Proud owner of a 1st Gen Fuso!
06-14-13, 03:52 PM
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Proud owner of a 1st Gen Fuso!
Scored a 1985 Fuso, size 55 today. I'm very happy to have this. I've been looking for many years now. It appears to have been ridden very sparingly, and based on the bar tape, I'd say it's been sitting in a garage for 20 years. Downside is that it has tubulars, and I just sold the perfect set of wheels for it to 23skidoo. The scratch shown on the top tube is pretty much the only damage except for a spot of rust by the downtube shifter and cable port.
06-14-13, 04:21 PM
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Nice bike. To treat the rusty cable guide, you can try a small towel soaked in vinegar, keep it wet and it should remove most of the rust.
06-14-13, 05:49 PM
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Really nice. I always liked that silver/purple color scheme. Enjoy!
+1 to treating the rust on the cable guide. The red ring around the cable guide on the top tube suggests to me that rust is starting to creep under the paint.
+1 to treating the rust on the cable guide. The red ring around the cable guide on the top tube suggests to me that rust is starting to creep under the paint.
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'72 Cilo Pacer • '72 Peugeot PX10 • '73 Speedwell Ti • '74 Nishiki Competition • '74 Peugeot UE-8 • '86 Look Equipe 753 • '86 Look KG86 • '89 Parkpre Team Road • '90 Parkpre Team MTB • '90 Merlin Ti
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-Randy
'72 Cilo Pacer • '72 Peugeot PX10 • '73 Speedwell Ti • '74 Nishiki Competition • '74 Peugeot UE-8 • '86 Look Equipe 753 • '86 Look KG86 • '89 Parkpre Team Road • '90 Parkpre Team MTB • '90 Merlin Ti
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06-14-13, 06:58 PM
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06-14-13, 07:15 PM
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A rider in my local bike club has a wonderful Fuso that is almost a carbon copy of yours. My size, too.
He won't part with it, darn it.
He won't part with it, darn it.
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06-14-13, 09:17 PM
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Good find, right down to what looks like a 13-26t freewheel. SWEET
And +1 on Michael Angelo's vinegar trick. Repeat as needed and it should really clean up.
And +1 on Michael Angelo's vinegar trick. Repeat as needed and it should really clean up.
06-14-13, 10:13 PM
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Very nice. Another one on my target list....
06-14-13, 11:10 PM
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double post, oops!
Last edited by dddd; 06-15-13 at 02:18 AM. Reason: dbl post wrong thread
06-14-13, 11:59 PM
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Congrats! — I love everything about it including the group. And I say "way cool" that it has tubulars!! The bikes says 'yes' too!
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06-15-13, 02:34 AM
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What a cool bike! I especially love that early, proper headbadge 
Hard to see in your pics, but that seatstay cap arrangement looks interesting - can you post a close-up pic so we may get a closer look?
The details look sweet; nice catch!
DD
Hard to see in your pics, but that seatstay cap arrangement looks interesting - can you post a close-up pic so we may get a closer look?
The details look sweet; nice catch!
DD
06-15-13, 11:46 AM
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Started cleaning it up last night. First, it came with a pair of titanium speedplay pedals so that is a bonus, i actually ride X type speedplay as well so I'll put these to good use.
The fuso stickers / logo and Columbus sticker are both under a clear coat, was this normal or did the original owner have this added?
Was the fuso and triangle on the fork crown supposed to be filled with gold accent paint? I can't tell if it's dried oil or paint, but wd40 removed most of it.
The fuso stickers / logo and Columbus sticker are both under a clear coat, was this normal or did the original owner have this added?
Was the fuso and triangle on the fork crown supposed to be filled with gold accent paint? I can't tell if it's dried oil or paint, but wd40 removed most of it.
06-15-13, 12:25 PM
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Here are some more pictures of the lug work, and the one shot of rust I missed before by the shifter. The paint is going to look amazing out in the sunshine.
06-15-13, 12:32 PM
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It is a Dura Ace 7400 freewheel, 13-26. That'll definitely make it more ride-able in the Austin area. Any tips on keeping the freewheel lubed? It seems the only thing I can get it to take is something light like triflow.
06-15-13, 08:32 PM
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All my bikes are clinchers, so this will be my first tubular bike. I want to ride this, but I'm worried about spending $$$ on tubulars, so do I go with cheap ones and hope they last, or do I go with something like gatorskins that are known for puncture resistance but cost more? Any recommendations?
06-17-13, 12:37 PM
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I got an email back from Dave M.. He gave me some tips on re-highlighting the FUSO and triangle on the fork crown. The gold accent basically washed away when I was cleaning the bike.
I also picked up some metalic silver, and metalic aluminum color Testors. I'm considering touching up those few rust spots. Do you guys recommend I leave them alone, or touch them up? I usually don't have great luck with touchup, it never looks as good as I want it to. I'll test the paint colors out on the fork dropout first to see which matches best.
I also picked up some metalic silver, and metalic aluminum color Testors. I'm considering touching up those few rust spots. Do you guys recommend I leave them alone, or touch them up? I usually don't have great luck with touchup, it never looks as good as I want it to. I'll test the paint colors out on the fork dropout first to see which matches best.
06-19-13, 10:11 AM
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Repainted the fork crown.
06-19-13, 10:19 AM
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Congrats! Finding one in you size that you can afford is grail like opportunity. Good you connected with Dave. I read his post every week.
06-19-13, 11:44 AM
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For tubulars I first used Vittoria Rally's (about $35) but have since moved to Continental Sprinters. To keep the costs down get Stan's latex tire sealant. Easy to use and has extended the life of 3 of my tubular tires.
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06-19-13, 11:53 AM
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Yellow Jersey has a 3 for $50 that are equivalent or better than the Ralley's. Check out Totally Tubular thread.
06-19-13, 12:21 PM
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It looks like a very well/cleanly built frame on that bike. as one might expect of a master builder like Dave Moulton. I'm quite ignorant of what Fusos are all about, but I'm familiar with builder Dave Moulton....
How did Dave come up with using the very Japanese sounding name for these bikes.
I spent some of my childhood abroad and I know "Fuso" as a Japanese brand name for trucks and buses outside the US. and if I remember correctly, it was a name for a Japanese WWII battleship.....
It's also a word that means "From the ancestors" in Japanese....so How did these bikes end up with the name.....it must be a very interesting story behind it...
How did Dave come up with using the very Japanese sounding name for these bikes.
I spent some of my childhood abroad and I know "Fuso" as a Japanese brand name for trucks and buses outside the US. and if I remember correctly, it was a name for a Japanese WWII battleship.....
It's also a word that means "From the ancestors" in Japanese....so How did these bikes end up with the name.....it must be a very interesting story behind it...
06-19-13, 12:43 PM
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Nice score on the Fuso Ben. Did you register it with Dave? I've got a set of Monti tubulars in a shade of blue/grey that would look great with that paint.