Don- The two YFC saddles that I had were both pretty much as you describe. I thought I remembered a touch of extra thickness under the leather, but no padding to speak of. The tires that both Finests came with were Soyos. Wide (maybe 24mm), white base tape running past the rim and up the side wall a bit, black side walls and a ribbed tread. If it's looks you wish to match I'd use an all black tire, wider then the now fashionable 21mm size.
Are your bike's crank arms 171mm long? (Not 170) The silver down tube shifters were more common then the black ones, or at least an earlier offering. By the time I got my first Finest (1973, it was a 72 I was told) the rear der. was the mostly all alloy version of the "V". I always liked the plastic filled Ukai rims, even if they did need really long nipples. Don't be tempted to strip off the paint and expect the underlying chrome to be worth looking at with out a lot of further buffing, especially the bb shell. (Ask me how I know...)
Andy Stewart Raleigh, NC
Posted today-
Message: 15 Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 19:32:25 -0800 From: donald gillies <gillies@ece.ubc.ca> Subject: Re: [CR] Classic FUJI Bicycle Identification Home To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Message-ID: <20090206033225.907FE2C414@ug4.ece.ubc.ca> Content-Type: text/plain
I have a 23" 1971 Fuji Finest in pretty rough condition. I think most collectors would call the condition "fair", i.e. rust spots on the chrome, most of the red FUJI's are gone, but everything is there, mostly. Two questions:
1. On ebay I bought a YFC Seamless saddle, but there is no padding under the leather - is this bum-hatchet the original equipment? Ugh!
2. What would you say is the modern equivalent of the tubulars that were originally supplied on this bike ?? Soyo? Panaracer whats?
I found the following parts on this bike to be surprising.
1. The con-denti type of mks unique pedals 2. The 42T solid (no cutout) inner 144 bcd chainring marked SUGINO. 3. The very unusual slotted (giant screwdriver) steel dust caps 4. The Suntour downtube ratchets with the silver barrels. 5. The Nitto Olympiade map-of-japan bars, like GB map-of-britain. 6. The dia compe brakes with bigger DIA COMPE labels and QR cablestops. 7. The mostly-steel Suntour V derailleur, on a high-end japan bike!
- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA