Gem (in the rough) or just an old bike?

I'm truly out of my element here. Not sure if I've got something good or just a starter for someone. It was my brother-in-law's bike and fell into my hands when he passed away (mesothelioma). Google leads me to believe that it may be worth more than it appears. Comments and info welcome.


https://goo.gl/photos/gUXN6cciu8FWhXEf7

That's a nice and pretty early Diamond Back. Early '80's. Definitely worth a bit of tlc, but probably not worth a fortune.
Well worth saving and riding though.

Welcome to the forum btw.
Hope you'll do a wee thread on it's resto.

Re:

Your bike is most unusual in that it has the original rear mech that came with the bike

The rear mech is a Suntour Gran Tech/Superbe Tech from about 1984/5* and has been called 'the most beautiful derailleur of all time'
Bike shops probably had a rather different opinion as they were a nightmare to work on and adjust. So the fact that your bike still has
this mech might indicate that it was not ridden far from new

The totally enclosed mechanism was a triumph of appearance over practicality at a time when Suntour were the world leaders in this type
of thing, though on this occasion it was a notable failure

* I have a couple of these but they do not have the any date stamp markings, they came in different cage lengths road/MTB

Unfortunately comparative rarity does not always equate to high value, however your bike deserves to be restored and ridden, so I would consider it to be a Gem (in the rough)