Author Topic: Manuel The Bandito. 2001 S&M Dirt Bike NG (Read 19108 times)

Midschoolfool · « **on:** May 10, 2020, 02:09 AM »

2001 Dirt Bike Next Gen.

I originally bought this at the end of the summer last year. I paid £120 for the frame, fork, headset and a new pad set.

Original Pitch Fork. However don't let them fool you, they suck

I will get around to why in a bit. I didn't have any more parts, then I bought a Huffy MJ12 that arrived with the wheels loose which had destroyed the paint. So these parts cost me a total of £60. I got a Metal chain ring (uber rare), a set of MK1 Hoffman Jump bars (cut 1" longer on one side ffs) a decent set of era correct wheels that are nice and straight, a headset, a bottom bracket and bearings, a mint (it was replaced and looks brand new) 990 and god knows however many other goodies.

This is how the bars looked with the very tatty decals removed.

I can't remember if they were cut even before that pic or after. Any way, I smoothed out all of the scratches and stuff.

Degreased and hit with alcohol.

And then rust treated, sanded and primed.

Wet sand, and paint.

Very happy with that. I got some Bone Deth grips and bar ends, and a DC lever (going righty, single rear brake)

I did order a decal set directly from Hoffman, but sadly the twat in the flat below me had a thing for pilfering mail and parcels. So they got half inched. Was wanting to smash his fingers with a hammer bur realised that may be a bit extreme (he's lucky I'm not 25 any more). I ended up finding this cheap enough decal on Delcals for about £3. Looks good too.

OK, restored wheels from the Huffy donor that cost me £60.

They came up nice. Time for some rubber. I want this to be trails AF, so I got these.

Skin wall, 60 PSI and very light and sticky. Big shout out to Steve for the £15 early FIT cranks.

BB I already had.

It's not sealed but it is era correct. That said on a bruiser like this you'd be hard pushed to notice. The decals I found for the "Not old school bmx applied tax" rate of $13 in the USA. Cost me about bang on a tenner, minus the PF decals which were about £8.

They were a bit of a mystery. It turns out they are "Lo Rider" decals. However, there is no such thing as a "low rider" Dirt Bike, so these were a S&M limited run set for Hispanics to use on their Dirt Bikes. After a year I translated the decals yesterday and had a good chuckle. Seems S&M still have their SOH.

Seat post is a Cult pivotal (again big shout out to Steve)

Even though it is alu it came smothered in rust from the frame it was in. Vinegar bath, scuffed with a pot scourer and a lick of paint.

Bolt on the Bone Deth seat, another job is finished.

And that is another job done. More cleaned parts.

And the head badge.

I've got S&M resin pedals (in the pic with the tyres) and so on. Basically I bought every single part last year, even the paint. Talking of the paint.

beige, eggshell. I like that finish. I already have the primer and all of the prep stuff too.

I started working on the fork. I figured I could do what I did to those original Jump bars. No chance. Whoever painted this destroyed it. Like, I wondered why there were so many imperfections in the paint right. So I started sanding at the clear coat, which was still stickyish. Meaning it was cheap crap. It just clogs alu oxide. Then I got a bit deeper and the horrors started to show themselves.

Like, you can see big scratches and funny looking areas. Yeah, that is because whoever did this atrocity with paint did not even give the fork a courtesy lick with some sandpaper. So when you finally get through the three layer finish (those drops took me nearly two hours with dremel drum sanders) you hit the horror show of the rust and original paint and it starts flicking up and hitting you in the face. The guy literally put on two coats of primer, black and clear without any prep work whatsoever. It's a horror show.

Having gotten quite good at painting over the last 30 years I am usually loathe to bust out chemicals. They burn, they stink and it's just not a nice experience. I usually prefer working with the original finish then painting on sealer and doing it that way. Fat chance here.

This gun get messy.

I also have these in the wings. Not sure what if any I will use yet mind.

Back to the Covid waiting game.

Oh yeah, why Manuel The Bandito?

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bobafett · « **Reply #1 on:** May 10, 2020, 05:23 PM »

Great thread.

Top skills on them bars mate - nice resto save

Looking forward to episode 2 of the forks

BMX1973 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 13, 2020, 11:54 AM »

Looking good.

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #3 on:** May 13, 2020, 04:00 PM »

Still waiting on the materials I need fgs.

I am not using the Metal sprocket or Bone Deth seat on it now. Those are going onto another bike. I will look for S&M parts as and when. Oh and the cranks are not going on it either, as those are going to be restored for another bike.

Things are kinda frustrating at the moment. Everything is so slow.

Avro · « **Reply #4 on:** May 14, 2020, 05:30 PM »

I really fancy having a go at something like this, keep it coming.

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #5 on:** May 15, 2020, 04:24 PM »

I do love me a midschool bruiser. It's cheap kicks too usually.

OK, so the 3m wheel arrived about four days ago. The brushes came yesterday (wire) and the stripper (fnarr) finally turned up today. I hate paint stripper, but nowhere as much as "past me" used to. "Past me" would have at it with no gloves, no eye protection in bare feet and just shorts. Past me was a wally. Past me also used to scrape away for hours getting frustrated. And burned, a lot.

Present me? wears nitrile gloves throwing them away between applications, wears eye protection and uses wire brushes. And it's night and day. Sense prevails, it would seem !

I had to go at it in three stages. It suggests you sand into the top layer (which I had done on half) before applying. This makes sense, as it allows it to penetrate. However, I put one the first lot and it started changing colour. So I scrubbed with the wire brush for a bit to really get it in there. Flipped over, same, scooping up any that had fallen off (past me would have just poured it on). It took three goes. First one was just getting them well covered. Second one turned it into a grey slush, and with the third application and a good scrub it was gone.

This, my friends, is a clear example of why you don't paint over rust.

Every single one of those rust marks was visible through all of those layers of paint. They've now been rinsed for about twenty minutes or so. I will need to find the power drill now to get that 3m wheel going, which will rip anything left on there off. Then I will hit the welds with a Dremel and so on to get it ready for paint.

But yeah, that was relatively painless and rather easy. Seems age and wisdom do count for something after all !

Picklez · « **Reply #6 on:** May 15, 2020, 07:08 PM »

Keep up the good work, looking forward to the progress.

Agreed, age and experience does benefit sometimes, I used to be just the same, but also now apply more patience, and methodical approaches, and I'd agree it seems to pay off.

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #7 on:** May 15, 2020, 08:06 PM »

The last time I did a chemical strip I got the primer on brilliantly. The next day it was too hot to paint, but of course past me didn't realise this.

The dayglo pink paint turned to powder as it left the can, and I had to strip the whole bike again. That is probably why I've not used it since lol. God I was mad.

That said I haven't learned that much. Last summer I repeated the same mistake. Only this time after a week of painting base coats and candy etc. It was the clear that did it, but I managed to buff it smooth. Problem is it's as soft as a pensioner's turd and scratches so easy. Thankfully I don't ride it (the T1).

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #8 on:** June 25, 2020, 05:37 PM »

Spent the day on the Fit Indent cranks.

Decided not to use the Metal sprocket. There is a 16t freewheel stuck on the rear wheel and the Metal is a 36. My T1 Ruben has a 12t cassette so I am going to put the Metal on that. Instead I bought a NOS DMR 41t.

Just a nice plain black pizza dish.

I then found out I had degreased and cleaned the wrong BB FFS

I will do the other one tomorrow.

Mikku · « **Reply #9 on:** June 25, 2020, 11:47 PM »

Great thread! Not sure how I missed this before but I'm in for the finish!

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #10 on:** June 26, 2020, 01:39 PM »

It's been epic tbh. I don't usually restore old parts. Mostly because I don't really have any lol. I usually buy NOS. Talking of NOS.

The brake lever looks far too big on those bars. I was going to leave it tbh, as I didn't want to spend stupid money but it turns out Alan has a bum load of these for a cockel. So I grabbed one eh.

Right hand too. Not sure why I want right hand on this bike. Maybe because every other bike has them on properly

Any way the cranks came out superb.

I was worried for a minute because I was getting some haze from it literally drying as it hit, so I just went heavier. God it was hot yesterday.

I just need to degrease the loose ball BB now and paint those cups there (that have been all done and prepped last summer). So yeah, nice easy day today. And it's 10c cooler, which is good. Because yesterday I was all like this.

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #11 on:** June 26, 2020, 01:52 PM »

Oh and I PMed my buddy Delores and said "Come caca de changito!" she laughed. Then she asked if I knew what it meant. I said "yeah, eat little poop!"

Then she corrected me. Apparently a changito is a small monkey, and it actually translates to "Eat monkey shit"

Much laughs were had.

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #12 on:** June 26, 2020, 03:35 PM »

OK, so I degreased the correct BB set today

The bearings are new. They had some tiny rust spots on the frame of the cage, so they have been dunked in vinegar with the rest. I will take them out tomorrow and blow everything but the bearings over with black paint. Just to stop it wanting to rust again.

I also had to work on the seat clamp. It's quite nice as it goes, but it had a half rubbed off Huffy logo on it in white. I considered stripping the anno, sanding it, primer paint etc and then I had a brain wave. Tcut metallic

And off it came. Seems it was only screen printed. Saved me bloody ages that has !

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #13 on:** June 26, 2020, 03:52 PM »

I.had.to.

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #14 on:** June 27, 2020, 07:00 PM »

OK so it cooled down. Sadly the weather has been total pants. Raining and gale force winds. Last night I got up into the loft to start the part gathering and put some stuff away, then I realised I had not sourced a headset for this bike yet. Now that's no issue right? just buy one. Problem is any sort of reasonably priced sealed external headset comes in from China now. Which would take forever. Not that it's a huge problem, but they are crap too. I know, because the bike had one on it when it arrived and even though it is sealed it was gritty and crunchy.

I did get a proper Aheadset with the Huffy I broke for parts, but the bearings were shot and the replacements I ordered were totally the wrong size FGS. After a long dig in the loft I found one of these.

In white. Gosh it runs beautiful. Then I looked it up, RRP was ?35. That would be why then. It's a bit grubby and it is white, but I have a butt load of parts to paint black as soon as the weather gets better any way. So that was that sorted !

OK. So the one thing that has been really bothering me through all of this is trying to remain era correct, or, repops of things that are era correct. The seat and post (pardon the pun) just have not been sitting with me. I dunno, I am trying to create a proper mid school era bike and a pivotal post and seat just don't seem to fit. The problem is S&M shield seats (which are red and yellow) sell for a lot of coin. Like, ?120. So OK, what was the next best thing? the haemorrhoid. Only problem? some ripped old shit sells for ?60, and a NOS one? about ?150 if you can find one. And that has been pissing me off for weeks.

And then I had another light bulb moment, right. I remember seeing these genuine mid school seats on Ebay ages ago. They are pretty much an exact clone of the haemorrhoid. In fact, I used to sell these things to customers BITD. So I went looking. ?8.99. No seriously, ?8.99.

Bargain. Just don't expect it to look anything like that when it goes on the bike. I'm currently looking at crocodile PVC, snake skin PVC and mexican blankets.

Mikku · « **Reply #15 on:** June 27, 2020, 10:14 PM »

Quote from: Midschoolfool on June 27, 2020, 07:00 PM

I'm currently looking at crocodile PVC, snake skin PVC and mexican blankets.

When was the last time you read THAT ^^^ in a BMX build thread!? Brilliant!!

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #16 on:** June 27, 2020, 10:36 PM »

Haha it's definitely opened up my creative side. I see S&M do a really expensive hemp seat atm..

Then I found these.. It's pretty much typical S&M humour lol

This is the best one though. I would have to wait ages because it's from the USA, but it's awesome.

That's actually a real patch for DEA agents lol.

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #17 on:** June 28, 2020, 04:08 PM »

Faux snake skin it was.

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #18 on:** June 28, 2020, 08:12 PM »

OK after prepping everything last night I got in a couple of coats of primer today.

I also realised I don't have enough primer. I have ordered more, and should have enough to do the fork (which is next up after all of the small parts) so it shouldn't hamper me any, as when they are de-rusted and primed I need to strip the frame.

bobafett · « **Reply #19 on:** June 29, 2020, 03:43 AM »

Quote from: Mikku on June 27, 2020, 10:14 PM

Quote from: Midschoolfool on June 27, 2020, 07:00 PM
I'm currently looking at crocodile PVC, snake skin PVC and mexican blankets.

When was the last time you read THAT ^^^ in a BMX build thread!? Brilliant!!

fookin lol

That hemp seat looks quite cool

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #20 on:** June 30, 2020, 01:27 AM »

It's lovely but it is pivotal. I could live with pivotal for a while, then I got a couple of tripods and it just brings back mid school gut seats with a gut flip.

If I have no luck with the vinyl (will need heating I would imagine) then I will go with some hemp. Will be much easier to work with if the vinyl isn't.

Will get all of those annoying tiny bits and bobs into gloss tomorrow. I've been working on my other bikes also, so I am alternating at the moment so I don't get too bored. Those small parts took so long to clean and prep tbh, it kinda pissed me off

Still, they are a blow of paint away from being pristine again, so that is good.

Not happy that I had to cut a NOS pair of Odyssey Elm Street tyres from two rims earlier, but lesson learned. It's a long story and I CBA going into it right now as I still have a bit of sand in my vagina over the whole thing

bobafett · « **Reply #21 on:** June 30, 2020, 02:25 AM »

Quote from: Midschoolfool on June 30, 2020, 01:27 AM

Not happy that I had to cut a NOS pair of Odyssey Elm Street tyres from two rims earlier, but lesson learned. It's a long story and I CBA going into it right now as I still have a bit of sand in my vagina over the whole thing

Woh there you can't leave us hanging like that !

That sounds like a tale in itself.....

Crack on good sir....

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #22 on:** June 30, 2020, 03:17 PM »

I originally built my T1 as a flatland bike. It was one of those great amazing ideas you have, then think "WTF did I do?". It happened because I saw the Liberte Grave bars. Always wanted a set of Graveyards, but finding the real thing these days is hard, and you better have ?350. Any way I bought them, T1 was built flatland, looked kinda stupid (but nice lol).

I got the Elm Sts from Carlo. He had them lying around for about 18 years. They were 1.85, which was for flatland. Then I decided to turn the T1 into a proper Ruben street/park bike.

The grips are on that now and it's finished. The Rubens were on my Haro (which again made no sense). I bought new wheels for the Haro to turn it into a flatland rig (given it's a flatland frame, not the street one) and put the Grave bars on that. Looks so nice. Any way, the Elm St are mid school tyres, so they are designed mostly for single wall rims without the lifted inner ring with the gussets. So whilst they fit lovely on the old Alex Y22 mid school wheels on the T1 they didn't like new school rims. I got the front one on after snapping two tyre levers. Then I went to the back, but the Total Spitfire is so shallow inside that I could only get half of it on. Then the last tyre lever snapped. I bought some more, and snapped two trying to remove the front tyre. Now bear in mind that this is over ?350 worth of wheels here so I didn't want to start busting out the screwdrivers and so on.

So I cut them off.

R.I.P ?35 worth of tyres. It could have been soooo much worse.

The snake skin arrived today. It's really cool. I'm kinda glad I spent a few hours in the loft last night building the Haro, because it's absolutely pissing down with rain today.

Another thing I learned is that skin wall tyres don't suit Haro Masters at all. The Demolition tyres I put on it look amazing.

Midschoolfool · « **Reply #23 on:** June 30, 2020, 04:25 PM »

Forgot to post a pic of that. Frame has been completely de-stickered now and the head badge has been drilled, tapped and test fitted.

bobafett · « **Reply #24 on:** July 01, 2020, 04:43 AM »

Shit that you had to cut the tyres but like you say, could have been worse $:-\$