The 1998 Kona Explosif Restomod Project

[Paul R]

Hi all

Another year another frame. I was lucky enough to get hold of an Explosif back in april and held off building it as i hadnt had the Caldera very long at the time. Natrually it had some bad paint to sort out so that was all sorted in the summer. Not easy to match as the paint is a translusant blue but it came out well in the end. It was a case of finding a blue in a close shade and painting it thinly over a white base coat worked a treat. new decal from reynolds too.

Where the story all began is here, the main of the part collecting and servicing https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads...resto-mod-project-caldera-p11-onwards.404123/ on the 1998 Lava Dome and Caldera.

Before




After

 

[JoeH]

Could you expand a bit on your painting method. Top tips etc.

 

[W7Ford]

Very nice frame, the paint looks spot on now. I enjoyed your previous builds and looking forward to seeing this one come together.

 

[Paul R]

Could you expand a bit on your painting method. Top tips etc.

Sure.

First i give the frame a good wash and use a wire wheel on a dremmel and a tiny file set to clean any rust back to bare metal. then go over with ipa or brake cleaner. next i touch in all the chips that are down to the metal with primer (colour of primer depends on main colour your going over). Try to keep the coatings your putting on level so thin coats is key. the primer needs to be a smidge lower than the paint and the paint needs to be a smidge lower than the original laquer. dont take too long painting over the coats as the new coat often softens what youve just put on so in my case if i took too long painting the blue over the white base coat it softens the white and starts mixing into a lighter blue cocking up the whole thing.

For the parts where the primer is showing just use the colour paint to colour it back in then laquer over the top.

for parts where its just the laquer off, top the laquer up.

For fine scratches in the laquer i put a drop of laquer on then quicky smooth it over in one swoop with a gloved finger and let it dry.

dont worry if the laquer ends up slighly higher than the original paint on the chips it can be polished back with correction compound and a cloth with a small block in so the pressure is focussed on the raised laquer.

Once the chips are all leveled and its a well dryied go over the whole frame with correction compound and where you can use the cloth wrapped half way around the tube like a shoe shine method whilst going up and down the tube untill all the corrections are smoothed in. then its a case of a quick go over with a finishing compound like megqiers sctratch x 2.0 to really bring the gloss back. then seal in the shine with a wax or paint sealent of your choice to seal in the shine. I think thats it, hope it helps.

 

[Paul R]

The Caldera is all stripped of parts. I took the opertunity to service the pivots on the xtr rear mech whilst i was at it, The pullys wernt done that long ago and still smooth.

Also weighed the frame, about 40 grams lighter than the Caldera so not a massive difference as expected. Fitted the hope headset cups too.

 

[Paul R]

 

[albash82]

Ah yes. Glad you've started your thread. Gold eh? Going with a Columbian flag theme, with the red and blue?

 

[JoeH]

How easy is it reassemble that rear mech, always something I shy away from..

What's the model number for that mech?

2kg, this is gonna build like a lightweight steel roodie.

 

[Paul R]

Ah yes. Glad you've started your thread. Gold eh? Going with a Columbian flag theme, with the red and blue?

Thanks haha, I just like gold red and blue lol

 

[Paul R]

How easy is it reassemble that rear mech, always something I shy away from..

What's the model number for that mech?

2kg, this is gonna build like a lightweight steel roodie.

Not too bad you just have to be careful holding it together on the main top pivot its just a circlip you pop off its puting it back on thats the harder part when you have to hold it together under tension.
The middle pivot isnt so bad as you just unscrew the stop rest so the tension comes off then you can undo it with an allen key. It has two tension settings on the spring too the spring hole furthest from the top pully bolt hole is the lightest and where mine was set when i took it apart.

XTR M952 model.

It's not quite as light as the old lava dome but the way it rides is something else.