People, lend me your brains! (help ID a frame)

[Splatter Paint]

Re:

Shouldn't have a canti bridge or pulley if it is a Kona and the tube junctions are too smooth. I have a 93 Kila and while similar, the details are different.

Kona serial numbers often start with an F. It could be a heavily modded Kona though :?

 

[CTK]

Its a Kona with smooth welds! That is a puzzle but I think Jim must be right that someone brazed over the welds. Here is a Barracuda, tubes are squashed from the sides rather than from top and bottom ie like this () rather than <> !

 

[RickTheUncivil]

Re:

Took another look at the forks, the writing on the dropout is there, looks the same as shown in one-eyed jims picture tho I can't quite make out what it says.
So, p2 forks then? Interesting.

Serial number is well hidden, will try to make a rubbing!

 

[RickTheUncivil]

Found a date stamp on the fork steerer, 1991.
Leap of faith time, if frame and forks are original pair, and forks are likely 1991 kona, that narrows down the search somewhat to ID the frame.

Have given it a good clean today and I'm still not 100% certain that the paint is original but I'm more convinced now than I was before. It looks like factory finish. We're they prone to really thick coatings back then?

Tried to make out the serial, I can see two pairs of figures. First pair are really feint. First one looks curvy so might be 3 or 8, second probably 1 or maybe 7. Second pair looks like 14.

Any help?

 

[one-eyed_jim]

Were they prone to really thick coatings back then?

No. That's not the original paint.

I think your frame is probably a 1992 Explosif that's been heavily reworked at some point: new cable routing and cable stops, smoothed-over welds and a respray.

A P2 fork with a '91 date stamp would fit a '92 model Kona. The tubing is Tange Prestige Concept. The dropouts and other details are all '92 Kona, bar the cable routing, which is (pretty clearly, I think) a later modification.

Look at the details of this larger frame, in particular the tubing and dropout shapes, the position and style of the rack eyes, and the way the tubing is crimped near the rear dropouts:

http://s121.photobucket.com/user/longun ... 4.jpg.html

It's not impossible your toptube's been replaced at some point, which would account for the (smooth) fillet-brazed toptube joints contrasting with the original plain weld of the downtube-headtube junction.

 

[RickTheUncivil]

That is a lot of information, many many thanks for sharing.

I'm glad its sounding like its at least close to what I thought, thats nice.
The non-original paint both worries and reassures, if it has been re-worked at some point then new paint makes sense, and refinishing again isn't going to destroy an original finish - its not great but its certainly not bad enough to NEED a respray. options options.

I think a strip down to bare metal would answer the questions, might do it just to find out! Or keep the mystery, everyone loves a mystery. No doubt a build thread will appear before too long.

Big thanks to all you guys who responded, excellent knowledge here and generous with it too.

Cheers!

 

[enc]

Re: Re:

Took another look at the forks, the writing on the dropout is there, looks the same as shown in one-eyed jims picture tho I can't quite make out what it says.
So, p2 forks then? Interesting.

!

writing says.... SPINNER JI

deffo P2's

heres mine mid way through restoring ...

 

[Radar]

Canti bridge has a look of a zolatone era Marin. Rest of the bike doesn't. Could it be a frankenbike? Using frame parts from a number of donors? Would fit with a reworked Kona idea

 

[one-eyed_jim]

Canti bridge has a look of a zolatone era Marin. Rest of the bike doesn't. Could it be a frankenbike?

I don't see any need to assume that. Brake bridges of that sort are standard parts available to all frame builders. The same goes for derailleur pulleys and cable stops.

http://www.framebuilding.com/brake.htm

I'm starting to think it all makes sense in terms of a toptube replacement (crash damage) with the other modifications carried out at the same time.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re:

What get's me is '92 Explosifs where, relatively speaking, cheap frames (as are '93 Kiluea's)
A new Concept top tube, all the brazings would not be cheap in comparison to what it was worth at the time of doing it, as far as I know.
Also modifying it to use a roller for the front mech in a time when toppull mechs where readily available just seems daft.


Get that serial number, you may be able to compare.
Should be the normal front to back (sideways along one side of the shell)