91 GT Timberline Project

widowmaker

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Well the story begins :D

This morning i picked up a GT Timberline of 1991 vintage for the bargain sum of £17.50 from ebay, which I am really pleased with. I thought it fitted the bill for a cheap project for going out with the kids and using when the roadbike is too much. Thanks to those of you who helped with identification and specs :cool:

A quick inspection shows it needs some cables, a grease and has a rumble on the cassette, pretty sure with some degreasing, cleaning and some Autosol it will look pretty good. Just some superficial rust spots on the frame where the cables have been rubbing and a few rusty bolts.

My plans are to get it greased, fit some new brake and gear cables and fit some period style tyres and hopefully take it on the Dorset Coast bike ride in July.

I think its pretty much original as far as i can tell.

Well ill let the pictures do the talking.



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i had one of them years ago was a bit more than you paid for that one
with the rusty bolts if you wire brush them then put a bit of kurust on the bolts with a little bit of sponge they will go blackish colour
i always pour kurush in any steel frames that look like they may be a bit crusty inside and by the look of the drain holes on that frame there will definately be some rust inside the frame
ive always done it to a fully stripped frame though by taping over all the holes with gaffa tape then pour some kurush int the frame and shake it about and pour it out a few times through a strainer
love the painjob
 
Thanks for the advice :D

Just one question, when you have flished the frame with k/rust a few times is there anything you can use to create a barrier for further rust, like waxoyl for a car - sorry if thats a silly question :oops:
 
not a silly question at all
theres wax oil or framesaver
other people will advise of newer things like that
but they seem to be a bit overkill and are normally for quite expensive frames so could cost more than the bike
ive done a ribble 753 frame by the taping all the holes etc and pouring a little bit at a time first give it a realy good shake to try and get the rusty bits loose then pour it away then put a small desert spoonish bit in at a time give a good shake and put the frame upside down on both sides etc for a while for it to get in all the nooks and crannies
then it will dry to a kind of filmy laquer sort of
my advise really tape the holes up really well as the kurust will seep through if you dont
also do it outside not in the lounge i used a syringe to put it in the drainholes dont touch the tape arounnd the headtube or bottom bracket or it wont stick well again
dont let the kurust dry on the paint always wipe wile wet or its a bitch to get it off especially your hands
once done leave it where it will drain the best for a good while a few hours
once dry the next day you may want to give the seatpost area a bit of wet and dry to get the shiny off the area so the seatpost grips well
also the bottm bracket threads will want a wirebrush dremel type cleaning
dave
 
The cassette might just need tightening but looking at the general condition I would expect the hubs and bottom bracket to be shot... But better late 90s replacements are only £10 each off eBay.
 
With a bit of elbow grease you'll have that GT looking sweet.

If you've got it, good old Brasso will clean up the U brake, canti's and rear mech. Obviously autosol is better, but brasso is cheaper. Wire brush and some wet and dry will get rid of rust in most instances, then give a final polish with brasso. With a coarse cloth I've managed to get a mirror finish on steel with brasso before, I love the stuff.

Anything that's painted black and looks tired, I've had good results with hammerite enamel paint. It goes on very think mind. Once it's cured, it's pretty damn tough.

Brake cables are cheap as chips these days, but I'll sometimes get a second use out of them by giving them a clean with vegetable oil, rubbing down with 400 grit wet and dry, coiling them up and slapping them in a ziplock baggie and give them a coat of anti rust spray.

Enjoy!
 
Love those old GT's & the paintwork, bargain of the week I think!
Ps what date & is there a link to the Dorset ride?

Tc
 
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