Hi Bill,
I spend most of my riding time on Japanese steel from the time frame you mention. I'm happy to be a sounding board and even a potential supplier if you're interested. Please email me off-list if you want to have a dialog. There are also a other listers and on-line resources (including the CR archives) for answers to many of your questions.
My two favorite current rides are a mid-'80s 3Rensho Super Record Export equipped with Suntour Superbe (mostly Pro) parts, and an early-'80s Zunow Hummingbird equipped with Shimano 600 stuff. Both are lively and responsive without being twitchy.
I also have a few other Zunows, a couple of Nishiki Pros ('74 and '81, the Campy NR version) as well as a Sekai Competition and probably one or two others I'm forgetting right now.
Because of my advertised interest in Zunows I sometimes am contacted by folks wanting to sell one, so that's a possibility if you're interested. I'm biased toward them, but many (not all) of them have wild graphics that put people off. Here's a link to a Zunow photo gallery I'm working on:
http://www.wooljersey.com/
What size frame do you like to ride? MTW, my personal experience is that Suntour Superbe parts are very high quality, durable, well-engineered, nicely finished, etc. For function, durability and asthetics I would put them up against any other (even Italian) make without hesitation.
Regards, Dave Ross Portola Valley, CA
Bill Roberts wrote: I really don't know much about the vintage Japanese marques, except a little about 3-Rensho. I know less about whether the Suntour high-end deraileurs and brakes were actually any good, particularly over time as they wear. These hubs however, shame Campy.
I'd like some suggestions as to a frameset and/or group pieces, or the prosand cons of same. Maybe even possible offers on a frameset and/or parts.