MF Courier Mega project

Hi, my name's 3Quid and I'm developing a retro bike addiction.

I've been a lurker on this site for a while but I just picked up a Courier Mega (pic1) (circa '88? anyone know the exact years these were produced) as a project and am looking for some advice. I'm fairly new to this sort of malarky so bear with me.

I am probably going to make it singlespeed (my last SS project got nicked and I miss it) but apart from that I am thinking I want to make it as close as possible to the original.

My first mission is the paint job. The Flouro Yellow paint has faded considerably 'sunny side up' (pic2) so I am looking to re-spray it. Any idea what my best bet is to get that proper garish yellow!! - professionally or DIY? anyone have a clue as to the exact colour (pantone? etc) or is that being to picky!? Plus, if I re-do the paint, I have to re-produce the decals. I have read on here that Gil_M is the man to speak to?

A few other questions;

1. Does anybody know what tyres would have originally been on the bike when sold?

2. I think the bb is in need of changing (sounds a bit crunchy) anyone got a suitable bb kicking about that they want to sell? (i'll post an wanted ad in the appropriate forum)

Anyway, don't want to ramble on and bore you with my first post!

Cheers for any replies/help

3Quid

PS pics will be posted in next message. The forum said I had to have at least 1 post to link to any URL's

Pics as promised

The Bike

The faded paint

That one is historically important and really original; there aren't that many left. Please don't make it into a singlespeed!
Before you look at repainting, I'd see if you could just clean it up. Maybe a very, very careful bit of T-cut?

haha yes it could do with a wash - i have just finished stripping it down and washing is on the agenda for this afternoon.

I'll see how it comes up after that but there are a number of bad chips.The swingarms are particularly tragic tbh

it may not go SS - but I miss it and need one again soon Even if I do I have all the parts bagged and tagged so it could always be restored.

Any ideas re:tryes/bb?

The BB will probably be a branded muddy fox one. Totally rebuildable with standard parts any decent bike shop can sell you.
Of course, if you'd prefer to have a cartridge one I'm selling a couple - what length axle is it?.
As for tyres, I'd suggest looking through the magazine and catalogue scans. The original catalogue will tell you.

the bb spindle appears to be 150mm .. does that sound about right (sorry if i am being a complete donk!)

I'd say the 86 or 87 Couriers and Explorers are historically important. Muddy Fox as a brand then was as associated with mountain biking as Hoover are with vacuum cleaners. The courier and explorer were the bikes that led to that.

But this one? I'm not sure. That's not denigrating the bike in any way - I just don't think it's historically important.

no offence taken terry, i like it none the less

do you know what dates these mega's were made? I have been looking at the scanned catalogues I could find on this site but didnt find a reference to the Courier Mega's.

I think 90/91 but others on here know more...

I'm pretty sure that's a 1990 model as I recognise the pawprint graphics on the toptube that they had at the time as I owned a 1990 Courier Comp BITD.

Nice bike, wouldn't worry about the paint....so long as it's not rusting into the ground just use it