New winter project: Lipstick on a Pig

[xy9ine]

cool project! i love ghetto builds; more interesting than most paint by numbers no budget builds, imo. requires cunning & ingenuity! any room to move the rear shock mount further back on the link (ie, drill & through-bolt)?

[Huck Banzai]

Well cared for and maintaned things can be used forever; fooey on the disposable nonsense.

No reason it wont perform reliably, especially given who's building it. Geometry shmeometry! :P

[tartosuc]

Before going with a shorter shock, try the angleset and offset shock bushings.

68.5 deg. - 2 with a works component angle set -1 deg with ofset bushings bring you to 65.5 wich not bad at all for someone that ride less dh than before..all that for les than 150$

Also those links looks a lot like the old azonic links that had multiple mounting holes...you could get the link to a machinist and have him drill new mounting holes to help you get another degree or two.(would lower bb and change travel at the same time)

[Sandwich]

I can see its a fun project but still with the money used and regular maintenance items maybe renting would still be better depending on how much you ride. My experience with old bikes is they are like old cars or houses. There is always something breaking down you have to fix and they will never works as well as something new.

That's one way to look at it, but another is that MTB is a hobby for me, and it'll give me something to look forward to over the winter. @ $300, I'd have to rent 3 times in order to get my money back, and while sometimes you get a dialed rental, other times they're dreadful.

Love it! Definitely concur with 92SE-R about the offset bushings, as they're cheap and easy to install. Since it has a 1.5 HT, and angleset also makes sense, but I don't know if there are any relatively inexpensive ones out there. If you're looking to replace the fork (and save a lot of weight if nothing else), maybe try a 32 mm Boxxer (especially if you can find one with an aftermarket cart in it - I have one with a PUSH cart, and it goes up and down quite nicely) or a 2010 888 EVO. The 2010 888s shouldn't be too pricey, and they work great assuming you get the spring weight sorted out. I also wonder if you swap out the coil shock for a RP3 or DHX air? If it's not too progressive at the end of the stoke, it should work OK.

Maybe some lighter pedals too. And if all else fails, go with the tried and true Speed Holez

Where can you get cheap offset bushings? I have a plan for the angleset which I'll post soon. I don't think I'd have considered it if it weren't for the big head toob.

I have my eye out for cheap forks. The problem is that they tend to bottom out at more than the value of my entire bike. Finding an older boxxer for less than $200 is impossible. Even finding a 888 from 2004 for less than $250 isn't easy. I have found several 888 CRs brand new for like $500, which makes a $350 fork from 2008 seem stupid.

I'll bet you can face the BB shell down to 73mm so you can use current cranks.
There HAS to be a stanchion for your Monster floating around out there, or repair with clear epoxy and wet sand it to be round again. Angleset and offset shock reducers can help dial the HA and BB height. How much travel does the frame/shock give you in stock form?

I thought briefly about facing the BB down to 83mm, but #1 is getting the bike to work right, before I consider upgrading. I have my eye out for old monster parts. I don't care if it's scratched up and ugly, as long as it doesn't wheeze out oil over every bump.

I believe the frame has 9" of travel. It has a 8.75inx2.75in shock. My intention is to get a 8.5x2.5 shock to lower travel to 8.2 and drop the rear wheel 3/4in. I have toyed with the idea of going even lower, but I'm not sure that's realistic.

[mtg]

Where can you get cheap offset bushings? I have a plan for the angleset which I'll post soon. I don't think I'd have considered it if it weren't for the big head toob.

Search "Proshox" on eBay.

[tartosuc]

http://www.offsetbushings.com/

[samnation]

Search "Proshox" on eBay.

Better than most hardware that comes on bikes. Stainless steel. Handled a whole season in whistler in the same DU bushings. Going in the next shock too.

[Cant Climb]

You can sell that Monster T on ebay.
Older Marzocchi stuff still fetches decent money.....

[Steve M]

If you wanted to get those bars lower for super cheap (ie $0), you could run the stem under the top crown... pretty sure Patineto did that aaaaaaaaaaages ago on one of his wonderful contraptions! Looks whack as hell but there's no actual mechanical reason not to do it.

[marshalolson]

be super careful with those el camino brakes...

[Sandwich]

You can sell that Monster T on ebay.
Older Marzocchi stuff still fetches decent money.....

I've thought about that. If I can get at least $100 for that and $100 for the 888 that the kid gave me as well, I'd be inclined to pony up the extra $300 for a CR.

If you wanted to get those bars lower for super cheap (ie $0), you could run the stem under the top crown... pretty sure Patineto did that aaaaaaaaaaages ago on one of his wonderful contraptions! Looks whack as hell but there's no actual mechanical reason not to do it.

I've thought about that, and would consider doing it if I find a low stack height stem. The atomic is 26.8 or whatever, so I need to get a different one to fit wider bars. The drop crown will probably work, but it depends a lot on those effin' cracks in the stanchion, as my current repair literally covers all the exposed space.

be super careful with those el camino brakes...

Can I ask why? They feel like shirt but I haven't really done anything besides pedal it around the lot.

[marshalolson]

Can I ask why? They feel like shirt but I haven't really done anything besides pedal it around the lot.

they are super un-reliable brakes... constantly fade, bleed kit and parts are difficult to source, specific pads that are also difficult to source, they do not hold a bleed, etc.

do you still have those MAG HDs? much better bet.

[norbar]

Search "Proshox" on eBay.

Darek is a great guy and his bushings are quality. Recomend that one.

btw. If we are thinking of going oldschool is there a chance of a drill mod ala Old DHR or Old Norco?

[Sandwich]

they are super un-reliable brakes... constantly fade, bleed kit and parts are difficult to source, specific pads that are also difficult to source, they do not hold a bleed, etc.

do you still have those MAG HDs? much better bet.

No, the mags went with my last bike, but I would probably have rather kept them.

Darek is a great guy and his bushings are quality. Recomend that one.

btw. If we are thinking of going oldschool is there a chance of a drill mod ala Old DHR or Old Norco?

Sure. From memory, the link looks like it's just two plates of aluminum. Drilling a lower or higher hole is an option. So is flipping it, getting new ones, or doing other crazy stuff. I don't want to turn it into swiss cheese, but if anybody wants to help decide where to drill and tap new holes, I'll do it.

[marshalolson]

No, the mags went with my last bike, but I would probably have rather kept them.

gotcha.

while the MAG's were likely worth playing with, i would strongly suggest against spending any money outside tossing a bleed on the el caminos and seeing if they will work better.