I'm happy to say that I bought and picked up a 1975 Fuji Finest today. It's the usual story of having had one (actually two) back in the day and over the years realizing the mistake I made in selling it. About a year ago I had a chance at a Finest but missed by one day. This time around I was in time and more aggressive. The frame and fork are in pretty good shape. No rust on the large amount of chrome, decals mostly intact and few paint wear spots. The parts are made up of some original (bar, stem, post, brakes with q/r hangers, Rr der. and levers, head set, cranks with BB and pedals), some near period (Ft der., hubs, rims and brk levers) and some no shows (chain, freewheel, seat, rubber, spokes, cables and tape).
My thoughts about how to set up the bike is that I want a riding bike, not a show piece. The contact points will be what I use currently (off topic) but I feel a need to maintain the basic designs of the era. So Sun Tour bar ends and Dia Comp center pulls. Not sure what to do about the wheels yet. I got a pair of new and unlaced Ukai non filled but single eyeleted rims in the deal. They feel pretty light, I'll weigh them soon. A pair of 24mm tubulars would be a perfect match. Or I could go the practical route and use Mavic Sports (and have smooth braking) with Michelin Pros. Either way I have a while to contemplate. It will be Spring at the soonest before the bike is on the road. I have started a Flickr photo set linked here:
http://www.flickr.com/
Andrew R Stewart
Rochester, NY