GT Zaskar 1996

[kingkongsfinger]

Hi all,

Aafter some help and advise, just purchased this and want to make it look a bit better but keep the parts period.

1) Are the decals the correct ones for the year of the bike ?
2) Forks are VERY BOINGY, any thing I can do with them ?
3) Frame number is 03968356 and undernath is 18 which relates to 18 inch ? I make this a March 1996 build, is this correct ?

Spec is- Zaskar 18 inch
Marzocchi XCR Forks
Ridgida rally rims on lx hubs with Spec team control and master
STX cranks
Gripshift 400 FFS 7 speed
Bontrager Race 2014TS bars

Advice please

 

[merckx]

it looks like its been restickered at some point. the euro 96 catalogue can be veiwed here

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/mai ... emId=10525

i think the 6061 decal is actually supposed to be on the downtube near the bb, and not sure if they actually usee those triple triangle decals on the ball burnished zaskars at all.

nice frame you have, its been built fairly budget though...not that there is anything wrong with LX its nice stuff.

personally....i would put a flite saddle on it. if you want to keep the costs reasonable..i would suggest a nicer LX crankset in the black paint finish, to match the group. those levers i always found horrible to use, i would also perhaps swap them and the gripshift for either the LX rapidfires of that era, or upgrade to XT for a bit nicer finish and function.

those marzocchi forks are air sprung, if they are too soft they might need more air, and more damping, and possibly heavier weight oil. but its hard to know really. the fact that they are overly bouncy is possibly a good thing, suggesting they are functioning ok, just need to be set up better.

your other option could be to go rigid, depending on your plans for riding the bike. an original GT steel 3D fork, or Bologna fork, in black, would look nice on that bike..

and yep, the 18 is indeed referring to the frame size, and the 0396 is as you have suggested, march 1996.

thats my 2.2 cents anyway

 

[coomber]

AS above, nicer saddle is first thing I would change. Then the forks to something like Rock Shox Judys - XC or SL versions, or preferably a nice pair of Marzocchi Z2s.

Parts are mid range as stated, nothing wrong with them but might want to add a splash of XT - that stuff goes on forever and would save you some weight.

Try it out first and see what you dont like. You might want a different size stem or riser bars for example.

 

[kingkongsfinger]

Since getting it home this morning, I have fitted a flite titanium I had hanging around, swopped the stem for a 5 degree black NOS Ritchey one, binned the bar ends and fitted some Bontrager bar end caps.

Just need to clean up an old Ringle h2o up and get the shock pump out to try and sort the forks out.

Seen some xtr950 (black ones) v brakes and levers which I may try and get. Does anyone know what year these were out ?

Going to stick some spuds on and give it a blast and see what's what.

Is the seatpost a 27.0 mm on these ?

Cheers

 

[coomber]

My 1997 zaskar is 27.2 although I know others have said theirs are 27.0

Actual size I believe is MEANT to be 27.0.

 

[ranier]

Looks like the previous owner was running moto-style front brakes.

SI Flites look right on a racy Zaskar.

 

[Barneyballbags]

The M950 brakes and levers would suit the bike as they're the correct period, and Zaskar LEs came built with XTR whereas normal Zaskars came with XT kit (I think!)

 

[SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum]

I'd take Tourney thumbshifters over gripshift

 

[kingkongsfinger]

A few new bits added, some more in the post, its getting back to its original beauty, slowly.

 

[defconfunk]

Nice to see another Zaskar being built My 96 has a 27.2mm post in it if that helps. The 96 was equipped with a yellow Kore stem and a Kore seat post, It also had the blue and yellow decals If I remember things right. I went a bit different with my 96 build. The 92 I'm building is using age related parts and M730XT but I'm still gathering parts, Where is a black 1 1/8th Syncros Quill stem when you need one? keep us posted on your build, Its looking good so far