(Another) Kona Frame Identification challenge

Bought this on eBay a while back. It was advertised as a '95 Kilauea but a late edit by the seller confirmed it was actually an earlier frame. Unfortunately, I was away when the edit went up so I didn't have an opportunity to retract my bid and I ended up paying more than I would have wanted to/needed to. But, no matter, it is hopefully a decent base for a good pub bike so that I can keep my owned-from-new '96 Kilauea in the near mint condition that I have managed to preserve it in so far.

Anyway, the frame serial number indicates a 1992 build date but I need some help working out what it actually is. At some stage it has been repainted (seller said it was done by Argos in around 2004) and some '96 decals applied. Someone has taken care to get the correct mix of 'square' (down tube) and 'jungle' (top tube) fonts to make it look like a '96 Kilauea frame but it clearly isn't.

I hope the attached pictures will enable Anthony and the other experts on here to work out what vintage and model it actually is. Here's what I know:

- measures 18 3/16" from centre of BB shell to top of seat tube but an exact 19" from bottom of BB shell to top of seat tube (this measurement method itself pins it down to a certain period doesn't it?)
- bare frame without new headset weighs 5lbs
- according to the seller the original colour was blue, but a bit lighter than the respray colour
- triangle holes in rear drop outs
- flared section at bottom of seat tube
- top tube and down tube both seem slightly narrower in the middle section
- no elongated 'dimples' on inners of seat stays
- top tube boss for rear brake cable (but quite possibly added when it was repainted to take V-brakes?)

The eBay auction was briefly discussed here before
(www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php ... na+kilauea) when Anthony correctly noted that it wasn't a 1995 Kilauea.

Any help working out what it actually is will be most appreciated!

Tupper

I'm sure someone will firm up the identification but the single set of braze on's on the rear drop out's exclude it being a Hahanna or Firemountain so that's good. Think the Lavadome and Cindercone had that layout.

Carl.

Hmm, well it's got to be 93 onwards because of the seat clamp (no QR bolt). 93's had the two tone paint but there were solid colours as well. Those rear stay eyelets disappeared in 95.

So going on colour, there was a blue 94 Hahanna... :?

Scratch that i'm wrong. Just thought i'd remembered something from my lads Hahanna.

Carl.

Dropouts and stays look like 1993 to me. I added a top tube cable guide easily to my lads Hahanna with a gas torch and silver solder so it's easily done.

Carl.

It could be a 1992 Kilauea. The 1992 was the original Kilauea and came out half way through the 1992 model year. That would explain the rather late April 1992 production date.

The 1992 Kilauea anticipated the new 1993 geometry, so I'm pretty sure it followed the new sizing policy of measuring from the centre of the bb to the top of the seat tube, although they seem to have given you a bonus 3/16" for the price of a size 18. I assume the head tube is 11cm and the c-c top tube is presumably 55cm not 56.

The colour was indeed blue, which fits with what the seller appears to have remembered. One advantage of the respray of course is that he took the opportunity of having a rear V-stop brazed on, so you have no need of the dog collar guide that it would have had originally.

This is a picture of a 1992 Kilauea frame for you to compare. It had also been resprayed, but the colour of the forks is a guide to the original colour of the frame. You will see that it has the same narrowing of the seat tube as it meets the bb shell that yours has. I believe the tubeset is essentially the same as a 1993 Cinder Cone, whereas the 93 Kilauea was made of Tange Prestige Concept.

Anthony, thanks for your info. I just took some more measurements and the top tube is indeed 55cm c-c. With the head tube it is difficult to be precise because the new headset has already been fitted but, yes, it looks to be around 11cm.

The '93 Cinder Cone tubeset would account for the 5lb frame weight I guess?

I will now go and build up my 1992 Kilauea!

This is a picture of a 1992 Kilauea with its original paint and decals.