1993 MARIN Team Issue Restoration Build Project - XTR M900

[tweedi]

Incredible work!

Myself restoring one of those as we speak and need to re-spray. Do you know what sort of paint is used on this bike? I read sometimes that it was "nickel plated" and other times it was a silver paint. In your experience was it painted or plated? Also if anybody has paint color code, this would be helpful.

Again, beautiful work with a lot of details and information helping us all.

 

[fguki]

It wasnt painted! (except for clear coating). Its blank nickel plated metal!

 

[tweedi]

Excellent, thanks for the information. So now I need to see if it's feasible to re-do nickel plating as mine is totally gone, no sign of plating.

Thanks!

 

[fguki]

what do you mean by totally gone and no sign of plating? I highly doubt that there is anything "gone".

 

[tweedi]

The bike had been re-sprayed by the original owner. I removed the "champagne" re-spray coat, as well as the yellow under coat and I believe under was bare steel without plating.

The result is what you see in in the photos, I don't think this is nickel plated but please correct me if I am wrong.

On some photos you will see the tubes are black matt. This is because I used evaporust outside and inside the tubes (apart from the outside of the downtube as I could not soak that one) at the end of the process to remove everything with the intention to add frame saver inside later. This created a black residue on tube which others have said is carbon migration (this did not happened to other, lower end Marin frames I restored in the past). Nonetheless this black residue goes away very easily with steel wool.

In some places, such as behind the rear brake bosses, I could find some bits of paint which I thought may have been original.

If that matters at all, the bike was purchased either in France or Germany, the original owner living at the border.

Would be very keen to hear what you and fellow retro think (was it plated and is it still there, is it gone, was it never plated)

 

[fguki]

Indeed, it looks like somebody also removed the plating before paint ... thats heavy.

 

[tweedi]

Noted, then with this particular frame it might be easier to powder coat in a different color and accept this one won't be a strict restoration, rather than trying to "re-plate". Newer hubs, single chainring and v-brake are fun too, sometimes! Might still need some decals at some points

Thank you for sharing your incredible work and knowledge.