISO threading?

I've seen that frame before, probably on Ebay. It was identified as a Nishiki.

yes and yes.

OK the Nishiki Ultimate had Campy DOs, this could be one (repainted); if you determine it is Columbus tubing it might then be a Cervino or Maxima...pull out the fork and see what's stamped on the steerer, and if there's rifling at the base.

I appreciate the input! The fork appears to read "TANGE" , "MADE JAPAN" and "1G". I uploaded some more photos to the album which show this. I don't know what "rifling at the base" means but it doesn't look like there is anything special going on down there

I'd say it's a Nishiki Ultimate. If you search that name you can find pics of the original color scheme and build, tho maybe you prefer to keep the current paint, (seems to be in pretty good shape, at least).

That the fork is stamped "Tange" only means that Tange brazed it. The rifling in the steer tube looks like this, and is visible where the tube ends at the fork crown:


Columbus steer tubes also have a dove stamped on them, although this is lost sometimes when the tube is trimmed before brazing:


Tange "Champion" and "Prestige" steer tubes also have rifling, but they will have 6 ribs rather than 5. Ishiwata steer tubes have 5 straight (not helical) ribs.

hi.

i think i'm going to buy that frame on monday. anyone have any idea what color it was, originally? i mean, what color were nishiki ultimates back in the early 80s?

thanks
-rob

ok, so everybody knows their favorite beer, but no one knows what color(s) nishiki ultimates came in? =D i searched on google, found one guy with a dark grey one. can't be sure if that's the original color, though.
-rob

+1, 1981 Nishiki Ultimate. Original color was metallic charcoal grey with red head tube, red banding on seat tube and red logos. White pinstriping on lugs. Curiously, they painted over the chrome.

yes. i'm terrified of what i'll find under that garish paintjob. Hopefully, the chrome'll be decent, and when i go to the powdercoater, they can leave the chrome exposed? Or, can they powder over chrome? I think i recall reading somewhere that they can't.

Was/is it chrome atop the fork crown, too? Do you reckon that's the original fork?

not that it's a big deal; i'm not gonna try to build it original. =D But, the finish has got to go; might as well make it charcoal grey, even if i don't mess with the red stuff.

thanks for the response, t-mar
-rob

Yes, the fork appears to be original. Earlier versions had a fully sloping crown but they changed it in 1981. Not sure if these frames were fully chromed underneath the paint of not. Exposed chrome existed on the dropout flats and fork crown. Some versions had a chromed, drive side chainstay protector and others had the chainstay chromed and masked to look like a protector.

Edit: Here's alink to a recent a Ultimate auction. I suggest you download the pics for reference, before they disappear.

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...#ht_500wt_1076

A Pox upon whoever did that awful paint job to a Nishiki Ultimate. They probably had no idea what the frame was. There is some very good news, at least they didn't DREW it. I hope your restoration project works out.

While I haven't heard of Randzolli, it's possible it's team repaint, as opposed to a personal repaint. My Maxima was a team bicycle and the orignal blue was replaced by the sponsor's colors.

This was my assumption when I bought it - I don't remember if the seller put that idea in my head or not. I think the bike used to be in CA - I'm pretty sure this is the exact frame (I removed those racing flag stickers that were crooked as hell): FLICKR

Tange "Champion" steer tubes were also rifled, but you can distinguish them from Columbus steer tubes in they Tange uses 6 helical ribs, while Columbus uses 5 helical ribs: