HelluvaStella

Here's mine: a DX-4000 of unknown year. Got it from the co-op here, someone donated at one of the community "dump days." If we hadn't been there, it would have got to the recyclers. All I did to it was repack bearings, replace cables, housings and bar wrap, throw on rubber and a saddle.

BengeBoy 

I bought a bike identical to this 3 or 4 weeks ago for my son. It's in great condition; was owned by an older gentleman who's no longer riding. His son (a racer) maintained it for him. I'll post pics later.

My son is really liking it except he hates the "cheesy 80's decals". I'm telling him to go ahead and take it to college w/him; if he's still riding it in 4 years it will likely be chipped up and scratched and ready for a new coat of paint.

ZeRinger

Looks like an '89 to me. Very nice save!

migman

Do Panasonic-made Schwinns count? If so I'll post my '85 Peloton once the rebuild starts.

Mike552

Wow, nice.

That's the Sante gruppo, isn't it? That's one hell of a good looking bike...

HelluvaStella

Thanks for the compliments. I looked into the whole Sante group thing, the components on here are pearl white Exage. I don't know if that's a step down, sideways or otherwise. But it is my first experience with Biopace chainrings, pretty neat.

Do you know what the Shimano heirarchy was back then? I didn't have luck finding information to understand what parts were what in relation to one another.

ZeRinger

1989 must have been a bit of an odds & ends year for Panasonic. In most cases, the DX-5000 got Shimano 600 and the DX-4000 got Shimano 105... except in years where the 5000 did not yet exist then the 4000 got 600. The 1989 DX-5000 that I have seen had a full SunTour part group... I forget what model SunTour but it gave me the "cats & dogs living together - mass hysteria" kind of feel having been so accustomed to seeing Shimano. :-)

ZeRinger

Does anyone happen to have Panasonic sales literature? I used to have 1985-1989 catalogs and a P.I.C.S. brochure and of course now that I am trying to locate them they are nowhere to be found. I'd love to scan them and create an online digital archive as there isn't a whole lot out there in terms of info. I guess you could say I have been pondering the creation of a Panasonic bicycles portal of sorts. Once my current web project is done I will likely turn my attention to that.

Random eye candy... for those of you who just like pics (or P.I.C.S. I should say). ;-)

YoKev

My former DX-2000 with vertical dropouts. I never pinned a year down.

mrhedges

I own a panasonic pv-gs 400.... video camera... har har...

ZeRinger

My guess would be '83 or '84ish. Looked like it was in nice shape!

LittleGinseng 

The date code is on the head badge.

kehomer

I purchased a PT-3500 a few months ago and really like it. It's a stable, comfortable ride. Made a number of changes to the bike. Still looking for some pieces including a 7 sp 34 tooth freewheel.https://picasaweb.google.com/khomer1/...icPT3500/photo

cudak888 

I once had one of those, re-branded as a Royce Union:



Shared a few of the decals with the DX-2000 (most notably the 1020 tubing decal), otherwise, badged as an RU.

-Kurt

ZeRinger

Wow, I've never seen so many Panasonic PT series until posting to this forum. Pretty cool to see them alive and kicking.

I just bought my "dream-a-sonic" earlier today on ebay... classic '86 Team America. I'm more than a little jazzed about it as it was literally one of the bikes I drooled over in the Panasonic catalog back then.

gv1256

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1989? or 88 panasonic dx 5000. it has speedplays on it now

ZeRinger

1989. Do you have Suntour on it?

gv1256

yes.

Mike552

What are the Suntour components on it? Please be specific if you can, unless they are all from the same gruppo. I'm asking because I am converting my 1987 Dx5000 from Shimano to Suntour, and would like to know the factory component setup (in Suntour configuration) if indeed there was one.

gv1256

not completely sure, my bike is in the store now getting a tuneup when i get it back ill let you know

ZeRinger

My Team America arrived earlier today via UPS. I've got some cleaning to do, but aside from a little grime the bike is in fantastic condition.















Can't wait for my tubulars to arrive so I can actually ride this thing.

Old Fat Guy

Glad you got that. I was bidding against you for a bit, but decided it was a little too expensive for me, and I really didn't need it.

ZeRinger

AH, so that was you who was bidding me up?

I didn't exactly need it either, but seeing as I've wanted this very bike since Walk Like An Egyptian was on the radio I figured it may as well be now or never. heh

redspoke

Best thread I've seen in a long time. Makes me lament the days of yore (I don't know if that makes any sense, but I'm trying to say "brings back good memories").

I bought my first road bike from a friend in High School, a DX-4000 (don't remember the year but it had Tange2 tubing and was light as a feather). He was about 5'7" and I want to say it was a 52cm. I'm 6'2" and rode the seatpost dangerously high and had it wayyyy over-maxxed-out in every dimension. Did that for a year until my neck couldn't take it anymore and got another bike that was also too small at 56cm (but liveable), but the shop was going out of business, had very little stock left, and I picked up a 88 DX-4000 identical to ZeRinger's. I called it the "Crockett and Tubbs" bike because of the teal and magenta brush strokes on white. It was very Miami Vice. Color scheme was already dated by the summer of 1989, but for $380 with full 105 it was a STEAL. I rode that bike about another year before selling it because my new mountain bike was taking up 100% of my ride time. 18 years later I'm back to about 95% road biking and I think about those DX-4000's all the time.

Anyways. Thanks for the fresh memories.

Old Fat Guy

Actually, my last bid was $100, and then I waited. When it got above $400 I reconsidered. I wasn't bidding it up past my initial $100, blame some other Panasonic lover.