Help with a 1990 Muddy Fox Courier Comp

[Ace From Outer Space]

Hi everyone,

I love, and still have my first bike. Its a lime green 1990 Muddy Fox Courier Comp and I have had it since new. I've also ridden it to peices and back again.

I really want to get it back on the road and also restore it to its former glory. Does anyone have any reccomendations as to where I can get it resprayed, and what the cost is likely to be? Also, how about sourcing decals once the paint job has been finished?

It was a great bike, nippy but solid and a far cry from todays machines.

I'm a comp,ete noob when it comes to anything bikey apart from riding them, so any and all help would be gratefully received and much appreciated!
Cheers,

Viv

 

[Bicycle Addict]

Hi Viv,
Paul from NZ welcome to the forum.
You will need 10-15 posts to post pics on your thread, once you are there you will get more people getting involved in your thread.
There are 3 things to check before planning a repaint sometimes called the Dirty 3,
1) Does the seat post move?
2) Does the stem move, and,
3)Is the bottom bracket stuck?

Are you able to use some tools? Maybe pull it apart yourself?
You can pose questions here, there are how Tos on here and also YouTube, RJ the bike guy is good also Bikeman 4 U.
Happy to help with what I can too.

 

[k-rod]

Re:

Hi there, fellow bike-builder.

Powder-coating is generally less costly than a re-spray, and more durable; but some purists pooh-pooh the finish. There's a member on this forum (Gil_M I believe) who will likely be able to furnish you with the decals you require.

And there's tons of knowledge on this forum, so just be patient and tenacious ... and you'll get the bike done right!

Good luck ...

 

[Ace From Outer Space]

Hi Guys,

Many thanks! Paul, there is no live net in the seat post, it came out easily when I undid the quick release and seems fine. The stem also seems fine. Once it was set to my all sky scraping five feet seven and a half of me when I bought it it was never changed so that is hopefully fine too! As far as the bottom bracket goes, well, there seems to be a load of play in it from side to side, and when you start to pedal there is a dead spot before you feel the chain engage. The crank is fine, the front and rear mechs seem ok too. The gear shifters however are knackered so I've got some modern ones that are getting fitted today while I source some originals but I don't know how easy that will be!

And thanks K Rod, I hadn't considered powder coating, I'll investigate!

Cheers

Looking forward to getting her back on the road first and then restoring her to her former glory! The back on the road bit is going to be handled by a local bike company who are a social enterprise and the longer term resto is going to be all my work! A learning curve but I should be ok!

Cheers all, btw, I'm in Shropshire, England!

Viv

 

[The History Man]

The Haynes bike book is also a good reference and bedtime read. Covers everything you'll need and is handy to have next to you while you do something new.

 

[Bicycle Addict]

Sorry should have been clearer, the stem and BB(bottom bracket) can both get stuck, your stem should have a 6mm Allen key bolt on top undo that and see if you can rise or drop height of bars, when you go to the bike shop see if they(or you with their tools) can remove the BB as it needs to be replaced anyway after the play you were talking about. A cost cutting exercise back then was minimal or no grease on threads so the BB could literally rust to the frame and I (and I imagine a lot of others on here) have had to throw frames away as the BB was stuck completely.

When you ready to purchase your period correct parts you can list a wanted ad in the for sale section.
Do watch the addictive tendencies with this bike fiddling as before you know it you will convince yourself that you need more bikes!!!

N+1 for life!!!!

 

[Ace From Outer Space]

Its with the bike mechanic as I type, he's just getting it back on the road for me! He thinks the bottom bracket is Ok, just the bearings need to be changed so he is sorting that as I type. As far as the stem goes Paul, I haven't checked that so it may have siezed but John the mechanic will have a look and let me know!

I'll check out the Haynes bike book History Man,

Cheers

Viv

 

[Bicycle Addict]

Re:

Possibly consider going to a sealed BB? If it is the old Ball and axle type they require maintenance regularly.
Anyway I will leave it here, I get a bit excited with noobs and used to teach bike maitainence to immigrants, and mainly teenage boys, we did get our fair share of ladies who wanted to give it a go too, which is awesome.

 

[Ace From Outer Space]

Thank you Paul, I will certainly bear a sealed bb in mind in the future, and many thanks for all the advice so far, as a noon it is very much appreciated! Ideally I would like to find a bike repair course near me to get some hands on learning done too!

Cheers

Viv