1st Generation DP Firebird Forks I.D .. mongoose

[stfc]

This was an Ebay impulse buy from a week ago, Really poorly advertised and the seller failed to mention the seat post was stuck solid in the tube and the dropouts were bent, it arrived a couple of days ago with the parcel guy holding the frame/forks in one hand and the box in the other asking me whether anything was missing , After contacting the seller he offered a refund, but I thought I would check outs what it was 1st and have a go at the seat post problem, After doing a bit of research, measuring weighing etc It is in fact an early mk1 DP firebird frame, although Im not sure what the forks are, The frame and forks weighed together are just under 3 kilos, this is now the seat post has been removed and no headset fitted, this is comparable with the original  as the original frame and forks with a headset weighed in at 3.1 kilos .. My question is what are the forks, they look like mongoose but are more ovaled around the fork legs, they have no markings like the frame and the dropouts are for 3/8 th 10 mm axles , they are also light and appear to be made of the same (4130) material as the frame, any thoughts appreciated .. This is the Original ebay photo ...

[stfc]

[Spen69]

Forks deffo NOT Mongoose bud......

Odd looking things though.

Spen

[stfc]

Yeah, I have a pair of goose forks in this style and they are heavier than these and chunkier, I wondered whether these maybe a prototype of some  sort that was never put in to production? I like them and will leave them with the frame as I am unlikely to get the correct DP forks, just very curious as to what they are ...

[Darren Wood]

I would give STEVE ( FIREBIRD ) A SHOUT i am no expert on dp but they may be dp like all smaller companys things changed quite a lot 

Very nice find



WOODY 

[stfc]

I had a look on Steves site and there is nothing similar on there to these, under the front frame section is remains of black paint and also in the bottom bracket, Steve said the 1st few were black and gold , there is a slim chance it may be one of the first batch of however many but it can never be proved I suppose, it may have been painted black a few years ago ..I dunno , would just be good to know what the forks are ....

[Bettyswallocks]

Nice mini... 

[stfc]

Nice mini... 

ooohh Cheeky

[poolysheriff]

I would give STEVE ( FIREBIRD ) A SHOUT i am no expert on dp but they may be dp like all smaller companys things changed quite a lot 

Very nice find



WOODY 

Like Woody says

See what Steve thinks 

[firebird]

I would say that they're 100% not dp, if they were there would be no creasing to the tubing when they formed the bends on the fork legs. None of the frames I have ever seen have these marks, this tells me they weren't made using the same tooling. All of the race frames even the very early models have the dropouts on the leading edge of the fork legs. Also in the eBay photo the tubing is a different colour. One thing I did notice, can't tell on the iPhone but on the inside edge of the legs is there a seam running up the full length of the tubing? 4130 tubing is seamless.

Steve

[stfc]

No seams ...any idea what they could be off

[firebird]

I've never seen these forks before, I don't know what they are.

[rick1970]

Hi mate have a look in museum section, page 3. copies+replicas theres a err her humm skyway ta replica there with
your forks by the looks ,could be wrong ..

[Moza]

nothing to do with your questions but I love the old school feel to your garage with the Mini  do you mind telling me what model ive noticed the minilites and the BMC sticker in the back window Is there anything else hiding under the sheets lol I have an 85 Escort RS under a sheet in my garage

[stfc]

Hi mate have a look in museum section, page 3. copies+replicas theres a err her humm skyway ta replica there with
your forks by the looks ,could be wrong ..

They do look the same, very difficult to say, The mongoose forks also look like that from the angle the photograph is taken, needs a front on picture to see the angle of the tube ....