1996 Orange P7 with F7 forks, 19" series 8

[stewlewis]

Picked up this cheap f&f to practice spray painting on, looks too good for that, yet to decide what to do with it, depends what bits I have in the garage.

Has clamp which looks original, stx headset, forks are threaded I guess 1" as there's a shim on the ahead/quill converter.

 

[Muddy paw]

That looks really sweet and way to nice to practice painting on ..

 

[Twister]

That looks really sweet and way to nice to practice painting on ..

+1

 

[Silvergoat]

Re:

Whoa whoa whoa there! Stop! Step away from the spray can. That frame & forks are way too nice to vandalise with paint. Don't do it man, please. That's a real gem you've got there. Painting it would be an act of sacrilege. There's plenty of us out there wishing for a nice shiny nickel-plated Orange P7.

 

[sherlylock]

If you do need a P7 Nickel frame to re-spray you need to look for one which is in poor condition.....

.....like mine! Picked this up cheap at the weekend. Nickel plate has come away in a few patches and the ginger rash is showing through all over! It's cleaning up fairly well.....but it'll never be as good as yours by the looks of it. Fancy a swap

 

[stewlewis]

This won't be getting any paint, though the finish isn't perfect as it stands. The clear coat is rubbed in places and there are a few rust spots.

I'll take some pics before attacking it with tin foil, removing the lacquer and decals.

I'll be clear coating it afterwards, practice my spraying after all. Just need to research getting clear coat to stick to polished steel/plating.

Were all P7s plated? How can one tell that from polished steel?

 

[cycletothesea]

DO NOT SPRAY THAT FRAME!

 

[stewlewis]

DO NOT SPRAY THAT FRAME!

I won't be painting it, it'll need a clear coat though surely?

Clean, polish, shine, clean off grease/wax, decals, clear coat a dozen times, feather decal edges, buff and polish.

 

[stewlewis]

So, to mock up what I have in the garage.
It's the same old story, pick up something cheap with one idea in mind, get carried away in wanting to spend more to make the bike much nicer, and then end up with yet another bike!

I have STX and STX-RC parts, mocked it up with STX (RC) MC34/MC40. Looking at the catalogue it came with STX, and it has the STX h-set. The STX on that pic is the bronze coloured, I think I have plain silver STX also.

V Brakes, wasted canti bridge, boo.
Vuelta Airline coloured wheels, boo.
Modern saddle, boo.
Seatpost, well that just doesn't fit anyway.
Stem, unknown, ugly.
DMR V8's, modern, boo.

I could rob another bike of it's DX, and sell that F&F, keep the wife happy.

Decisions decisions.

For now though, it's gonna get a damn good polish, and replace another bike I have in the garage, yeah right! It'll be another bike I have in the garage.

 

[stewlewis]

Re:

I've had chance to take some more pics, which I'll post for those interested.

Seatpost queries.
I measured the ID of the seat tube, ghetto, with a ruler. Just under 30mm. My slot faces forwards, though I am not a girl. There's a shim in place. The bike according to the SN is March '96.

Orange say:

P7 94-98 30mm seatpost 27.2 +shim seat tube 31.8 Slot faces rear
P7 98-05 29.6mm seatpost 27.2 +shim seat tube 31.8 Slot faces front

Hmmm. A 27.2 will go nowhere near, with the shim in place, possible non factory shim?!
A 26.0 fit in with the shim but isn't properly snug. I'll source a 29.6 post to try but guess it'll be tight, or another shim and a more common 27.2mm

Onto some pics:

A mock up with parts in the garage.
I'll probably lose the coloured wheels, the bronze STX in favour of silver, the stem if I find a slimmer one, an orange saddle and grips maybe as there's no black on the bike.

Frame is a little rusty! Damn I want my fifteen quid back!

Made to be safe, even 18yrs on?!?

STX Bronzey headset, missing clear coat on head tube. Fork decals in good nick on this side.

A couple of decals might be worth trying to save, unless Gil has 'em.

Missing clear coat on TT.

Overall pretty good nick, even before any cleaning.