Hi Brian,
Thanks for the catalog and research.
I am not quite certain what you mean by your reference to the bar end shifters, and how they might be used to determine dates. I have a 1972 Fuji Finest (white over chrome, dated by components), that has bar-end shifters and no sign on the down tube paint that downtube shifters had previously been mounted.
I have to confess that I thought it a bit unusual that a bicycle that bears a "racing" decal on the fork blades would have bar end shifters, but as far as I can tell, they seem to be original.
I know that bar end shifters have been around since at least the 1950's, based on Campagnolo catalogs, but I have no idea how far back SunTour started making them. Might someone know? Am I incorrect in presuming my Fuji's bar end shifters are original equipment (not that I'm going to change them out if they weren't, but I am curious)?
Thanks,
John Barry
Mechanicsburg, PA, USA
> From: brian daniel <morkjr@gmail.com>
\r?\n> Subject: [CR]Fuji Catalog Info On the Site
\r?\n> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
\r?\n> Date: Thursday, August 7, 2008, 5:50 PM
\r?\n> Hi, I am a new subscriber.
\r?\n> I am primarily interested in older japanese bikes, but i
\r?\n> appriciate almost
\r?\n> any bike of quality.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I specifically wanted to comment on something on the
\r?\n> website, and couldn't
\r?\n> find any other means to address it. (like emailing the
\r?\n> webmaster)
\r?\n> So here goes...
\r?\n> There is an open-ended question on your site about the fuji
\r?\n> catalog pictures
\r?\n> in the japanese bikes section. It says, "Fuji Top
\r?\n> Models from the mid
\r?\n> 1970s... (can anyone pin the exact year of this catalog
\r?\n> down? I suspect
\r?\n> 1976...)
\r?\n> **
\r?\n>
\r?\n> The answer is probably no, and it's probably 1983.
\r?\n> There is a link to the entire '76 fuji catalog here:
\r?\n> http://www.bulgier.net/
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I think that based on the paint jobs, your catalog
\r?\n> couldn't be earlier than
\r?\n> '78, but i think it's like '83. (notice the
\r?\n> bar-end shifters)
\r?\n>
\r?\n> There is a link to the 1983 catalog here:
\r?\n> http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/
\r?\n> I think that this accurately shows the year of your
\r?\n> catalog.
\r?\n> It looks the same to me.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> In any case, I hope this is helpful, and/or welcome info.
\r?\n> I am very interested in the archiving of vintage Fujis and
\r?\n> I wanted you to
\r?\n> know about this.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Brian Daniel
\r?\n> New York, New York