January 7th, and I've already got 4 bikes I'm committed to refurbishing!
In order of age, there's a 59cm 1971 Italvega Nuovo Record (Green), really a gorgeous, light bike that appears to have alot of stainless beneath the old paint. I have a general preference for mid-range bikes that I won't be afraid to ride and scratch over high end bikes, and although I wouldn't consider this a high end bike, it's the oldest, and probably the most fun frame I've picked up. It will be get a mostly period correct refurbishing, with an attempt to use original parts when possible. However I will be riding the bike, and so some more modern parts may find their way onto the bike.
Next is a 63cm 1980 Univega Sportour - I had thought this was a lower end bike when I finally deciphered the faint silhouette of it's model decals, but after looking up the specs it appears to actually be a relatively high-mid range Miyata-made frame from it's time. OEM drivetrain was that really pretty Shimano 600 Arabesque set. Despite it's long seat tube, the top tube is only 56cm; I'm actually going to experiment with this frame for myself as a bike seat carrier. I think the upright positioning will be a good fit with my daughter's bike seat, which mounts in front of my on the handlebar stem. This frame may also become a donor for me to develop my brazing skills - it will be receiving new bottle rack bosses to allow the bike to accomodate three racks, and may receive additional brazeons and eyelets before getting sent to the powder coater.
Next we have a 59cm 1986 Univega Gran Sprint (Light Blue). This is another mid-range, not really collectible, yet high quality lugged Miyata-made frame with triple-butted frame tubes and straight gauge chromoly stays. The paint is aaaaaalmost good enough to keep, but I really want to do a proper build with this bike. Although I haven't decided completely, this bike is likely to become my new everyday bike, replacing my 1984 Univega Specialissima which is a bit high-end for me. I really like the Specialissima, with it's plentiful eyelets and brazeons and three bottle racks, and the size is good, but I'm worried about it attracting bike thieves, and in it's essentially new-rebuilt condition it could bring in $500-700; money that could be well applied to rebuilding the bikes in this photo!
So, the Gran Sprint will likely receive additional water bottle bosses, rack mounts, and a powdercoat, and will likely become a slightly lighter, slightly less touring dedicated, and slightly less expensive daily ride.
Finally, the 52.5cm Trek 720 Multi-track I rode my last year of undergrad. This bike served me well for many years, and I only realized it was waay too small for me when I got more serious about cycling in the past few years. Anyways, it turns out these 720 Multitrack frames from the early 90's are a relatively unknown, but great touring option! Very similar geometry to the well regarded Trek 520's and 720's, only with slightly heavier straight gauge Tange Chromoly tubing. As a touring setup, the small extra weight won't matter, and the extra sturdiness of the frame will be welcome. This bike already comes with plentiful eyelets and bosses for water and racks, and with a powdercoat and rebuild, will become a very nice tourer.
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