1983 Specialized Stumpjumper
This is my latest restoration. I say restoration but it was more like a refreshment as the bike was in fantastic original condition having only been riden a few times from new.
I have owned this bike in the past but sold it to Chris Kay during one of my culls. I always regretted selling it though and as soon as it re-appeared in the For Sale section I pounded out a PM as fast as I could. At this point I would like to say a huge thanks to Mr Lee for picking it up in Manchester for me and to Kaya for bringing it nearer home just before christmas. Cheers guys, I owe you one.
So, the story. This bike was originally given as a gift to the owner of Santa Cruz Skateboards by Mike Sinyard himself. It was probably unwanted though as the rims and brake blocks show no sign of wear and looking at the paintwork it spent most of the last 27 years being pushed around the garage. And that was the rub with this bike- the paint was really letting the side down. Action was needed.
So mid December i made my way down through the snow to Kaya's place by the sea and collected the bike. The next day I stripped the bike down completely and set about shuffling through almost 14,000 colour chips until I found a near match. The nearest was a 1985 Mitsubishi colour but it wasn't quite right so I mixed up several batches- hand tinting by eye and sprayed out some test cards. Whilst they dried I prepped the frame.
I have written about the paint process in my Klunker update today so won't bore you with it again, but again, as this was a very original frame I went for a partial repaint rather than a full shoot. The scratches were contained to the top tube, seat stays and the forks, and as it is a lugged frame I could mask to the lus rather than blend into surrounding areas which would mean a full re-laquer. By mid afternoon the frame was refreshed and I made a start on the parts. these were in perfect condition and just needed a quick rinse in the parts washer to remove old grease and oil, followed by a light buff with a cotton cloth (no polish needed).
The frame was left in the cooling booth overnight whilst i went home to look in the loft for a cleaner pair of amberwalls (the original tyre are long gone due to the ravages of time).
Next morning the frame was given a light polish with compound and wax before getting internally rustproofed with Brunox. With the aid of a cuppa and a few dabs of copperslip the bike was built up, tweeked and adjusted and finished by mid morning. At last the paint was as good as the parts- pristine again. The restoration took less than 24 hours from start to finish so shows just how tidy the bike was to start with. Apart from tyres it is totally original- even down to the cables and brake blocks!
I did intend to ride it the week after at the Cannock Meet, but the weather caused the cancelation. It will be riden at one of the National Rounds this year- probably the Peaks or at MacRetro's bash in August. I do want to spare this bike from the worst of the UK weather- besides it doesn't ride very well and there are much nicer bikes to ride when the trails are slippy and rocky.
I hope you like the pics and thanks for reading. I will do a spec list after lunch.
Cheers
Si
This is my latest restoration. I say restoration but it was more like a refreshment as the bike was in fantastic original condition having only been riden a few times from new.
I have owned this bike in the past but sold it to Chris Kay during one of my culls. I always regretted selling it though and as soon as it re-appeared in the For Sale section I pounded out a PM as fast as I could. At this point I would like to say a huge thanks to Mr Lee for picking it up in Manchester for me and to Kaya for bringing it nearer home just before christmas. Cheers guys, I owe you one.
So, the story. This bike was originally given as a gift to the owner of Santa Cruz Skateboards by Mike Sinyard himself. It was probably unwanted though as the rims and brake blocks show no sign of wear and looking at the paintwork it spent most of the last 27 years being pushed around the garage. And that was the rub with this bike- the paint was really letting the side down. Action was needed.
So mid December i made my way down through the snow to Kaya's place by the sea and collected the bike. The next day I stripped the bike down completely and set about shuffling through almost 14,000 colour chips until I found a near match. The nearest was a 1985 Mitsubishi colour but it wasn't quite right so I mixed up several batches- hand tinting by eye and sprayed out some test cards. Whilst they dried I prepped the frame.
I have written about the paint process in my Klunker update today so won't bore you with it again, but again, as this was a very original frame I went for a partial repaint rather than a full shoot. The scratches were contained to the top tube, seat stays and the forks, and as it is a lugged frame I could mask to the lus rather than blend into surrounding areas which would mean a full re-laquer. By mid afternoon the frame was refreshed and I made a start on the parts. these were in perfect condition and just needed a quick rinse in the parts washer to remove old grease and oil, followed by a light buff with a cotton cloth (no polish needed).
The frame was left in the cooling booth overnight whilst i went home to look in the loft for a cleaner pair of amberwalls (the original tyre are long gone due to the ravages of time).
Next morning the frame was given a light polish with compound and wax before getting internally rustproofed with Brunox. With the aid of a cuppa and a few dabs of copperslip the bike was built up, tweeked and adjusted and finished by mid morning. At last the paint was as good as the parts- pristine again. The restoration took less than 24 hours from start to finish so shows just how tidy the bike was to start with. Apart from tyres it is totally original- even down to the cables and brake blocks!
I did intend to ride it the week after at the Cannock Meet, but the weather caused the cancelation. It will be riden at one of the National Rounds this year- probably the Peaks or at MacRetro's bash in August. I do want to spare this bike from the worst of the UK weather- besides it doesn't ride very well and there are much nicer bikes to ride when the trails are slippy and rocky.
I hope you like the pics and thanks for reading. I will do a spec list after lunch.
Cheers
Si
