it wasn't a rock, it was a rock lobster

I wanted to try some front suspension, so I clearly needed to buy another bike.
I bought a rock lobster frame and some Marzocchi's. I was pretty happy with the deal till I got the frame and found butchered brake mounts, a little dent in the
down tube and it wasn't the size I was told it was. Oh well I have it now, if it's to big at least I will know what size I want.
Frame as delivered.

I made the brake posts, I was putting off repairing the canti mounts as I was considering getting disc wheels. The parts I intended on using were 8 speed XT,
I was thinking I would use all the parts I had collected for a 1992 Pine Mountain; but I wasn't sticking to 92 parts I was just getting what I spotted, mostly on ebay within riding distance[so the royal mail weren't getting their share], anyway no discs.
These are steel, I suppose I will have to powder coat them.

I repaired the brake mount. I brazed some new bit's in. I also welded a bit to the brake hose retainer, it had been partially cut away[I did this bit after I decided to repaint the back of the frame].
I managed to do the repair and only needed to paint the pressed sheet metal bit.
No damage to the paint on the other side of the weld, but were some areas of paint
worn off from muddy tyres[?] which also needed paint, I thought I would get away with
painting these bit's black.
I went through the cans of paint I have and found some Alfa Rosso, so I started prepping a few of the larger chips, as I joined a few chips up I ended up sanding the
paint off the back of the frame, didn't take long to sand the paint off. If I wasn't nearly
out of stripper I would have stripped the frame and painted the whole thing, probably no more work than painting half of it.

I primed the back of the frame Monday afternoon, if it's raining tomorrow I will stay in and flat it. I won a M761 rear mech on ebay today. Need: brake cables, bar grips, tubes, an M760 rear hub for parts and maybe 9 speed shifters. I have everything for 8 speed but... Oh yes I have M739 cranks with a pretty manky taper one side, maybe I should get a set of cranks[the chainwheels aren't great either].

Good work so far, keep it up! The brake bosses look a tidy piece of work.

hello - a man with an LR lightweight - you take it offroading anywhere near you?

Great start

Been damp the last few days so I put off the paint till this afternoon, I have so much stuff in my garage I paint outside. Thought stoving was quite a good idea, so I rigged a ghetto oven. I gave the paint an hour at 50ºC, I have since looked up the times and it looks like 2pck clear is down for 15 minutes at 60º, oh well I would burn water if the kettle wasn't automatic. Colour isn't wonderful, I used a an alfa rosso and the original is a red mica or some candy look basecoat, but it's not the worst match I have seen. At least it now has paint on the insides of the stays.

Quality oven mate.

love the mounts you have made too

Hope you complained to whoever sold it to you (presumably an ebay purchase)!

Great effort so far. Looking forward to seeing it built up.