Silverfish 1986 Yeti Yak

Silverfish

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1986 YETI YAK - Silverfish Third Build

Well I say 3rd build, I still haven't finished the ARC http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=201541, but I have bits all over the place and various uncompleted builds so I figured getting another build thread going would at least encourage me to pull my finger out :oops:

The Yak is a very early Malibu California Yeti - it has a very early serial number (421) so 'probably' dates from 1986. It's certainly one of the first Yak's ever built.

The Yak is basically a FRO frame with rack eyelets. I was lucky that this frame came equipped with the original Yeti fork with Campy dropouts and rack eyelets - this is the only one of these I've ever seen, and I guess would have been almost impossible to find on its own.

This one will be a slow burner though. The frame needs some major work, it's been repaired and repainted by Yeti in the past which means it has the welded seat collar sleeve, and at some point has had a chainstay gusset. Which has been partly removed. I'm sending it over the pond for FTW to work his magic on it. A nice touch is that Frank remembers welding this bike himself, so now he gets to restore it to its former glory :D

Some of you will be familiar with the frame - Ameybrook owned this not too long ago - see http://ridevintagemtb.blogspot.co.uk/20 ... i-yak.html
The bike used to belong to US Motorcycle hall of famer Walt Axthelm, it eventually ended up on Yetifan where Ameybrook bought it. He later sold it on RB, I think regretted selling it, and when it came up on RB I just couldn't believe it and snapped it up.

I have already sorted most of the parts, some NOS, some well used.

One of the delays that has put me off starting this build was the difficulty in sourcing a suitable stem. Salsa doesn't really do it for me so I have been searching for a Cook's or FTW stem in 1" for a long time with no joy. But I just heard today I may have struck lucky...that's probably what's prompted this build thread.

Still not decided on colour - am tempted to go with quite a subtle grey, or maybe white. Will probably avoid another all turquoise bike as it would end up too similar to my FRO http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=177656. But I may throw all caution to the wind, it is a mid 80's build after all so a full fluoro pink paintjob might be interesting :LOL:

And am planning on being thoroughly anal with this bike (as I was with the FRO) so everything will be period correct. I'll have to dig out some more 2mm cable inners! It'll certainly make it more of a challenge sourcing some of the parts :D Will try to keep it different to my FRO as much as I can - no point having two nearly identical bikes so the plan with this build is to spec a lot of Deerhead parts.

As I said with both my previous builds, feel free to give me the heads up if I've made some schoolby error. I don't profess to be any kind of expert and 1986 was 26 years ago. But if you are as old as me - 1986 was Falco "Rock Me Amadeus", The Communards "Don't Leave me this way", Europe "The Final Countdown", and the Xmas number one? Caravan of Love by the Housemartins. Man I feel old.

Anyway - I need a portage pad for this Yak. Anybody got a spare black one? And a 1st gen Yeti man head tube badge - or at least an idea where I might be able to source the artwork?

Yaks... Yetis with Racks
 

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Some close ups of the frame parts I am getting repaired/replaced.

The seat tube also has some random braze ons that have been added after the fact, including a pulley wheel at some point which is way too late for this frame. We will probably replace the seat tube, Frank thinks he has something suitable 'lying around'...
 

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Exceptional.

a very worthy project. is this the yak that i saw eric riding in a recent pic of late.

Very impressive mate.
 
it doesnt matter mate, i was just very impressed at it, when i saw the picture, i think its very cool indeed.

:cool:
 

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Yep that's this bike. That's a pic of Ameybrook kicking ass at the 2009 Keyesville classic vintage mtb race - I think he won it :cool:
 
Silverfish":27yyt2fl said:
Yep that's this bike. That's a pic of Ameybrook kicking ass at the 2009 Keyesville classic vintage mtb race - I think he won it :cool:

I think the frames cool as it is. :cool:
 
Probably yes, but i'd like to take it back to original spec. 26.8 seat post, original yeti seat collar, remove the later pulley wheel braze on, finish removing the welds from the gusset that was added at a later date.

Black stem, black fork, white frame?
 
Darren

You're fast becoming the #1 Yeti project Builder :D
Fair play to Yah buddy you've an exceptional eye for /attension to detail

Slow burner or not I'll be following this one keenly
 
Retro Spud":1mjwc0qv said:
Darren

You're fast becoming the #1 Yeti project Builder :D
Fair play to Yah buddy you've an exceptional eye for /attension to detail

Slow burner or not I'll be following this one keenly

Agreed... :cool:
 
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