jPrichard10 

My mistake. I had misremembered 957 and 959s as having different dropouts.

Dura Ace at this time must have had recessed brake bolts?

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AdventureManCO 

Maybe built by a Trek employee after hours? Was there anyone that tall working at Trek back then?

Korina

Is that a W by the K? Just for funsies, I'd take a piece of paper and a pencil and do a rubbing on the bb. Probably nothing, maybe something. Nice bike regardless.

jPrichard10 

I will. I may even take a little paint off to find a light serial number, but I truly see no signs of one

RiddleOfSteel

What a find! 64cm frame it looks like? Beautiful color--my '80 510 is similar, though I think it's a repaint as it's faded in a lot of spots and lacks that OEM Trek level of metallic flake in the paint.

jPrichard10 

Yeah, it's a 64cm. Maybe you can take it for a spin while I test out your 728!

I was almost hoping it wasn't original paint, because then I wouldn't feel bad masking the headtube and two Trek panels and painting it white. I've seen 950s with metallic green accents instead of blue, but this would be the only one with purple!

Thinking of building it up with Suntour Superbe and calling it the one and only Trek 958?

RiddleOfSteel

For sure! Haha. I'll have to see how it compares to my '83 560, which, as a "25.5"" frame, is really a 64cm frame with a 60cm top tube. It's a great bike. Maybe if I remember enough of my '83 970 (also a 64cm, Columbus tubing), I could do a mental comparison. Tamest Columbus frame I've ever rode, but then, it is a Trek.

jPrichard10 

I'm really torn on what to do regarding these downtube shifters bosses. I know common sense is to leave them be and just use clamp on shifters. If I did newer style cable stops, I could even probably drill a hole and tap it for a boss to thread in and then thread the cable stop to the boss. Obviously wouldn't work for downtube shifters though, which are my favorite and I think most deserving of this frame.

I'm racking my brain for any mechanical methods to permanently attach bosses.

One could put a square hole in what's left of the braze on, cut a new braze on down until the should fits the hole, drill and tap a 3 or 4mm hole in the frame and bolt the new bosses on. But that's deranged level territory, and who knows if a 4mm bolt in a very thin steel tube would withstand the constant tension and mechanical action of a downtube shifter. There could be a bolt running through the downtube and the bosses could be glued on like an aluminum frame, but that's getting more severe into the frame modification.

And all this because I'm loathe to damage Imron paint, even a paint job that I honestly don't even really like.

If the paint below the shifter boss could be saved, I might have new bosses brazed on, and paint white over the purple paint except the headtube, lug windows and Trek panels ala the factory 957 paint job. But ai'm imagining brazing work would damage an inch or more of the paint below the boss, which is exactly where the downtube color wrap panel goes.

Someone tell me I'm overthinking this and should just live with a damaged frame. Or to not worry about the factory (supposedly) custom paint job and just get it repaired and powder coated.

Fredo76

Repaired & powder coated would get my vote, if I were going to keep it. But, I don't value patina much. I have no idea that the paint is not original, not sure why anyone would.

Maybe you can get the Fire Dept. to bang in a brand new SN#!

jPrichard10 

Judging from this, I do have maybe close to an inch to play with (assuming the yellow band covers up a little) possibly more because this frame is the largest size. Still don't think it's enough space for brazing work, unless a heat sink could help 🤔.

And then do I replace the (arguably better) chainstay cable stop to a more traditional one to match other 950s?

This is all theoretical at this point; I can barely manage enough money to dress the frame as-is let alone brazing work and a repaint.

JohnDThompson 

The first production runs of the 950 and 750 frames used those Shimano UF dropouts. We had more than a few that broke and had to be replaced, so later production used Campagnolo 1010B dropouts.

That's a TREK-branded Cinelli bottom bracket shell; it never had the flat for a serial number that the later Signicast shells had. The very first production run of the 950/750 frames used Cinelli-branded shells, later production used the TREK-branded shells, and once the Signicast shell became available, that was used for subsequent production. Cinelli (actually Microfusione) could replace the branding with whatever a customer wanted and was willing to buy a sufficient quantity of shells, so you can find frames from other manufacturers who got their own name cast into the shell.

jPrichard10 

Do you remember when the Signicast shells began being used?

And how unusual is it for there to be no serial number? Was this maybe a staff bike?

JohnDThompson 

IIRC, it was late-83 or early 84.

That is unusual. Perhaps it was an employee-built frame. At that time, employees who had been there at least a year could buy a tube set at cost and build a frame for themselves.

jPrichard10 

Late 83 already puts it out later than the 950's production (according to the catalog, at least) and if Trek switched to Campagnolo dropouts earlier in the 950 production timeline, then this seems more and more like a strange one-off (Combined with the custom paint, no serial number and slotted chainstay cable stop). You'd think a staff member would want to at least stamp their mark on it though.

So maybe not a 950 at all, but damn close in terms of tubing, lugs and geometry.

AdventureManCO 

Well, it looks to have a 'W' on it, about 3 o' clock to the 'K' in 'TREK'. Can you take any clearer pictures? Right now, we don't have a maker's mark for a 'W', but maybe this is new info coming to light. Whatever the case, it is a high end frame, and if not a catalog '930' or '950', then definitely something it's equal at least!

jPrichard10 

I see what you mean now! I didn't see anything in person, but now I'm eager to check at home. Probably a W and not an M?

JohnDThompson 

No, the 957 and 959 frames were identical; only the installed component group distinguished them.

jPrichard10 

Yes, someone corrected me on that.

Can you think of any Trek employees that would have stamped a frame with "W"?

jPrichard10 

Sure enough, there looks like a W or an M! I still couldn't see it with the naked eye except at the perfect angle with a flashlight.

LucasHartong

Very interesting thread here -> https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...r-s-marks.html
The letters stand for framebuilders. And I would really be baffled if you don't find a frame number underneath the paint of the bottom bracket. This is my much loved '92 Trek 930, still going strong.

jPrichard10 

Rough draft build with 1st Gen Dura Ace. Levers still need to be transferred over (there are Shimano 600 6207). My Dura Ace brakes are nutted so I need to get those plugs (or drill out my own recessed nuts).

The shifters I have for this group are the Shimano bar end shifters. Doesn't really fit the vibe of those bike, but I don't have downtube bosses anyway, so 🤷🏻‍♂️.

Almost ready to see how it rides!

jPrichard10 

Thanks to gugie this frame is two shifter bosses richer.

Now I have to decide to paint it or leave it be and touch up the brazing spots.

I don't really love the full purple, but I do love seeing the 957/9s out there with metallic red or metallic green panels, although the standard blue is still my favorite. So with the help of Photoshop, I made some mock ups of what's in my head ((images pulled from vintage Tr75lechamp ):

We can go white and purple:



Or metallic grey and purple:




I think both of these would look stunning. I'm sure the majority would say not to paint it, but if I had to choose, what is the consensus feeling?
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tkm

I mean...it's gotta be custom, right? Why would Trek build such a large frame in that colorway for dealer stock? Something like that would sit at a dealership forever.

Maybe it was built for a Minnesota Vikings wide receiver or an LA Laker power forward given the purple and yellow, lol.

AdventureManCO 

Your bike, your rules!

Normally, I’d be a bit hesitant to see a rare custom color go bye bye (assuming this one is original, which it could be), but due to the mishap with the dt bosses, there is a lot more grace here.

Ideally, you could find an Imron match, but that is a perfect world, would probably be nigh impossible, and you don’t favor the color anyway.

Have at it!

Hobbiano 

I like the metallic grey and purple.