Build thread: 1993 Kona Explosif

Peterpoddy

Retrobike Rider
OK, I've been collecting parts for this bike for several months now, and some of you might have seen pics of the frame when I bought it (Scabby paint, but all OK)
Indeed, I believe the previous owner is a habitant of these parts!

But, as I shall have the refinished frame back in my hands hopefully next week, but by 3rd March latest, I thought I'd tantalise you by showing it being built, bit by bit..... :) But you won't have to wait months (touch wood) before it's all done.

From the off, this was intended to be built up fairly cheaply with gears to replace my 92 Cinder Cone SS, but I dropped lucky with this 'ere Marin off eBay, for 250 nikker:


IMG_2556 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr

1993 Bear Valley SE

I took a chance on it, mainly for the brakes and the wheels, fully expecting it to be a bit gash, but it wasn't. The frame was used but OK, but it looked like the owner had bought the bike, then spent 4-5 years covering it in a rather spiffing mix of 90s componentry, which was all in absolutely SPANKING condition, virtually as new, really.....
Sadly the Ringle post was the wrong size, so that's already in Germany with a new owner, and now the Marin owes me under £190 ;) The rest of it will be for sale at the March Bristol Bike jumble, if you're interested.

Anyway, upon seeing this lovely pile of kit I had for the bike, I realised that there was no way I could hang it on a scabby looking frame, so my plans changed to a full restoration. As does sometimes happen I believe..!
More detail on that as we progress the thread....

The idea now is that this will be the bike I would have ended up with if I'd bought the Explosif new in 1993, then spent a few years upgrading it. My personal with list of stuff I could never afford, if you like. I'm not even attempting to make it look stock

So, here's a few pics of the frame as I bought it, and hopefully next week I'll be able to add some more of what I've had done to it, when it comes back from Argos Cycles. It's a little more than just a paint job on the frame, put it that way. :)

(Oh, it's a USA spec frame, hence the single colour, but this is it in it's raw original paint)


IMG_2745 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr

Fluted downtube:

IMG_2513 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr


IMG_2519 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr

A close-up of the lovely metallic green paint

IMG_2514 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr
 
Jakob":2h51n7kr said:
Sounds interesting, are you having it painted in the same color?


Jakob":2h51n7kr said:
Sounds interesting, are you having it painted in the same color?
Err, yes and no! :)
Finding an exact match would have been a right royal pain in the backside. So I picked the closest to it from Argos' standard colour range. It's pretty darn close but maybe not quite as deep a metallic. Forks and stem are also being done in metallic champagne as that's what the OE USA spec colours were. Again not an exact match, but it should look good

I'm actually itching to get this built now. I must have had most of it 6 months by now, and I've never had to wait that long! On the plus side I've had the time to find some lovely little parts to hang on the frame :)
 
I'm on my way to pick up the frame now, I might be able to post some pics of it later, or tomorrow.

**is excited like a 3 year old getting an ice-cream** :D
 
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