The best things in life are free ..... (well cheap) BMX for the soul......

[Funkyworm]

Been building this up over the last few weeks,





It's a Marlborough Zapper ZRS Team in original chrome (which is rough) & was the first BMX I ever had.

I got one of these for Christmas 82 (must have been 82 as I already had it when BMX bandits came out in 83) I'm currently working on some stencils for decals & potentially pads too.

 i've got it to a similar spec to how i had it just before i got swapped the parts to go on to my Rickman at Christmas 84 (adding the power disc & tech 3 levers but theres still a few bits to tweak here & there (pedals pads decals etc which thinking about it i think i stripped off anyway)...

The Original spec as i remember it from the shop was as follows:

Reynolds 501 frame & Forks
SR Stamped Pro bars
Shimano dx Levers & Dia compe MX 900's (black)
Generic Oakley styles Grips (Black/Grey)
SR Stem (Black)
Strumney Archer seat post & generic Viscount style seat (black)
Weinmann rims
Sr stamped  1 piece cranks Spider & Chain ring (Black)
Comp 3 tyres.


The pads in the pics came today & they just cracked me up to be honest , OK so they are not Marlborough pads but the originals were also Silver with (THE ZAPPER FORCE) written all over them & a lightning bolt on the crossbar pad so they close enough for now.

I've taken the bike out for the last 2 nights around the streets where i live & down by the canal where i spent so much of my time with my friends & the feeling this bike gave me was pure nostalgia, I cant explain it really but It just took me back to a time when I didn't have a care in the world  & To me that is the essence of Pure Old School BMX in it's simplest form .

It's the cheapest bike I've ever built the worst looking but it's put a smile on my face that non of my other builds ever have or will & I guess that's all that matters really. This ones gonna be a keeper for years to come...


I guess what im trying to say is, it's really not important who owns what or who's flipping parts here there & everywhere (all those threads have done my head in lately as it's all so petty & really put me off of rad & some radsters).

The important thing about Old School BMX is the feeling it can give in your soul & this bike has really hit the nail on the head for me

[Jaypeg]

Cool. .. You can't beat that felling of riding your old bike again.

[animal]

Great story and brilliant 4 u  My mate had 1 of these bitd aswell. R they SR bars ?

[oldschoolace]

This is what its all about for me, yeah its nice to have some exotica but the fact of the matter is most of us got the bug for bmx on similar catalogue style bikes 

[Funkyworm]

The bars that came with the f&f set were original to this bike but not the (SR PRO bars)  that came on my original bike in 83. So i got These Hsin Lung bars from different path . Very similar to how I remember my SR's. though ! but without the SR branding on the uprights.

[Gary72]

Really like the look of that
I had some SR bars, I think I sold them to londonhellboy, did a quick search and looks like the for sale thread got lost in the migration. I think he bought them as a temp. Thing till some Torker ones turn up.
http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,146587.msg1435953.html#msg1435953
If you really want a pair it might be worth asking the question.

[adammannering]

superb story funkyworm.  And love the bike.  Sounds like you were transported back to being a kid.  I have to agree, that is purely why I have just got back into all this, to rescover that magical care-free feeling.  Good for you, inspiring story !

[chubby]

Glad somethings put the love back in ya buddy,had me worried there for a minute 
Good to hear you're reliving your youth peddling round the canal on a kids bike   
wish I could remember what my first bmx was as I'd love to find one,all I remember is it was metallic blue ,yellow tyres,grips & padswith gold bars,wheels & bits. As clint said probably all of us started on a low ender & it'd be nice to see more builds done.....

[fischflo]

Ol' Funkster keepin it rad with the original build   

[dancetothedrummersbeat]

Glad somethings put the love back in ya buddy,had me worried there for a minute 
Good to hear you're reliving your youth peddling round the canal on a kids bike   
wish I could remember what my first bmx was as I'd love to find one,all I remember is it was metallic blue ,yellow tyres,grips & padswith gold bars,wheels & bits. As clint said probably all of us started on a low ender & it'd be nice to see more builds done.....

Are you sure it had yellow tyres? Sounds like it could have been a Peugeot black lion..??

[pickle]

Looks cool does that!  I'm loving the budget builds at the moment............my latest has cost me all of £20 so far and all i need to finish her is a seat and seat post 

[willo73]

What it's all about, the good old days, cool build n story

[Devilock]

Nice one.

As you were riding did you hum this tune-

[not johndub71]

I just pm'd you about this lol. Great build  so happy.

[Funkyworm]

Nice one.

As you were riding did you hum this tune-

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Rich, how did you guess   In fact no I was humming this:

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[chubby]

Glad somethings put the love back in ya buddy,had me worried there for a minute 
Good to hear you're reliving your youth peddling round the canal on a kids bike   
wish I could remember what my first bmx was as I'd love to find one,all I remember is it was metallic blue ,yellow tyres,grips & padswith gold bars,wheels & bits. As clint said probably all of us started on a low ender & it'd be nice to see more builds done.....

Are you sure it had yellow tyres? Sounds like it could have been a Peugeot black lion..??

deffo yellow tyres & wouldn't of been as posh as a Peugeot 

[ED209]

never did see you down Terminal 1 again Callum 

[Funkyworm]

never did see you down Terminal 1 again Callum 

I'll be back mate after i've been on me hols  !

 Had quite a lot of back trouble & Ive been busy with the business as well but I'll have some more time from the end sept onwards