Help IDing Klein model/year

[johndiggity]

I just picked up this old Klein as a project. Frame is in decent shape; scratches and a lot of chain suck but no bends or dings.

I initially placed it as a 1988 Pinnacle due to the color (looks like sovereign blue) and lack of model sticker, but after stripping it down to the frame, I noticed it doesn’t have the chain stay mounted brakes and the chain stays are rectangular. I can’t decipher the serial number meaning, but it starts with “R” not “P”. I don’t think it’s a Rascal, but also not a Top Gun.

I can’t tell what components are original, but it’s definitely been overhauled at at least one point in its life. Any help is appreciated.

 

[gtturbo]

I had a Pinnacle with an R serial number so I think we can assume it's a Pinnacle also from looking at the drop outs they are wrong for a TG or Rascal. A Klein expert will be able to tell you from the serial number what year but I would guess 89 onwards as like you say no U brake.

 

[johndiggity]

Thanks for this! I had seen another thread where a Pinnacle owner had a “P” serial number so I (wrongly) assumed that was the case with all. I’m quite certain about my original guess now, Occam’s razor and all.

 

[johndiggity]

I've taken a look at the old catalogs and am still a little stumped. I'm quite sure it's a Pinnacle, I'm quite sure it's Sovereign Blue, but I can't seem to find a year where the Pinnacle (XT I am assuming from the groupset) was offered in Soverign Blue with the seat stay-mounted brake bosses. '89 has the correct color but chain stay mounted brakes. '90–'91 have the seat stay brakes, and they carried over Flare Red, but dropped Sovereign Blue in favor of Bright Green. '92 Pinnacles have the top tube model name decal - which is absent from mine - and are only offered in Silver. Sovereign Blue no longer appears as a custom color choice either.

Were the chainstay-mounted brakes size-specific? This appears to be an 18' frame and looks proportional to the models shown in the catalogs.

 

[Rusty16]

Kleins could be custom ordered with most of the color choices back in the day, except Klein reserved the “gator fade” frame color for Adroits only when the Adroit first came out. I have a 92 Pinnacle in Candy Red that was custom ordered when Pinnacles were painted a standard silver.

 

[fguki]

It has rear carrier holes. So its a Pinnacle - and not a Rascal.