Author Topic: 1984/5 Piranha Freestyler - NOW WITH FINISHED PICS. (Read 8730 times)

Retrodan72 · « **on:** February 02, 2014, 08:15 PM »

As many of you know, last July I lost the love for the hobby, for one reason or another. But the trip to MK, and deciding to build the bike I had as a kid helped me to get that love back - and I'm glad they did.

So, when getting back into the scene in 2008, one of the first things I put up in the wanted sections was a Piranha Freestyler, the bike my folks got me, July '85. I thought this would be easy - it wasn't.

This was mine in 1985.

A few had slipped past me on eBay, and the members I'd messaged asking if they would be interested in selling, all tried to tell me they were really rare and wanted top dollar for them. They weren't wrong about them bring rare, but this was by default, badly made, so not many survived.

So as a final tribute build to my old bike, before I dipped out, I put one last wanted as up. I got no joy, so decided to put my green DP Freestyler up as bait. It worked, I got a message off Rob Veysey (midnight12) saying he had a Piranha, and would like to do a deal. Rob had bought the Piranha like this...

...but transformed it to this...

...but that was nothing like mine BITD. So with the deal done, I started to gather parts.

The frame forks and bars arrived off Rob...

...so 2 days after it landed with me, my mate who's a powder coater picked the frame and bars up, sadly the forks weren't original, so chucked them...

...2 days later, the frame and bars arrived back...

So, I added them to the other parts I'd sourced

Then I got the decals off Mark @ Retrospect, these are the ones I had, so fitted them...

Then I got a message off Tony Lee with an eBay link, I opened it, and it was for some chrome aero forks, the forks I needed for this. So immediately, I paid the £15 inc posted for them, and married them up to the frame, along with some of the other bits.

Then a few weeks ago, the wheels turned up, courtesy of Magicat and Brett, I have tried them on and also with Tuffs, still undecided on which I'm gonna use.

So, today I fitted the Sugino 44t to the Tioga spider, I had to get a new spider as the one I'd initially bought was a 130 BCD. I also fitted the £8 crank, the £7 bottom bracket and then added the £11 pedals.

All the budget POS parts were intentional, I'm not being tight. You need to remember that this was £99 BITD for a complete bike in 1985, so all the parts needed to remain within the cheap them.

This is it up to now, it still needs brakes and a chain, then it's complete.

Sent while strangling Kojak from my iPhone

bodamus · « **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2014, 08:33 PM »

Love it Piranhas hold great memories for me from back in the day and thats definately the best one I've ever seen

That Swan Guy · « **Reply #2 on:** February 02, 2014, 08:37 PM »

Top work Danielle

chubby · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2014, 05:47 PM »

Spot on is that Dan, hope you enjoy it bud

Retrodan72 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2014, 05:57 PM »

Cheers chaps.

Jaymz · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2014, 06:13 PM »

Another corker dan

20to26 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2014, 07:22 PM »

I love a build with a story!

Building personal replicas is the best for me.

Retrodan72 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2014, 07:34 PM »

Quote from: 20to26 on February 04, 2014, 07:22 PM

I love a build with a story!

Building personal replicas is the best for me.

It's brought back a lot of memories. The picture in 1985 was at the back of my mums house, the best part of it was I didn't even know this photo existed, I just by chance stumbled across it.

rollin72 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 04, 2014, 09:12 PM »

a very lovely and nice story..top job on the bike Dan its a bazzer, watch that b.b though, I had 1 on my firebird...cranks kept falling off

Retrodan72 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 04, 2014, 09:18 PM »

Quote from: rollin72 on February 04, 2014, 09:12 PM

a very lovely and nice story..top job on the bike Dan its a bazzer, watch that b.b though, I had 1 on my firebird...cranks kept falling off

Cheers Gaz for the heads up, I suppose you get what you pay for, time will tell mate.

brettypeeps · « **Reply #10 on:** February 04, 2014, 10:48 PM »

Having seen this in the flesh this bike is a beauty

Great doing a BITD build - A pleasure seeing it

pickle · « **Reply #11 on:** February 05, 2014, 08:34 AM »

proper cracking POS that Dan!

TORKER mick · « **Reply #12 on:** February 05, 2014, 05:40 PM »

love it dan

Retrodan72 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2014, 07:38 PM »

Ok, so this is now 100% finished now. I'll get some daylight pics at the weekend.

A big thanks to Rob Veysey (middnight12) whom without, I couldn't have done this bike.

Parts list and thanks and cost of parts to complete this POS build:

1984/5 Piranha Freestyler frame
NOS chrome aero forks - £15
Original Piranha CW style bars
Chrome seat post from my green DP
Repop DC seat clamp - £12
Correct San Marco seat - £24
Race bike headset - eBay - £12
Suntour style stem - Leehunt - £16
ODI mushies from my green DP
Skyway Tuff II's from spares (original Aero Zytecs for show)
Whitewall snake bellies - Dave (Brummie)
Copy MX1000 calipers from my green DP
Copy Tech3 levers from my green DP
Generic cables
DC brake pads
NOS Tioga spider - Alan's - £10
Sugino 44t chain ring from my green DP
Generic chain ring bolts
KMC chain - Alan's - £10
Generic BB - £7
Shark bite pedals - £11
Repro padset - Esemdesign
White dice caps from spares
Lever grips - Rooski

Here's the finished pics:

Sent while strangling Kojak from my iPhone

Mat · « **Reply #14 on:** February 23, 2014, 10:15 PM »

Quality that.

Spoilt git, I only got a normal Piranha offa my folks.

Same swanky looptail & dropouts as mine though, fabricated from old recycled umbongo cans mixed with lead!

NORTY40 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 23, 2014, 10:21 PM »

Great story Dan , made up you finally got hold of one and replicated your ride from bitd

Looks great

pickle · « **Reply #16 on:** February 24, 2014, 11:43 AM »

Top notch POS you got there Dan. love it

Retrodan72 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 01, 2014, 03:23 PM »

Outdoor shots

Sent while strangling Kojak from my iPhone

Badbaldie · « **Reply #18 on:** March 02, 2014, 09:46 AM »

griff · « **Reply #19 on:** March 02, 2014, 10:45 AM »

Very nice Dan

dancetothedrummersbeat · « **Reply #20 on:** March 05, 2014, 09:41 PM »

Great story and build thread there Dan. I'd never heard of Piranha until you told me about them. Great bike, and now very rare as you say.

Retrodan72 · « **Reply #21 on:** March 05, 2014, 09:43 PM »

Quote from: dancetothedrummersbeat on March 05, 2014, 09:41 PM

Great story and build thread there Dan. I'd never heard of Piranha until you told me about them. Great bike, and now very rare as you say.

Cheers Andy, I never thought I'd land one due to the rarity, but now I consider the successor to this even rarer, a Fox 4 Styler, only ever seen one other than the one I had BITD.

dancetothedrummersbeat · « **Reply #22 on:** March 05, 2014, 10:23 PM »

Quote from: Retrodan72 on March 05, 2014, 09:43 PM

Quote from: dancetothedrummersbeat on March 05, 2014, 09:41 PM
Great story and build thread there Dan. I'd never heard of Piranha until you told me about them. Great bike, and now very rare as you say.

Cheers Andy, I never thought I'd land one due to the rarity, but now I consider the successor to this even rarer, a Fox 4 Styler, only ever seen one other than the one I had BITD.

You must be a mind reader Dan, as reading your thread got me thinking of the Fox 4 Styler. I've just started a thread about it in this section http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,172183.new.html#new
Can you shed any light on the subject? Andy.

Mat · « **Reply #23 on:** March 05, 2014, 10:49 PM »

We need a Piranha display at Radchester our Dan

Retrodan72 · « **Reply #24 on:** March 05, 2014, 10:57 PM »

Quote from: Mat on March 05, 2014, 10:49 PM

We need a Piranha display at Radchester our Dan

I'm sure that we can sort that Our Mat.

Mine, yours, Daz Hopkins', Jase Burns has one too.

Author Topic: **1984/5 Piranha Freestyler** - NOW WITH FINISHED PICS. (Read 8730 times)

griff

Author Topic: 1984/5 Piranha Freestyler - NOW WITH FINISHED PICS. (Read 8730 times)