1984 Saracen 501

Dead Rats

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Though it was time to get some pics up to document the custom rebuild I'm doing right now. It's a 1984 Saracen 501 ATB. The model is, erm not sure. Was the Conquest just in 531 or 501 as well? Source of the frameset is Mr Kawasaki who I met through eBay - I sold him some forks for a Saracen and delivered them on my Kili so I guess he thought I must have a thing for 'Rens! Pretty sure it's an '84 frame though... based on 1) research, 2) drystonepaul's opinion and 3) the brakes are I think original and are dated 09/83.

This is what Mr K donated to me last year, it was his pub bike basically:
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Stop reading now if you're not keen on non-period-correct builds as this is going to be black with cream tyres (on the road anyway), 7 speed with a trigger shifter (I just prefer them to thumbies), swept back bars, a Brooks saddle and a few other bits n bobs that I like! The frame is ready for powder coating (off to Greenspeed via drystonepaul this week) after I sanded down the roughest bits of the result of approx. 26 years of adventures:
27006_416027606170_586536170_5620679_924672_n.jpg


I had the steerer thread re-cut by the boys at GBH in Manchester town centre as it was bald in places, and I managed to get a seized brake boss bolt out with Plusgas and a bench vice (creak!):
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Here's the majority of the parts ready to fit - still waiting on road tyres, cranks, mech, stem and brake levers. Seatpost is old style so I can pop the Brooks saddle from our tandem on easily and without scratching the rails too much - and I can't be doing with breaking two in!
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Finally got these off the 'Bay after the seller sent me the wrong ones (twice!):
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The wheels are for the time being off my girlfriend's now-sold GT Timberline... black to follow

Those 1983 Dia-Compe brakes in full:
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Another shot of some parts namely a Sugino ring, Stronglight headset and chainring bolts, On-One Mary bars and replica '80s seatpost clamp:
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SPEC SHEET (sources in bracket)

Frame: Saracen 501 All-Terrain (Mr K)
Fork: Saracen 501 All-Terrain (Mr K)

Headset: Stronglight A9 1" threaded (new)
Stem: OE (legrandfromage)
Handlebar: On-One Mary (eBay)
Grips: Lizard Skins North Shore (CRC)

Brakes: Dia-Compe 981 (Mr K)
Brake Pads: unknown but suitably ancient (spares box)
Brake Cables: Shimano M-System (new)
Cantilever cable hangers: Dia-Compe (Mr K)
Brake Levers: Shimano BL-AT50 (roc6839) - decided against and going for non-retro Shimano BR-770 instead

Shifters: STX 7 speed RH only (new)
Front Derailleur: n/a
Rear Derailleur: Mountain LX (legrandfromage)
Derailleur Cable: Shimano SIS
Cassette: Eagle 7 speed SIS (eBay)
Chain: Shimano HG40 (CRC)
Cranks: Mountain LX (legrandfromage)
Crank Bolts: basic
Chainrings: Sugino 42 (CTC)
Chainring bolts: Stronglight single (new)
Bottom Bracket: TBC
Pedals: VP flats (came with my secondhand Specialized Enduro)
Dust caps: Deore LX (Sithlord)

Hub Skewers: Deore LX (spares box)
Rims: unknown (wheels are off a '97 GT Timberline)
Hubs: Acera-X Parallax (ditto)
Nipples: brass 14g
Spokes: stainless steel
Road tyres: cream Schwalbe Fat Frank (eBay)
ATB tyres: Bontrager Connection (Mr K)
Tubes: Continental (CRC)

Saddle: sprung Brooks B67 (CRC)
Seatpost: basic alloy 27.2mm (eBay)
Seatpost Binder: copy of the nice vintage ones (eBay)

Weight: ?
 
That's gonna look pretty good. Not many of these very early British mtb's about these days and to build it up as a rider is far better than going all out period correct and then sitting in a garage.
Can't wait to see the finished result :cool:
 
I mentioned you in the what's next thread... I thought that - given the 'so hot right now' image of these builds at the mo - if I mentioned you again your head might swell too big to get under the barrier at the tip :LOL: fair do's though, the main source of inspiration WAS your Overburys / mystery 531 and - not forgetting the fact that Mr K was so kind as to donate the frameset to me - the other was this :shock: :cool: though not sure my bars are gonna go that way round and my saddle and grips are dark green!

pashley-guvnor-lg.jpg
 
Dead Rats":3ujw4vgx said:
drystonepaul's opinion
Never wise to pay too much attention to this Al.

That said however, in my opinion I reckon what you have planned will look pretty good. Is this the one for the black gloss powder-coat?
 
drystonepaul":1xryowsa said:
Dead Rats":1xryowsa said:
drystonepaul's opinion
Never wise to pay too much attention to this Al.

That said however, in my opinion I reckon what you have planned will look pretty good. Is this the one for the black gloss powder-coat?

:LOL:

this is it mate! was going for minty green but changed my mind now :roll: when's good for you buddy?
 
This is a great story and a great bike in the making :cool: I love these forks and look forward to seeing this one shape up.

I love your Dead Rats decals (Rats are always good IMO dead or alive :LOL:) , are you going to give any indication to its roots anywhere in the build ???
 
Gravy Monster":38oqssag said:
This is a great story and a great bike in the making :cool: I love these forks and look forward to seeing this one shape up.

I love your Dead Rats decals (Rats are always good IMO dead or alive :LOL:) , are you going to give any indication to its roots anywhere in the build ???

Nice one dude! If you mean the Dead Rats name*, that comes from two things - finding bikes in funny places and rebuilding them (Dead Rat II was found in the stairwell of a derelict flat in Whalley Range with it's forks cut off and a dead rat on the end of one of the 'stumps') and the majority of my builds are essentially orphans, donations, inherited or restored from near death or retirement in some way (so essentially they are rat bikes). Also... name that tune (it's the lyrics from the original version)?

Witches gather at black masses
Bodies burning in red ashes
On the hill the church in ruin.
Is the scene of evil doings
It's a place for all bad sinners
Watch them eating dead rats' innards.
I guess it's the same, where ever you may go
Oh Lord yeah


* if you didn't mean that then sorry for blabbing on, it's been a long day! :LOL:
 
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