Help ID 1990s GT

[Riverdrifter]

Hi everyone! This is my first post here. I need some help identifying this GT. I’m a road bike guy and like to restore and ride steel bikes. I found this bike for super cheap ($35) and was needing a new project, so thought I’d give it a try.
I’ve been doing some research and I can’t figure out what this thing is. The group set is Alivio, it’s got the rear cantilever brake guide but has V brakes installed, Tioga headset and Kore stem, Indy C fork. It doesn’t have the candy blue color and white decals like I’ve seen on the Rebound, it’s got the yellow and red multicolored decals like on the Karakoram. It’s got the exact shape and size residue from a “4130 custom butted” sticker, but it’s peeled off. The frame color is a darker blue, almost black or purple. It does have a sicker that says 20 inch frame, and another one that says Designed in USA, Built in Taiwan. Also it has an integrated seat post clamp.
Any help figuring out what this works s would be great. Thanks! Hope I can make some friends and learn a bunch here, and get this bike rolling again!

 

[Hotwheels.]

I’ll be the first then…

…is it a Zaskar?

 

[Freddyman90]

Looks like a palomar in my opinion

 

[trailstar82]

98 black talera

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/1998-16-black-gt-talera-£65-bristol.345785/

 

[trailstar82]

@Riverdrifter welcome to the forum (where are my manners! lol) There is an absolute ton of shared retro knowledge here and I'm sure you'll find lots of similar builds and inspiration in the readers bikes section.

 

[Riverdrifter]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

Is there any system of decal colors for certain models? I do not see that metallic red, yellow border, black background on many models. Actually I’ve only seen it on a Karakoram.

None of the components match together with any model that I can find. It seems like it would be more likely components have been changed rather than decals.

Since it has the welded rear canti brake guide (even though V brakes have been installed is it correct that it has to be a 1997 or older frame?

 

[trailstar82]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

Is there any system of decal colors for certain models? I do not see that metallic red, yellow border, black background on many models. Actually I’ve only seen it on a Karakoram.

None of the components match together with any model that I can find. It seems like it would be more likely components have been changed rather than decals.

Since it has the welded rear canti brake guide (even though V brakes have been installed is it correct that it has to be a 1997 or older frame?

i guess that means its not a 98 then, unless GT got a bit funky with the models after the catalogue was printed. In the 97 catalogue there are both types of steel frame on show.

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/d/10529-2/1997.pdf
EDIT what about the serial number?

 

[Riverdrifter]

Wow, thanks for the catalog link! The Tequesta is the only one I see with V-brakes, that also has the welded on canti guide.
The Timberline FS has all the right component mix. Alivio groupset, Indy C fork, and polished silver Kore Aheadlite stem. No cantilever guide though.
The Karakoram is the only way be with the correct decal, the exact same as mine.
How confusing!
The serial number, well it’s gone. I wouldn’t have bought it if I had looked first, but it’s didn’t, and the seller seemed totally straight up honest. He was an older guy who owns an automotive repair shop. He lives close to his shop and told me he had ridden this bike to work for years, but just finally treated himself to a new one, which was also there in the shop. He owns a whole shop full of equipment, and this number looks like it was ground off many years ago with a rat file or something totally amateur.
So yeah it was probably stolen at some point, but I think it was many years ago, before he bought it. He should’ve told me the serial had been ground off though.
At this point I don’t see any reason to pursue it, and I only paid $35 for it.

My plan for the bike is to restore it and just ride it for my own fun.

 

[kingoffootball]

The integrated seat clamp is something else to pay attention to - usually, that was the lower half of the steel range, so probably excludes Karakoram and Tequesta.

There were usually two colour options for each model for each year, so that's something to look out for. The '97 (aluminium) Terramoto appears to have the same colour scheme, but in that German catalogue it just calls it blue, so that doesn't help much as there are other colour schemes referred to as 'blue'.

 

[Lee_Lancs]

I’ll be the first then…

…is it a Zaskar?

Wouldn't zaskar tubing be a little bigger ??