Would I be forgiven for powder-coating a 94 Zaskar?

[StimCity]

As above!

My frame is a 16" and still not convinced that it's going to be big enough for me once done...

It's now stripped and ready for a refurb and other than a VERY slight ding on the top tube (leant against something?) and some chain slap is clean and straight.

My dilema is whether to spend eons sanding down the chain stays a bit and getting everything back to a mirror finish or going for something a bit different. Now I want to ride this one, not show it and then if it IS a bit small I'll strip and sell on, so - could I be forgiven for having it shot blasted and coated?

I was thinking either white or black but to be honest, the place I'm going to get it done looks like they can do pretty much anything, so that brings in the question of matt coatings and also royal reds etc! Let alone anything in the pantone range...

Equipment is likely to be kept from the original era as possible, although I may slack and get a new seat for example (the original flight could do with recovering for example), and I'll definitely get modern tyres (as I'm riding it for fitness).

Thoughts? Or should I just hang my head in shame?

Thing is for me, this was actually my last bike as a teenager and now many years later I find myself wanting to renovate it rather than just buy a new one!

 

[Bensherman]

Dude it's your bike so do what you want with it - at least it's going to get ridden and not gather dust in the back of a shed.

I polished up my 94 Zaskar with some autosol, and mines got some chainslap but with a Xt sharfin you've got to look hard to see it.

But like I said it's your bike so your choice. Good luck with it.


Matt

 

[jonnyboy666]

personally i like to see zaskar's polished or ano or if painted the ink blue i think looks nice but that's me, as above it's your frame, go ith what you want.

i would say though i have seen them painted gloss black and i don't think it looks good to be honest, it some how (to me) doesn't suit them.

 

[StimCity]

Gloss black doesn't work for me, matt may - assuming I could get period correct decals on it...

I thought about ano, and there's a place not so far from here that could do it, including in the rare (really?) black, but it would cost more and not be as robust I feel.

Still - would it add to the value, or devalue the frame? I'm not being mercenary - just trying to decide whether to go with what I have or switch...

 

[drystonepaul]

In 1997 the Zaskar was available with a gloss black powder-coat and red decals, and it looked pretty good.

You can always strip it back to bare metal and polish it up in the future.

 

[merckx]

the concern i would have with powdercoating, is how much heat is going to be used in baking. heat treated alloy frames can be completely wrecked by excessive heat, as far as i have been told in the past. certainly i once powder coated an old alloy heat treated frame BITD and it started to crack all over the place once i started riding it...

i stand to be corrected, but personally....i would just leave the sucker ball burnished. its a much nicer finish anyhow...

 

[mikeekim89]

I've seen powder coated ones before. Look ok. The heat shouldn't affect it so much..

Your ride though mate. Do you want to risk money on coating it if you have to sell it?

 

[brocklanders023]

If I were you I'd chuck any parts I'd got hanging about at it then get out and ride. This way you'll find out if it's the right size.

If it is, then do what you want. If it isn't, sell it on as is.