Hard Rubbish/Flea market finds

[familyguy]

I think this can kinda class as a flea market find...Fuji Sagres, $36 on ebay. I started cleaning/sorting it last night. It's pretty much as per catalogue specs, except for the Nitto stem. I don't know if the Hatta Vesta headset is original either, that's the only part the catalogue doesn't mention. For a bike that's near 30 years old, the stem, BB and seat post came out easy as you please. Someone's cared for this a little more than your average bike boom ride. I'd guess its about 12-13kg, but I haven't weighed it yet (and honestly I probably never will).



Still got the OG bike shop sticker on it:


This is the worst of the rust, and there's nothing inside the tubes of note:


Nice Fuji fork crown:


Does anyone have a source of info on Fuji tubing details? I've got two Fuji's...this one (Fuji VALite triple butted 178) and a Fuji Finest II (Fuji double butted 331). Both bikes seem to take a 26.8 post. The 331 may be rebranded Ishiwata 022. The steerer tube of the Sagres has Tange stamped into it, so the 178 may be a Tange set. But in the absence of decent info, that's all I can guess.

1985 Fuji Sagres triple butted 178:


1979 Fuji Finest II DB 331:


Jim

[singlespeedscott]

Nice score Jim.

[Stu_27]

Some amazing finds there! I know what I'll be doing this weekend... It's hard rubbish time around my morning commute route at the moment!

[hiflange]

Walked the dog over to my folks this arvo, picked this up on the way...



Frame number 1P623. I'm a novice in the black art of MS frame dating but I'm going to hazard a guess that it was a 1951 Perth build. maybe? edit; or 1941?



sadly someone has rammed a too large seatpost in so it's backside not so pretty...

[barefoot]

Walked the dog over to my folks this arvo, picked this up on the way...

Your dog has very good taste! Mine only tended to pick up sticks when on walks.

I'm also fairly clueless in the details of old Malverns, but I'm surprised to see the seat stays brazed on like that. Most old frames I've noticed have bolted/rivetted seat stays. Could be indicative of... something

tim

[singlespeedscott]

I'm also fairly clueless in the details of old Malverns, but I'm surprised to see the seat stays brazed on like that. Most old frames I've noticed have bolted/rivetted seat stays. Could be indicative of... something

tim

thats only the cheap and nasty ones.

[barefoot]

I'm also fairly clueless in the details of old Malverns, but I'm surprised to see the seat stays brazed on like that. Most old frames I've noticed have bolted/rivetted seat stays. Could be indicative of... something

thats only the cheap and nasty ones.

Ah ha, so this detail could be indicative that the frame is not cheap and nasty

tim

[trailgumby]

That was a cheap and terribly nasty thing they did with the seat post, though <shudder!>

[hiflange]

That was a cheap and terribly nasty thing they did with the seat post, though <shudder!>

Yep, pretty tragic, would have required a deal of force too. Anyway at least it's aluminium, I reckon it'll be a relatively easy job to ream it out. It's a nice frame, and like any 72 year old a few scars and blemishes are to be expected

[WyvernRH]

Interesting.. I have a 3-star frame quite like that (from the mid 50's I have been told) but the lugs are fancier with 'trophy' cutouts etc. However came with no forks and I have always wondered if it had forks with stars or forks with 'normal' lugs.
The forks on yours look original but it looks like someone has added the brake drilling (it is well off centre!) or is that how they came?
You might want to braze a patch at the bottom of the cutout slot when you have it back to normal to stop that crack going any further. You won't see it at the back and you can make it look pretty.
Cheers
Richard

[hiflange]

Forks from the side (brake drilling is in order - the earlier shot is a bit oblique giving an off centre illusion)

[WyvernRH]

Hmm, I retract the 'fancier lugs comment! that is very nice. I shall have to look out for a set of forks similar to that . Mine I think is slightly younger but the forks would have been much the same I feel. My frame has trophy cutouts in the headlug sides and uses Haden 'Italianate' lugs (big curling point each side, small point on top) which I believe arrived on the scene around the mid to late 50's.
It is made of some sort of seamless plain gauge tubing except for the top tube which I know is butted 531 cos it was badly dented and I replaced it when I was given the frame many years ago.
Cheers
Richard

[vanbree]

Picked this one up recently, 4130 mainframetubes, suntour dropouts &running gear, hubs are sunshine.

004 by adrianvanbreemen, on Flickr

003 by adrianvanbreemen, on Flickr

002 by adrianvanbreemen, on Flickr

001 by adrianvanbreemen, on Flickr

005 by adrianvanbreemen, on Flickr

[silentbutdeadly]

That was shouting early 80's Bennet to me until I got a glimpse of that seat post seat stay clamp which is...substantial. Nice find though I am biased towards these kind of bikes...

[Dan]

I love the fork, myself.

[LugNut]

Picked this one up recently, 4130 mainframetubes, suntour dropouts &running gear, hubs are sunshine.

This is the sort of find that keeps me interested in hard rubbish One mans trash...
That fork crown is fantastic. You probably know this already, but these mid 80s MTBs make some of the best 26 inch touring bikes you can get your hands on. A lot of the early Japanese branded ones came out of the Kuwahara factory, check for a sticker on the non drive chain stay.
It would probably have the clearance for a Resist Nomad, currently my favourite tyre. They're lightweight and soft, like riding on a (fast moving and extremely grippy?) cloud.

[singlespeedscott]

Picked this one up recently, 4130 mainframetubes, suntour dropouts &running gear, hubs are sunshine.

004 by adrianvanbreemen, on Flickr

003 by adrianvanbreemen, on Flickr

002 by adrianvanbreemen, on Flickr

001 by adrianvanbreemen, on Flickr

005 by adrianvanbreemen, on Flickr

That is sweet as. I just love those Bullmoose handlebars.

[munga]

i see 'bullmoose' but i think of this little fellah

[familyguy]

Really? Not this guy?

[munga]

nothin' up the sleeve!

[LugNut]

In the community workshop I've seen a few steel one piece bullmoose bars come through that are cracked where the vertical part of the stem is welded to the riser part of the stem, so take extra care/apply extra duct tape.

[grantw]

nothin' up the sleeve!

gotta get me a new hat!

Back OT though, that's a great find vanbree, I'd love to have something like that built up for errands and shopping, perhaps even a bit of touring.

[Dan]

you're all very unattractive men.

[munga]

viktor.

[HappyHumber]

*slapping top of monitor*

Dammit.. the signal to noise ratio in this thread is gettin' pretty crap these days.