GT Tequesta nonexistent in official catalogs?

[aguh2]

Hello! I'm writing from Argentina to tell the strange story of my GT Tequesta.
It was bought by my older brother around 12 years ago to a friend of him and recently it was given to me. When I tried to find out the year of this model, I noticed that it does not exist in the catalogs. I contacted the store where it was bought, and they told me that those frames where sold without parts in late 1999, even though the last tequesta (according to the catalogs) was from 1997. Also, the color scheme (original paint, i'm sure) is strange (metallic blue with gray white and yellow stickers saying "tequesta fs"). Lastly, the seat-post is 29.6 so it should be 1998 with reynolds 525 tubing, but there's nothing like tequesta 1998 or tequesta fs in official catalogs!
I think maybe it's a 1998 Karakoram frame that didn't pass quality standards so it was painted in GT LTS-3 blue and sold as Tequesta FS, in some countries built with Rock Shox Indy XC and here in Argentina without parts. I compared some pictures and I can't find any noticeable difference between both frames, but who knows.
I've also seen some strange late Tequesta models around here with flames paint, that do not exist in catalogs either. Does anybody know something about those frames? is my theory possible? Any information will be useful! Although I know it is not a big deal nor a great bike, i'm curious and I wouldn't like to give up in finding about it.
Sorry for my pour english!

 

[MADJEZ]

Anything like this ?

This is my 1999 Tequesta colour is Atomic Grape (purply-blue, slight metallic tinge to it), I think LTS was same colour.
I've not seen a '99 catalogue for ages but Tequesta only seems to show in 97 but was still being sold later.

This thread shows the 98 Tequesta and it's spec, it had Rock Shox Indy C while 99 had Insync forks. Although it's not mentioned in 98 catalogues on here (which are German).

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=83500

The flame bikes were around 96/7 (I have two !) and were often listed as alternate colours in the catalogue.

I believe the Karakoram was all Reynolds tubing while the Tequesta only had a Reynolds seat tube.

 

[Jono_blackheart]

Strangely enough, my missus had a tequesta - it was blue and came with rock shod judys and raymolds 525 if I remember correctly - definitely bought as a complete bike in (I think) something like 2000 or thereabouts.

That has been donated now, though so will have limited opportunities to confirm spec (it was mainly Lx, and pretty much factory when donated!)

 

[aguh2]

Hey!
Thanks for the replies. It's not like the one in the picture, the color is not as purple. I found once a picture of a frame exactly like mine that was for sale in Argentina a few years ago. This one:

However I will upload a picture of mine ASAP.
My brother also owned a "Tequesta FS" from the same place were mine was bought and it was exactly the same but in black instead of metallic blue. Sadly it got stolen and later he got a 2001 gt avalanche 2.0 that we still keep.
Here is the black tequesta we had. We recognized it once in the street spray painted in orange. Who knows where it is now...

The sticker in the seatpost only says "Cr-mo 4130 full tubing", nothing about reynolds. How could I recognize the tubing?

2 flame painted tequesta? ha great! Same color scheme? Are some Timberline in flame paintjob out there too, no?

Hm! Jono_blackheart: did it say "Tequesta" or "Tequesta FS" in the sticker? It would really surprise me if it was the same, as I was almost sure that this frames were sold in Argentina and south america in order to do something with "B Quality" products.
My friends in the store where my frame was bought told me that they sold almost 100 frames in that time. Still, I have never seen a frame like mine here!!! Where are they!? My city is not that big!

 

[Jono_blackheart]

Hey!
Hm! Jono_blackheart: did it say "Tequesta" or "Tequesta FS" in the sticker? It would really surprise me if it was the same, as I was almost sure that this frames were sold in Argentina and south america in order to do something with "B Quality" products.
My friends in the store where my frame was bought told me that they sold almost 100 frames in that time. Still, I have never seen a frame like mine here!!! Where are they!? My city is not that big!

Going from memory, I think it did actually say FS, but I don't have the bike anymore....

From memory, it had :

Avid single digit levers and v-brakes
Gt front and shimano rear hubs - think zac19 rims
The rest was a smattering of wtb bits...

 

[aguh2]

Hey!
Hm! Jono_blackheart: did it say "Tequesta" or "Tequesta FS" in the sticker? It would really surprise me if it was the same, as I was almost sure that this frames were sold in Argentina and south america in order to do something with "B Quality" products.
My friends in the store where my frame was bought told me that they sold almost 100 frames in that time. Still, I have never seen a frame like mine here!!! Where are they!? My city is not that big!

Going from memory, I think it did actually say FS, but I don't have the bike anymore....

From memory, it had :

Avid single digit levers and v-brakes
Gt front and shimano rear hubs - think zac19 rims
The rest was a smattering of wtb bits...

Hmm! that's pretty interesting. My frame was sold without parts so I can't compare the specs, but I haven't found any other "FS" model. In bikepedia there are some but without "FS" on the sticker.

I really think those frames were b-quality karakorams but I can't be sure

 

[aguh2]

Hello! I have some news about my frame.
Apparently, those "Tequesta FS" frames were discarded as defective products. The reason: somehow they ended up without lacquer over the decals.
I'll be uploading some pictures to a new topic soon.
Now I just need to find out a few more details. Whether they stopped making blue/black tequesta fs after that accident, if the other tequesta fs around there (flame stickers, rock shox indy xc) have lacquer on top or not and why doesn't the other tequesta fs models appear on the catalogs either. Well, in fact I couldn't check in the 1999 catalogs as I couldn't find any.
Thanks to all of you for the help!