Hi everyone,
Just wanted to take a moment and acknowledge this community for being such a huge help with my restoration project. This is my only bike, I'm not a collector, and though I've owned and have worked on bikes as a hobby for 25+ years, I'm far from an expert. The people I have met here, and the information I have gotten in this forum, have been a huge part of the success of this build. So let's begin, shall we?
Pics of the bike, and the build, are here:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmSqNwGX
I also post about the bike and my adventures (sic) on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/twozerodeltathree/
This particular bike started out as a bare frame on Craigslist. I'd purchased it because months earlier, I'd gotten a '93 Diamond Back Response Elite (also on Craigslist) that I knowingly acquired despite the frame being one size too small. (I had been out of the hobby for 25+ years and was desperate to get back into it, and that bike was what I wanted - vintage steel hardtail, XT/LX, in great condition). I rode it for six months until I decided to upgrade the frame, because you can do that, contrary to popular opinion.

I found the Axis Pro frame on Craigslist moved all the parts onto it in August 2020. I then rode it happily for several months while I started shopping for a full XT kit to install over the winter.
Before I go any further, I should say that this is NOT meant as a full RESTORATION (it's incorrect in almost every way), it's more a a TRIBUTE (and not even that really) since the real Axis Pro had full XTR M900. And, despite the fact I just HAPPENED to come into possession of MOST of an M900 group on an old Trek 8900, I decided against using it all. It was in rough nick, and so incomplete that I determined the cost of acquiring the missing bits would be too much. Plus I didn't care about bragging rights or weight reduction as this bike is a RIDER not a showpiece. So I sold those M900 bits to help defray the costs of this rebuild and kept on course with the XT build plan.
Bike specs (along with a tip of the hat to the folks here who provided parts or help):
Frame: Diamond Back Axis Pro (1994)
Material: TT-Lite Cromoly Steel
Fork: Marzocchi XC-51 [legs rebuilt by Retro Guru, thank you!]
Paint: Gloss Black Powdercoat by Sport Bike Powdercoating
Decals: Retrodecals [Thanks, gil_m!]