Vintage Frame ID
#1
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Vintage Frame ID
Hi all, back again with another unidentified frame. I pulled this one from a skip after noticing that it has heart shaped cut outs in the lugs. It also has a brake bridge stamped "Cougar". It had Shimano decals on the downtube and chain stays and was two tone orange and yellow in colour. Very little in the way of components other than a shimano 600 crankset and quill stem with cinelli bars. Someone had inserted the wrong shape seatpost into the seat tube too. I've posted some photos below if there's any more info needed let me know and I'll get it posted ASAP. Thanks in advance.
Heart shaped cut out top tube/seat tube.
Brazed on diamond shapes on down tube.
Down tube/head tube lug.
Brake bridge.
Front fork
Drop out with derailleur hanger.
Decal
Heart shaped cut out top tube/seat tube.
Brazed on diamond shapes on down tube.
Down tube/head tube lug.
Brake bridge.
Front fork
Drop out with derailleur hanger.
Decal
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Cougar was a brand established by British framebuilder Terry Dolan, circa 1980. He apprenticed under Harry Quinn and when Quinn closed his shop cica 1980, Nolan set up his own shop. They are highly regarded in the UK.
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You HAVE to enter this in the Cluncker Challenge!
Basically NOS indeed,... I'd put it back on the shelf "just in case"
I think it needs an OA bath though. Nice find nevertheless.
Basically NOS indeed,... I'd put it back on the shelf "just in case"
I think it needs an OA bath though. Nice find nevertheless.
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Looks like it was a garden sculpture.
be interesting what is the condition after rust removal both internal and external.
be interesting what is the condition after rust removal both internal and external.
#6
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Thanks for the reply, I'd seen the cougar bikes while looking up the brake bridge but couldn't get a close enough look at pics of vintage cougars to see if the lugs looked the same. I emailed Terry Dolans today to see if I could get some info from them, no reply as of yet. The frame has holes in the dropouts for chain tension adjusters, I always thought that was a sign of a decent frame, it's got a couple of dents and a small hole in the top tube, I'm hoping it's not beyond salvation.
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I looked at that thread, there doesn't seem to be too many "clunkers" in it so far, I'd be doing well to stay within the $108 limit though.
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lug pattern appears to be the Prugnat S4
bottom bracket shell looks to be the BOCAMA Professional
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lug pattern appears to be the Prugnat S4
bottom bracket shell looks to be the BOCAMA Professional
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Last edited by juvela; 05-13-22 at 03:58 PM. Reason: correction
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Love those diamond bottle braze-ons. Had those on my ‘86 Paramount.
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#16
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Found a 4 digit serial number on the bb, still no word back from Dolans, I'm hoping the number will do the job if I get a reply. Would I be right in thinking that 4 digit serial numbers are fairly generic?
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serial -
it is sufficiently rough/uneven that one wonders if there could be a fifth digit there poorly struck or if that is simply a scratch visible to the right of the "3"....
keep in mind that the "3" may be a poorly struck "8"
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date -
if it is "eighties" it is very early eighties
note absence of recessed brake mount
T-Mar wrote that Dolons operation & use of Cougar name began in 1980
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serial -
it is sufficiently rough/uneven that one wonders if there could be a fifth digit there poorly struck or if that is simply a scratch visible to the right of the "3"....
keep in mind that the "3" may be a poorly struck "8"
---
date -
if it is "eighties" it is very early eighties
note absence of recessed brake mount
T-Mar wrote that Dolons operation & use of Cougar name began in 1980
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Last edited by juvela; 05-14-22 at 04:45 PM. Reason: addition