Date these deraileurs

Cleaning the grime from these vintage, read "old" parts I uncovered the
model names of "Eagle" for the rear, and "Thunderbird"for the front, both
are Shimano.
Can anyone narrow down the years these were made? I know it is somewhere in
the late 60's to mid 70's. Was kind on hoping too narrow it down to a few
years.

Ken

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Ken Marcet wrote:
Cleaning the grime from these vintage, read "old" parts I uncovered
the
model names of "Eagle" for the rear, and "Thunderbird"for the front,
both
are Shimano.
Can anyone narrow down the years these were made? I know it is
somewhere in
the late 60's to mid 70's. Was kind on hoping too narrow it down to a
few
years.

Ken

I think that's about as narrow as you'll get. Shimano in that time
period did not change their model designations every couple years as
they do now. I would guess early to mid-'70's is most likely. I'm not
an authority, though.

Jeff

According to "The Dancing Chain" (THE book about the history of
derailleurs), 4 different "Eagle" models were first introduced in 1975.
Two were classified as "low price medium range" and the other 2 "low
price wide range". There's no indication when they ceased production.

Bob H.

Ken Marcet wrote:
Cleaning the grime from these vintage, read "old" parts I uncovered the
model names of "Eagle" for the rear, and "Thunderbird"for the front, both
are Shimano.
Can anyone narrow down the years these were made? I know it is somewhere in
the late 60's to mid 70's. Was kind on hoping too narrow it down to a few
years.

Seventies.

Eagle, Thunderbird, Lark, Lark-W, Crane, all the other birds
and then Poseidon.

err, Positron.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Also, I gave up dating derailleurs when I got married. Not only does my
wife index, she cross-references, too!

Jeff

Bob Hanson wrote:
According to "The Dancing Chain" (THE book about the history of
derailleurs), 4 different "Eagle" models were first introduced in 1975.
Two were classified as "low price medium range" and the other 2 "low
price wide range". There's no indication when they ceased production.

I'm pretty sure I had a bike with an Eagle rear, purchased new in 1972.

Mark Janeba

oh i get it now! Ha Ha

"JeffWills" wrote in message
oups.com...
Also, I gave up dating derailleurs when I got married. Not only does my
wife index, she cross-references, too!

Jeff

Mark Janeba writes:

Bob Hanson wrote:
According to "The Dancing Chain" (THE book about the history of
derailleurs), 4 different "Eagle" models were first introduced in 1975.
Two were classified as "low price medium range" and the other 2 "low
price wide range". There's no indication when they ceased production.

I'm pretty sure I had a bike with an Eagle rear, purchased new in 1972.

Are you sure it's not a Lark ?? They look pretty similar, if my badly
rusted memory serves ... One has a "moon unit" metal C-shaped guard
as you look at the freewheel, with many large holes all the way along
it ... a popular style during the moon program, 1965-1973.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

JeffWills wrote:

Also, I gave up dating derailleurs when I got married. Not only does my
wife index, she cross-references, too!

Does your wife have Campy, Shimano or SRAM ESP shifter compatible spacing?

--
Tom Sherman - Earth

Donald Gillies wrote:

Mark Janeba writes:
I'm pretty sure I had a bike with an Eagle rear, purchased new in 1972.

Are you sure it's not a Lark ?? They look pretty similar, if my badly
rusted memory serves ... One has a "moon unit" metal C-shaped guard
as you look at the freewheel, with many large holes all the way along
it ... a popular style during the moon program, 1965-1973.

It's been a long time, and the guard you describe is familiar. But, um,
- which one had the guard? Lark or Eagle?

As I think of it, the bike brand was "American Eagle", precursor to
Nishiki, I think - but I still thought the rear der. was an Eagle also.

Did they also market the Bogie model at that time?

Mark