Bicycle detailing - 1985 Mongoose Expert

I grew up in a sizable condominium complex (Indianapolis) with around 20-30 kids within 10 years of each other. We didn't really have access to any organized racing at that time but...


The older guys built a kick ass dirt track back in the woods with jumps, whoops, banked turns, even a creek crossing. They also 'appropriated' a retired fire hose from out back of the local FD and made an epic rope (with firehose!) swing out of a giant 60'+ oak swinging out over a creek from the high side. Epic times, lol. Epic injuries, lol!

Wish I had all my old skateboards from the era too. My first was a vision psycho stick!

So glad I grew up outside and active, without today's anti-activity technologies. Although a GoPro would have been awesome to document the epicness, lol
 
dcjredline said:
Wow, I dont remember the year I bought it but it looks like Im the only GT guy here. All those names I havent thought of in years. Haro, Redline, Mongoose. lol
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I had a bunch. GT Pro Performer, 2 Trickstars, 2 Dynos, 1 Haro Team Sport, 1 Skyway Streatbeat, + a few I cant remember.

Never had a Redline. Never had a Mongoose.

All my money went to new stuff - sort of line detailing. At that time, the place we we order from was Rockville BMX.
 
damaged442 said:
OK, just read that some of the older Mongoose were nickel plated frames. Hence the different finish! Awesome!

I always wanted to get into racing and never did. I was always doing too much other stuff I guess. I still rode the snot out of that bike all over the street.
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Yes, I had (and have) a Mongoose Blue Max (sold @ military PXs) that came with a nickel finish. I believe there may be some Motomags that came with that finish as well. I have a Motomag I'm restoring (going to powdercoat) along with an early Expert with the embossed BMX logo on the head tube. I just need to find a deal on a gold neck.
 
Ok, how many of you guys used to RELIGIOUSLY buy BMX Plus, pour over the entire magazine 25 times until the next edition came out, and read the cartoon "Radical Rick" in the back?

:)
 
rajon said:
This thread is making me so happy. I have evolved and ride a current model and don't miss the geometry of the old bikes but man, the old ones are so beautiful.

There's a BMX shop in Clawson, MI called Albe's. They have a vintage BMX show every year and if you can find their facebook page they posted a ton of pictures. The bikes there were most definitely rad.
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I got a lot of accessories from Albe's! I got my Haro from Hellebucks in Shelby Twp (24 and Van Dyke).

I bought another trick bike about 10 years ago. My ex's little brother kind of neglected it. It's a Haro F4. I got that from the bike shop that used to be Scarlett Schwinn in Pontiac.

Yeah, I need to stop by Albe's one of these days!
 
FreshRides said:
Wow everyone use to race BMX! I am 24, I raced from 11-17 years old. Started out on a Redline and was co-sponsored by them as well.

I never kept them clean though because I was too lazy at that age. Haha. Wish I would have kept all my bikes I had!
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I'm 40 on monday, and was never any good at the tricks. I spent too much time on the drums to be good at anything else.
 
PaulMys said:
Ok, how many of you guys used to RELIGIOUSLY buy BMX Plus, pour over the entire magazine 25 times until the next edition came out, and read the cartoon "Radical Rick" in the back?

:)
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Awh man! This is an extremely cool thread, I for one am guilty of RELIGIOUSLY buying BMX Plus . . . finally let go of a 5 foot stack of them earlier this year. Now you guys are making me want them back too . . .

Hey do you guys remember the "Kastan" it ran a single sided fork, I never saw one in the flesh but it was a nice looking bike.

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:
 
Aaryn NZ said:
Awh man! This is an extremely cool thread, I for one am guilty of RELIGIOUSLY buying BMX Plus . . . finally let go of a 5 foot stack of them earlier this year. Now you guys are making me want them back too . . .

Hey do you guys remember the "Kastan" it ran a single sided fork, I never saw one in the flesh but it was a nice looking bike.

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:
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Remember the Kastan with the single blade fork.

If I recall correctly, "Kastan" was Lynn Kastan - the dude who started Redline? Dunno if I remember that correctly though.
 
I had a 1997(ish) mongoose motivator in matte blue. Wish i still had it!
 
HAHAHA!!! Radical Rick and, of course, his trusty sidekick MX Mug! Don't forget the Attackillac!!!
 
Ok! Here is what it looked like from the ad! I didn't think it looked TOO bad...

 
Aftersome further disassembly, off to the bath she went...

I used 4 7.5oz containers of citric acid powder in whatever amount of water we have in the wheelbarrow here. Used plastic to line it just in case it leaked.

 
This should give a better indication of what I was looking at. I had done my homework on a few vintage bmx forums and there were a few choices of what I could do, but it looked like acid bath was the way to go. Citric acid smelled the least worst of my choices, so that's what I went with!

 
This was after about 24 hours total. I had been rotating the frame around in the bath as it didn't fit, and I had been scrubbing with a toothbrush and occasionally 0000 steel wool for the stubborn areas.

 
Once to took everything out, I rinsed and dried everything well and followed up with some Collinite Metal Wax, leaving me with a nice pile of shiny parts!. Assembly will most likely take place this weekend!

Glad to say it worked better than I thought it would. Surprisingly, the acid had no effect on the decals. I was an organic chemist in my past life, so clearly i know how weak of an acid it is, but i was still surprised.

 
All this work on this bike made me get my old Californian out. I just replaced the tires with some new red Comp IIIs, just like when I first got her for Christmas in 83!! She got all new brake cables too!

I apologize for an individual post for each pic, but I am trying to do this by phone, and this is the only way it would cooperate! Can't wait for final assembly pics...

 
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