Picked this up today, one of the models I wanted as the paint job is so nice and the frame design is nice too, so when a £60 BIN on the bay came up I got straight in there.
When I picked it up is was dirty but in very good condition considering it's nearly 20 years old with only a few chip and scabs but on the whole nothing that would mean I would need to get a repaint, which would be a total waste on this project and the point was the paint. Nearly everything is orginal including a lightly worn original set of skinwall Muddyfox Griptrax tyres.
There are some issues, I guess the original BB gave up and has been replaced with a UN series cartridge unit, good in principle but not when the nice Deore LX chainset is replaced for a crappy Alivio one. So thats the first part I need. The black seatpin is not more silver than black and although better than the basic STi units the LX ones are cheap in comparison to DX and XT ones.
What i'm thinking is that I could go with a straight LX period and original spec correct build or put on some DX or XT (STi units and chainset) or I could start to collect XC-Comp and build it with that (I am impatient and I recon a full XC-comp group will take forever to assemble).
I think I may replace the seatpost and stem for some Syncros items to lose a bit of weight as well, what does everyone think?
Also the seat will probably eventually be swapped for a Rocket V Comp.

The pics are after i'd attacked it with a bucket of water and some autoglym engine degreaser, not perfect but it is now totally stripped ready for a proper clean.













Carl.

It's nearly finished, the NOS Tioga Canti hanger arrived today so just pedals to go. So time to get some pics and a spec up.

Frame: Muddyfox Outer butted and cuboid cro-mo

Fork: Muddyfox fat cro-mo

Headset: Tioga Avenger CR
Stem: Zoom
Handlebar: Muddyfox Alu
Grips: Muddy fox
Barends: None yet

Brakes: Deore LX Canti
Brake Pads: Shimano
Brake Cables: Shimano oversize
Cantilever cable hangers: Tioga alloy
Brake Levers: Deore XT STi

Shifters: Deore XT STi
Front Derailleur: Deore LX
Rear Derailleur: Deore LX
Derailleur Cables: Clarks
Cassette: 13-30
Chain: HG
Cranks: Deore DX
Chainrings: Deore DX 24,36,46
Bottom Bracket: Shimano UN54
Pedals: Undecided

Hub Skewers: Deore LX
Rims: Araya RX7
Hubs: Deore LX
Tyres: Muddyfox Griptrax 9for show) IRC Mythos XC (for riding)

Saddle: WTB Rocket V Comp
Seatpost: Polished Muddyfox
Seatpost Binder: Muddyfox













Carl.

a good buy i'd say. Shame they replaced with cheap parts.

Nice, like mine but an 18" yeh? It looks great condition, shouldn't take much to get it back to retro lovelyness!

Bit of a mission to make em light, well very light but who cares when it looks so nice, they ride well too IMO

Do all the welds look nice, compared I wasn't as happy with my 91 Seeker Mega, the only difference was a 'Hand Built' sticker on the frame of the Sorcerer... similar in design and frame shape/ features though.

Seen a few of these on here and really like them. I'd welcome a decent example into my stable no worries. Will watch with intertest.

Looks like an 18" to me but I'll give it a measure tomorrow, when the big clean will start as well, all I know is that size fits me pretty well.

A far better paintjob than the Seeker IMO, which although nice has dated.

I think I will get a shorter stem with a bit more rise (not too much though) to take the weight back a bit. The Seeker I used to have wasn't that comfortable for me but as it was 100% original and in such good condition it would have been wrong to have changed those parts IMO.
Weld wise it looks good and tidy and the finish is good but it did have a made in Taiwan sticker on it when I picked it up (which has now been removed) as well as the handbuilt in the UK sticker, I seem to remember my Seeker having the same two stickers.
I think the Seeker and Sorcerer frames are the same but the Sorcerer got Deore LX parts, better rims and lighter bars.
I will put it side my side with the Seeker in a couple of months as my mate has the Seeker to polish now but he is away until mid November.
Not seen a 1991 catalogue that could confirm any of this though.

I'll also get some gloss black enamel on the rusty patches to stop it getting any worse too.

The headset will also get replaced too.

Carl.

I can see why you fell for it, a handsome machine, nice paint and proportions. I have a diamondback with similar effect paint, tricky to touch up but lovely still.

Thats interesting, as I also sold my Seeker Mega in 18" (or 17(?)) flavour to my (non RB) mate (infact its almost as old as him! ), might have to do the side by side too if he hsn't broken it yet, should make a couple of confusing build updates for us!

Great bike, I had one a little while back and was a great bike, I loved the square to round tubing and the paint was particularly cool

Look forward to seeing yours evolve

This was it before it halfway through the build, cant find the final pics for some reason

That looks in great shape and a bargain price too

Look forward to seeing it cleaned up and with the correct chainset on.

It was this that inspired me. How did it handle with the suspension forks?

I have a set of Manitou 2's on my CB that might go well on this and a set of Manitou SX Carbons that might go well on the CB if it can take the geo adjustment of the forks. That maybe another evolution though and I may not be able to change the CB.

Carl.

It handled ok but the pace RC35's dont have a great deal of travel anything with more travel would probably play havock with its geometry.

a true classic if ever there was one, i had one paint job was buggered on mine so had to have it redone got it done in black with the paw print in gold looked great another one i would love to have again

Today i have stripped the remaining paint from the seatpost and polished it with Autosol, have also autosol'd the Cantis and mechs.



I need to source a chainset, heaset and STi's for sure, selling some stuff on the bay ATM but will start part hunting after that.

Oh and i'm going to touch in the chips with some humbrol black enamel and a really fine modeling brush, will sort those tomorrow.

Carl.

These arrived today, NOS Tioga Avenger CR headset and DX Chainset from Taffy.



And my touching up and cleaning in progress the other night.





You can hardly see the touchup now dispite it looking really bad here.

Anyway I've fitted a few bits back to the frame, mainly so I can wheel it around, the old stem isn't staying, i'm actually going to try a Zoom on it as they are a little shorter with a bit more rise. That's for next weekend though.







Carl.