GT Tequesta - year identification......?

[floyd_england]

First of all, I'd better introduce myself. 40...mmm odd year old, bought this bike 2nd hand around 91ish? Ran her for many years (much abuse which didn't bother her at all) then got the Motocross and later Enduro bug which kept me happy for many years. The old girl has sat around for years in various sheds etc and I've now given up the powered two wheel stuff (off road).

For a fitness/hobby thing I've decided to get back into the MTB thing. The first thought was to get a new bike, but then I thought I've got the good old dependable GT in the shed.

Solid as a rock, and scarred to hell but still a great bike. She's all over the garage floor now, some bits will need replacing, but the basis of the good old TQ will survive. The big question is how old is she? I've searched the web and haven't found anything that will really put an age on her. I've got a photo of me pulling a very impressive wheelie on her (if i say so myself) in 1993, and I'm sure then I'd owned her for a year maybe two.

HELP ME!!!!

The original spec as far as I'm sure is

Frame and forks - Steel (Light Grey with blue and orange flecks)
Rims - 26x1.5 Araya RX-7
Hubs - Suntour
Crankset - Sakae XCE
Gear Shifters - Suntour Express
Brakes - Dia Compe XCE Xpert (Canti's)
Levers - Dia Compe X1
Deralleur - Suntour X-1

Considering she's been sat for years she's in very good condition.

Any ideas what year???? I'm thinking 1989, maybe 90????

 

[cherrybomb]

First off hello!

As to the age of your GT. A picture would be nice to give us a clue.

A couple of things..........if it has a plain paint colour with a splatter effect over it then that sounds early '90s. I she's got cantilevers all round and not a U brake on the back, then that suggests some time after 1992.

If you have a look in the archive section at the top of the site under GT catalogues, there's a load of early '90s ones to have a look through.

Welcome aboard.

CHris.

 

[orange71]

you might have some luck with catalogues here too:

http://www.mtb-kataloge.de/html/gt.html

 

[floyd_england]

Looking at the catalogues, I'd say she's more 1990 than anything else.

It's the Grey (blue/orange fleck) paint scheme that doesn't fit.

I'll take some pics and post them, in the next day or two

 

[pistol79]

Gt Tequesta! I had a blue one with white splatter given to me buy my parents in 92/93 not sure which year exactly>? It cose just over 300 quid and back then that was loads of dosh to a 12 year old! It got stolen from my back garden and I remember seeing it at a Chedder Gorge event either that or somone had put there stickers on in the exact same places Id put mine...

 

[floyd_england]

Here's a picture as promised

Any Ideas of the year?

 

[retrobikeguy]

I would say 1990 , sure the year after was the blue smoke finish.

 

[floyd_england]

The 1990 catalogue shows a blue "nimbus", with the options being gloss black and Wild Fiesta.

Mine isn't the Nimbus, and gloss black it isn't either. But Wild Fiesta.....???
What is that??

Any chance there were some other colours other than those in the 1990 link earlier in the thread?

 

[slimjoe]

its an 89 im almost certain

I think its an 89..The shop i worked in as a kid did G.T bikes.. and its got XCE on as it not? Super clean condition Just checked my catalogues In 89 it came with SUNTOUR XCE, in 90 was mainly SUNTOUR X-1..The colours are listed differently though..Hope this helps...

 

[floyd_england]

Thanks slimjoe,

What were the 1989 colour options? Any splatter effects?

Any idea what the 1990 'Wild Fiesta' paint was?

As mentioned earlier the spec as far as I know was

Rims - 26x1.5 Araya RX-7
Hubs - Suntour
Crankset - Sakae XCE
Gear Shifters - Suntour Express
Brakes - Dia Compe XCE Xpert
Levers - Dia Compe X1
Deralleur - Suntour X-1

Which would point towards it being a 1990.

Didn't the RX-7 rims arrive late 89/90?

Can you scan the 1989 spec and post it?