Calling Mr Bobafett and other Goose Experts please!!...What is this frame?

[stevesredvxr]

Ok so I already have a Mongoose Californian.......but I picked up another Goose today which I believed to be another Cali
from the description until I got it home and put it next to my original one and realised it was way from being the same.

For a start its a lot smaller and the top tube is a lot thinner...also the frame is a lot shorter.

The brake bridge also has a notch at the bottom. 
Serial number is M4B0469..
Guessing it may be a Minigoose 

Anyone help?
Regards Steve 

[bobafett]

mini 

[stevesredvxr]

Cool.....are they rare?
Might be worth a build for my 7 year old daughter!!!

[Spen69]

Steve, as Jonnygoose said, it's a Minigoose you have there bud

Here's my daughter's done with ProClass paint (I had it at MK with me) - look at the line of the top-tube into the rear looptail, almost straight. I suspect whoever owned it was running skinnies and had the brake bridge ground back for a bit of clearance

Nice bike, but un-ridable if you're over 5 foot tall I'd argue, and I know you are bud Pretty rare though - I'd deffo keep it and your 7-yr old should love it

Oh, swap the forks onto the Cali as they are the right ones for it if you're keeping them both



Spen

[bobafett]

 I suspect whoever owned it was running skinnies and had the brake bridge ground back for a bit of clearance

Nah.

Same brake bridge on my 84 mini Spen - fairly standard brake bridge on a cali era mini - yours not the same then ? what serial you got ?

Steve as for rare - rare enough but not super rare - rarer than a cali that's for sure 

[Spen69]

John, mine's a full chromo USA import remember and came with the original decals inluding the little "all tubes chromoloy" sticker on the top tube by the headset - the serial number is H3 something I'm sure but is stamped on the underside of the rear box section like on an 83 onwards Supergoose. Where are yours stamped then?

Steve, if your daughter will ride it then it is deffo worth keeping as a matching pair kinda thing as well as being a great little bike anyway.

[stevesredvxr]

Cheers John and Spen for your comments......by the way I'm only just above 5ft Spen!!!

Yes I think I will keep it...we've been doing her an aero reflex and she's loved cleaning, scrubbing and polishing it ( getting her ready for later life!!!)
but at the end of the day its an aero and I think the goose will be better investment.
The chrome is a bit pitted so may have it powdered.

Spen the forks are not in great condition and the tange ones I have on my cali are minter than mint!!! I will keep the tange ones on until I come across
some proper cali ones that are in good condition....although judging by Johns recent posts in the wanted section, it will be a while!!

If anyone has anything for either my cali build or the mini build let me know!!!
Cheers Steve.

[sid1972]

that's a cracking little thing... 

Spen's is awesome too - kinda wish I was a 'mini me'..   

[Spen69]

Steve, keep the chrome bud - much tougher for those little people to drop outside the shop or fall off which is inevitable!

Try the coke & tinfoil trick, then buckets of Autosol - you'd be suprised at how good and tough chrome plate was back in the 80's and it will bling ;-)

To get a set of Minigoose decals I had to go to Bill over at Vintage in the US, but ask Jimmy as he may have them now as it was a good few years back when I first got mine and restored it before I chabged my mind and had the custom paint done by N2Cus. I'll see if I have any pictures of it built up in chrome and send them to you bud.

Gotta be cooler than a Reflex - just keep the reflex for when she's a bit bigger!

[stevesredvxr]

The reflex will go on the bay......I haven't enough room for what I have now....well thats what the wife says!!! 

Yep will keep it chrome just for you Spen!! 
Looks like its a trip to Asda today for plenty of Coke, Tin Foil, Vinegar, Lemon juice etc!

I'm actually glad it turned out to be a mini now.....

[bobafett]

The minis are cool Steve and deffo a great bike for your daughter - she'll get years out of it too as it's a decent size frame - try and save the chrome if you can mate, they only came in chrome in 84 

Spen I forgot yours was an 83 so yes that makes sense. H3 on the box section = early USA made mini 

[stevesredvxr]

Cool!!!
Are all the other stuff on it standard size?

Whats are these minigeese made from....and where would this have been manufactured..Taiwan?

Cheers Steve

[steve69]

Is that the one off gaybay last week?

Had my eye on one that looked squat on the back end (but didn't have 'mini' in the description), mailed the seller about it's size and was it a mini. He said he bought it for the Proclass wheels that were on it and didn't know, never heard back from him with measurments so didn't bother bidding on it

Nice little frame

[bobafett]

Cool!!!
Are all the other stuff on it standard size?

Whats are these minigeese made from....and where would this have been manufactured..Taiwan?

Cheers Steve

Chro-mo mainframe Steve and with an "M" prefix serial it's made by merida in Taiwan.

Standard 20" parts for the majority components mate - they did a hi spec and low spec though. The hi spec had 1 3/8" skinny pro-class rims and Lee-Chi/Pro-class caliper brakes - the lower spec had coaster brake 1.75" steel pro-class rims.

The bars are smaller and are specific to this and the 16" mity of the same era. Can sort you a pic if need be or check out my 16" mity in my bikes thread.

Other than that it's pretty much cali/expert components - BMX aero seat (viscount), SR 468 pedals, mongoose grips, MX hinged clamp, cheng shin comps etc.

 

[stevesredvxr]

Yep it was the one off ebay last week.......I asked him to end early for cash and he did....he also had it drove down to Manchester
to near my works so I could pick it up on my way in on Friday, so no delivery charge either!!! Top bloke!....he also said he had just bought
it for the pro class rims.

Looking forward to getting started on it..................anyone with any bits for it please feel free to contact me!!!