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Post by proaktive52 on Sept 21, 2016 19:56:30 GMT
Forgive me but very new to this forum communication stuff
Ok, just over a conversation at work about bikes, I went into the shed, as you do, and found my old rusty covered in ivy bike
It was the bike I went to my first job on
So what is it? after taking it out and deciding to clean it up. Firstly photograph it. (it won't let me attach a file???) forum exceeded size?
Anyway did this and photographed all parts so I can put it back together again; stripped the bike down completely.
The bike was black back in 1979, I thought it a good idea to spray it gold and its been that colour with blue and rust for the next 37 years
The bike was a Viscount International Colorado GT because I remember catching my toes against those huge mud guards (replaced with little alloy ones)
Frame number is WTE (Taiwanese possibly) 7121 with 2 reverse C's followed by 17; the reverse C's might be poorly stamped zeros i.e. 71210017
The project continues......
After further investigation, the FD and RD are Suntour dated TI and TH i.e. 1977 Sept and August and the Cranks SR are stamped 77 I in a circle, again 1977 Sept so it looks like the frame is dated Nov 1977 from the above stamped numbers
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Post by proaktive52 on Sept 24, 2016 17:08:02 GMT
Gents
Just joining in but would like your opinion on the decals I will get for my Colorado GT
The question is do I get an International decal or a viscount decal for the lower bar?
I think the bike is a Taiwanese frame WTE on the bottom, it is lugged and is a GT
Thank you in advance
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Post by Admin on Sept 25, 2016 8:34:57 GMT
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Jem
Viscount
?
Posts: 3,390 
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Post by Jem on Sept 25, 2016 8:47:34 GMT
I think 'Viscount' decal for lower bar. Good luck with that, it looks like you'll be bringing it back from the brink of extinction! I take my hat off to you for your dedication to revive it.
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Post by proaktive52 on Sept 25, 2016 17:58:38 GMT
Thank you for that, frames rubbed down, new caps, bearings, gear cable and tyres ordered
The seat tube has pegs at 385mm apart, ordered a sks vx1 pump for it (i'm fairly sure it will fit?)
Trying to find a sprayer for the black enamel
This is as bad as golf for how it grabs hold of you!
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Jem
Viscount
?
Posts: 3,390
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Post by Jem on Sept 25, 2016 18:14:37 GMT
I'm with you on the golf thing...I once had two or three holes in a row where I believed I could play and I was quite good...occasionally I can still drive a ball and putt and feel like I am something approaching a golfer...but it never lasts. Although on the driving range I can 85% pretty much where I want them. So, I keep going back to torture myself.
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Post by proaktive52 on Sept 27, 2016 18:31:32 GMT
Help
Frame now off for paint but!
I now think the frame is a Tulsa GL
Pegged seat column and 2 screw positions for rear guard and saddle frame
But I know when I had it new it was Colorado GT
Does the frame number help anyone?
Do I decal as a GT or Tulsa?
Just read some of the old discussions
I like the idea that when the company was going pop, they got the frames already in the shop and put the parts on them they had
This must be why my black Colorado has a Tulsa frame with a metal front badge
The rear wheel has the chrome spoke cover of the colorado, front forks with chrome
Lower suntour shifters on heart shaped lugs
Confusing; I don't want to call the bike by another name after 30 odd years
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Jem
Viscount
?
Posts: 3,390
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Post by Jem on Sept 29, 2016 5:21:11 GMT
Well, for what it's worth I have never seen a Colorado in that gold colour but I have seen a couple of Tulsa's. Maybe when you bought it there was confusion on the part of the seller or did it have Colorado decals? Even if it did it isn't beyond the realms of possibility that they ran out of the appropriate decal in the factory and just put an available one on there? We have so many examples of bikes coming out with higher grade components than the model was spec'd with and lower too - it really did seem like they couldn't get their supply chain together for the demand.
I'd badge up with whatever you feel good with.
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Post by proaktive52 on Sept 30, 2016 18:08:08 GMT
The bike was black when I bought it and I sprayed it in the eighties
and it had colorado decals
SR front crank set
Suntour rear and front Spirt derailleurs
Suntour shifter
I think it was whatever they had to shift a few more units in the late seventies before it went pop
The rear of the frame and the rear wheel spoke protector confuse things
Do you think the frame is 1977 as a mate of mine says the year was put at each end of the number with the rest between
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Post by cusqueno on Oct 4, 2016 10:48:41 GMT
I think as Sooper8 does, whatever colour you want or prefer. But it does seem that Colorados were black. I've recently seen an old Viscount add for them (from ad old CTC magazine, posted by rmw (?) somewhere - can't find it now) which makes the colour a definite feature of the model. And as Sooper8 notes, I've only seen gold Tulsa G.L.s, like this one on eBay at the moment. I owned one for a time and it had the running gear yours has - SunTour Honor RD and Spirt FD with Silstar crankset and stem mounting shifters. Here's a photo of it (converted to single speed I'm afraid):  TulsaGL_1 by Cusqueno, on Flickr |
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Post by scottw on Oct 5, 2016 6:45:31 GMT
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Post by sprockit on Oct 5, 2016 19:20:01 GMT
Maybe the Colorado was red, and the Colorado GT black. I've only ever seen the GT in black, and until now I've never seen the Colorado without GT!
As for transfers, International on the down tube, Colorado, Alamo, Fargo, Tulsa, etc, on the top tube.
Pretty rare rivetted-on head badge as well, which if memory serves me correctly, was found on the Taiwan-built frames.
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Post by proaktive52 on Oct 9, 2016 17:56:46 GMT
After a bit more googling / Ebay surfing
The viscount denver found on abov has a riveted viscount badge and fancy cut lugs which makes me more certain that my frame is either a Denver or a Tulsa, as the Colorado GT frame as simple luggs, no seat post column pegs and only one fixing on the drop offs for rear bag frame and long mudguard
Looks like "My Project" will get a knew name!
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Jem
Viscount
?
Posts: 3,390
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Post by Jem on Oct 9, 2016 18:16:20 GMT
After a bit more googling / Ebay surfing The viscount denver found on abov has a riveted viscount badge and fancy cut lugs which makes me more certain that my frame is either a Denver or a Tulsa, as the Colorado GT frame as simple luggs, no seat post column pegs and only one fixing on the drop offs for rear bag frame and long mudguard Looks like "My Project" will get a knew name! Pick another US place name? A Louisville , a Nashville a Memphis or how about a Phoenix? |
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Post by proaktive52 on Nov 15, 2016 21:53:37 GMT
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Post by triitout on Nov 16, 2016 1:35:34 GMT
Dude, just an excellent restoration! My favorite part of this forum are the before and after shots on a bike like yours. It's really a noble endeavor to save something from the past that deserves to be saved and we've got same very dedicated and talented restorers amongst us. Congratulations and enjoy the ride  |
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