Mountain Klein - Remember this one?
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mechagouki
Senior Retro Guru
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Nice job on the stem! I am actually a big fan of Americans, and would probably take one over a Klein when I finally have the $$$ and time to buy a retro aluminum hardtail, so I should warn you that you will probably burn in VRC hell for what you did, but that being said, it does look very nice.
BTW, have you ever considered hiring out your backyard for athletic events, scout jamborees etc?
BTW, have you ever considered hiring out your backyard for athletic events, scout jamborees etc?
I bet its a nice garden for a retro BBQ, invite a few retro critics around to discuss the frame but get side tracked by the stunning glare of the stem........whilst having a few laughs an a couple of beers........of course....lol.!!!
keep up the good work mate, ...
keep up the good work mate, ...
Thanks chaps!
Under the marquee is a bunch of commodity bikes that I bought t make a few quid on
I bagged all the nice bits then they've just sort of sat there taunting me with their need for finishing ever since
I also compete for use of the yard with my wife who uses the athletic swing looking apparatus for some regular flag typed ritual which I don't fully understand
But yeah Sinnerman, when it's not full of junk it's a nice little place to sit on a rickety plastic chair sipping back some cold ones!
An RBer in my neck of the woods would be a more than welcome guest
Under the marquee is a bunch of commodity bikes that I bought t make a few quid on
I bagged all the nice bits then they've just sort of sat there taunting me with their need for finishing ever since
I also compete for use of the yard with my wife who uses the athletic swing looking apparatus for some regular flag typed ritual which I don't fully understand
But yeah Sinnerman, when it's not full of junk it's a nice little place to sit on a rickety plastic chair sipping back some cold ones!
An RBer in my neck of the woods would be a more than welcome guest
We'll Give it a Shot!
Something Mikee said has been lurking around in my mind... When I was talking about refinishing, Mikee said just lacquer over the scars and have them as history
Well I don't want to have the bike not look it's best but I would love it to have it's original paint
Also sending stuff away doesn't really fit in with DIY/have a go work ethic and ethos
So I've decided to try and learn how to colour match!
I'm just gonna try to get the fluorescent pink right as that's where the worst of the scars are
Changing the subject slightly I also got my mechs
Front is NOS rear will be the best bits from two M735s one is the original short cage, the other is from Azaro, it's in pretty good mechanical order and is long cage (what I want)
Azaro's mech has cleaned up pretty well, I'll touch in the outer parallelogram and maybe re-lacquer it
Here's the front one along with the previous contenders that were deemed unworthy, the poor buggers
So back to paint!
I have learned somewhere that Klein paint jobs are done with enamel so I got some white enamel primer, two pinks, red, a cyan shade, a magenta shade, a yellow and mid blue
I theorise (the internet says) with this lot I should be able to match any shade I need here... We shall see
Here's my primer:
Seems to have stuck on OK and no reactions observed
I masked everything else
Finally found a use for the free local papers that pile up in the hallway!
Something Mikee said has been lurking around in my mind... When I was talking about refinishing, Mikee said just lacquer over the scars and have them as history
Well I don't want to have the bike not look it's best but I would love it to have it's original paint
Also sending stuff away doesn't really fit in with DIY/have a go work ethic and ethos
So I've decided to try and learn how to colour match!
I'm just gonna try to get the fluorescent pink right as that's where the worst of the scars are
Changing the subject slightly I also got my mechs
Front is NOS rear will be the best bits from two M735s one is the original short cage, the other is from Azaro, it's in pretty good mechanical order and is long cage (what I want)
Azaro's mech has cleaned up pretty well, I'll touch in the outer parallelogram and maybe re-lacquer it
Here's the front one along with the previous contenders that were deemed unworthy, the poor buggers
So back to paint!
I have learned somewhere that Klein paint jobs are done with enamel so I got some white enamel primer, two pinks, red, a cyan shade, a magenta shade, a yellow and mid blue
I theorise (the internet says) with this lot I should be able to match any shade I need here... We shall see
Here's my primer:
Seems to have stuck on OK and no reactions observed
I masked everything else
Finally found a use for the free local papers that pile up in the hallway!
looking good mate...!!! I constantly battle with myself when it comes to paint work....!!!, to refinish and make as new, or to leave it with the battle scars and provenence,!!!! In the end i listened to a greater man than me (joe breeze), "A Paintjob is just a veneer"......
What ever you do you cant do wrong, the heart of the bike is the frame, the soul is how you feel about it...!!! As long as what you do inspires you to ride it, you have made the right choice....!!!
What ever you do you cant do wrong, the heart of the bike is the frame, the soul is how you feel about it...!!! As long as what you do inspires you to ride it, you have made the right choice....!!!
sinnerman":1tsqein8 said:looking good mate...!!! I constantly battle with myself when it comes to paint work....!!!, to refinish and make as new, or to leave it with the battle scars and provenence,!!!! In the end i listened to a greater man than me (joe breeze), "A Paintjob is just a veneer"......
What ever you do you cant do wrong, the heart of the bike is the frame, the soul is how you feel about it...!!! As long as what you do inspires you to ride it, you have made the right choice....!!!
I'm in total agreement, I don't really think I'm gonna have a massive chance of doing a sufficiently high quality job, but I can't go wrong really, if it looks poo, then hey I gave it a shot
And I'll send it off to Graphics Shack, who got back to me with a great email! With their previous work I'd have every confidence in them replicating what's there just in factory fresh form!
pinguwin
Retro Guru
American, during its heyday, was a brand local to me. They were just up the road about 35 miles and were very popular in our area. I've been to the factory and they showed me around. So, I've seen more than a few of them. As to the suggestion that someone BITD would have filed the welds, in the 22 years I've known of Americans, I've have never seen one, not a single one, (de)filed like that.
I've had difficulty understanding this thread, but two things were hiding in plain sight and it was at the beginning, made me understand:
I've had difficulty understanding this thread, but two things were hiding in plain sight and it was at the beginning, made me understand:
