Hi Eric,
Nice batch o' bikes you picked up there!
Your Newest in that version last appeared in the '74 Fuji US catalog. My catalogs only go back to '72, and I don't have any Japanese home market catalogs, so I'm not sure when Fuji started building that design. Like a lot of racing frames of that era, it had a relatively long wheelbase and fairly wide tire/brake clearances. It also had slightly aggressive 74-deg parallel head and seat angles, along with front/rear single eyelets. I think there were two versions, with older ones having very long lug points with 4 holes, later ones having slightly shorter lug points and 3 lug holes. The frame is fully chromed underneath the silver paint.
By '75 the wheelbase shortened, seat tube went to 75-deg, chainstays and seatstays became much beefier, with scalloped plugs for the seatstays. I think Fuji was already re-tuning their road bikes for the preponderance of criteriums in the US. Build quality and finishing reached levels far eclipsing most high-end Euro frames, IMHO, comparing very well with the best of the US young and not-so-young framebuilders. By '79 or so the Professional, Newest and Finest all shared the same crit-targeted aggressive geometry, and were nowhere near as comfy to ride.
I had a '74 Newest, added cable/casing guides, bottle cage mounts and shift lever bosses as a framebuilding learning project, had it painted by Adreas Cuevas, and loved the ride. I foolishly sold it as I fell under the spell of racier frames and---horrors!---hard to even type the words---fat-tube welded aluminum frames.
It sounds like some of the components have been updated. In '74 the Cyclone parts weren't out yet, and catalog der spec was SunTour V-Lux front and rear, as well as Dia-Compe/Gran-Compe centerpull brakes. Fuji America was extremely pro-SunTour and didn't spec any Shimano components on US bikes until market forces dictated Shimano spec in the late '80s, so Dura-Ace sidepulls wouldn't have been on the bike originally.
Enjoy the Fuji and all the others....
Cheers,
Paul Brodek Hillsdale, NJ
On Sat, 11 Jan 2003 08:27:52 -0500, "Eric Elman" <tr4play@cox.net>
wrote:
>My name is Eric Elman.....
>....and I am I bike-a-holic.....
>....I just purchased another four more bikes...
>
>A colleague at work was selling a stash of about 10 bikes, mostly all
>modern. They were his brothers who recently passed away. His brother was
>part owner (silent partner) in a relatively local pro-shop. His brother was
>said to be a tinkerer so not all components on each frame are necessarily
>original to the bike. Anyhow tucked away was 4 older and wonderful bikes.
>He had stuff broken down into lots and these were not for sale separately so
>I HAD to purchase them all.... honest. His brother advised him on their
>value before his death so the seller was educated to some degree and not
>naive about each bike. The lot was on the inexpensive side of fair; not a
>steal but a good deal I think. These are not for sale, I'm just excited and
>sharing some details with the group. Here's the rundown on each along with
>some questions.
>
>Fuji Racer "The Newest." serial number K7H02077. Any way to confirm build
>date? Incredible bike that I think was Fuji's first serious entry into the
>States. This was their top model. I have an original brochure somewhere
>and will eventually compare this bike to the brochure specs. Silver with
>reddish orange seat tube panel. VERY long point top headlug. Head and seat
>lugs have holes drilled in them going consecutively smaller. Both headlugs
>are chromed as is the seat stay caps and chromed front and rear socks.
>Sunshine large flange hubs, Suntour Cyclone derailleurs and ratchet shifters
>on DT. Pearl stem and neat Sakae handle bar with small holes drilled around
>the outside edge of the center reinforcing sleeve. Dura Ace sidepull first
>gen brakes. Wonderful frame details and craftsmanship.
>
>Well, thanks for listening. I have been very fortunate lately with some
>real nice purchases. Never, ever imagined I would own so many bicycles.
>Friends and extended family don't understand. My family has been supportive
>though - am feel quite lucky this morning.
>
>Eric Elman
>Somers, CT
Paul C. Brodek
Hillsdale, N.J. U.S.A.
E-mail: pcb@skyweb.net