1980s Muddy Fox Courier

[Gtpulse]

I wasn’t buying any more bikes, then I did.

The antithesis of the £1k Couriers that were out there over the last year or so. £40 plus £20 postage for this beauty. From what I can see completely original and complete with the exception of the tyres. The seller had all of the brakes/shifters/mechs which weren’t on the listing and chucked them in a box with the bike.

I was fully expecting a seized seat post so was a pleasant surprise to find it already out in the box!

It has a high level of “patina”, from the photos in the original listing my first thoughts were that it needs a strip and repaint. That may still be the route I go, but it’s a lot better than I judged from the photos.

Sellers photos



Had time to strip it to bare frame tonight, with a bit of persuasion the cranks and pedals separated from each other and from the bottom bracket. The only casualty was a Sugino dust cap which had seized and I lost my patience with, I have another somewhere when the time comes.

I say it every time I pick up an ‘80s bike, the quality of the kit never ceases to impress. I’m 100% confident that despite its current rusty and seized state that it will clean up really well.

I’m actually going to try and clean up the paintwork with compound and polish and see how it comes out. I’ve done a few patches quickly and it was really good. Will need the odd rust spot dealing with but I’m happy to see how it turns out before I remove the original finish.

On the stand tonight

 

[Gtpulse]

The quickest polish of the head tube.
It’s not perfect but it’s original. I really prefer the look of a survivor to a repaint but it will depend on how the rest turns out.



The tyres are tan wall Matrix AT and look like they are of the period possibly a bit later. They are in useable condition, no splits, cracks or wrinkles just a bit dirty so will probably stay with it after a clean. Anyone familiar with this brand? A Google and search of RB suggests they are a Trek brand?

 

[legrandefromage]

Matrix is Trek

Is it going back on ebay for £4k?

 

[Gtpulse]

Matrix is Trek

Is it going back on ebay for £4k?

Not much ever leaves my garage though I do have this bikes twin that I will karma the frame of at some point in the future. I mullered it (some time ago) trying to remove the seatpost, will need to go to someone who wants a go at replacing a seat tube!

 

[Gtpulse]

Having just caught up with the epic Thias’ Rat Klein thread I feel a bit shallow posting my update - which is basically a bit of polishing and touching in of some rust spots!

It’s not going to win any contests for paintwork but it’s been only a few hours work and keeps it mostly original. Another coat of Humbrol to go on what were some of the rusted through parts.



A repost of the seller’s photos for comparison

 

[HuskyDinoBomber]

Really like the progression, here I saved this photo a while back after watching a YouTube video of a Muddy Fox restoration. I think,it’s one of the nicest bikes I’ve seen. So I’ll repost it here for a bit of inspiration. Good luck with the rest.

 

[Gtpulse]

Really like the progression, here I saved this photo a while back after watching a YouTube video of a Muddy Fox restoration. I think,it’s one of the nicest bikes I’ve seen. So I’ll repost it here for a bit of inspiration. Good luck with the rest.View attachment 601186

That’s a shiny shiny bike!

I think that one must have had new spokes - it’s the one area they seemed to cheap out on - everything else on early Muddy Foxes is decent quality, doesn’t rust and cleans up really well. On the three I’ve worked on they’ve all had rusty spokes as they’ve not used stainless. It’s my least favourite part of a resto when I get to rusty spokes, no amount of polish/oil/wire wool etc gets them as nice as stainless!

 

[Augustus]

Lovely. My first MTB. Pretty sure that's an '87 though. Have fun with the restoration

 

[michael franks]

Looking really good, keep up the good work!

 

[Gtpulse]

Lovely. My first MTB. Pretty sure that's an '87 though. Have fun with the restoration

Thanks! It would have been a few years too early and too expensive to have been my first MTB! That was a Raleigh Marauder around 1990. I recently did a recommissioning for my brother in law of what would have been an identical Courier which was his first MTB. I think that’s where I’ve got the date from and the date code on the brakes is ‘85. Difficult to date for 85-87, not much in the way of catalogues out there, I’ve got both before and after this but nothing for that time. His Courier took a very different path and ended up with XT thumbies and mechs as he didn’t like the Suntour lack of clicking. I’ll amend the title.