Build of the Decade

[yoothgeye]

I think this is around a 1988 Mongoose Decade, from what I've seen they only made them a few years. I bought this one a few months back for $20 or $30. This is how it came home:

Tracer chainring? Is this BMX or something someone just threw on it?

Here's the scary part:

So my work is cut out for me, here goes...

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: Trying to Save this Mongoose Decade

I began my tear down today, I am entering this bike in the build off over at vintagebmx.com.

Wheels look dirty:

Very stoked to be able to remove the freewheel, the axles came out well too, all the nuts came off by hand :shock:

The dishwasher is running right now (don't tell my wife!)

I'm a ratrodder at heart, so I might use my GT fork instead of this one so I don't have to reuse the pegs just because I doubt I could find 4 screw in pegs that look decent. The 2 I have are rough.

Quick pile of parts:

Almost there! Got one tight piece holding up fork removal.

Stay tuned!

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: Trying to Save this Mongoose Decade

The dishwasher helped a little, they are still pretty dirty:

We'll see what a light bleaching will do:

I had to use a 24" set of channel lock pliers to remove the top bearing retainer on the fork, and it took every bit of strength I had for about 15 minutes, up until the last thread! I don't know how they got it on there, but it had never been off before. The threads on that piece are buggered up, but the fork is fine, however, I think I'm going to make some people mad and use my GT Mach One fork, it is lighter and doesn't have the peg holes in it:

Like I said, I'm a rat rodder, I can't just build something back to stock, what fun would that be?

Finally this is something I've never seen before. After removing the crank I noticed some crud down in the BB shell, it was pretty hard, so I popped out the cups and look at this!

What in the world happened to that?

 

[jats]

Re: Trying to Save this Mongoose Decade

man i am so jealous that you get to use the dishwasher I am forbidden from using mine!! sweet old frame!

 

[jats]

Re: Trying to Save this Mongoose Decade

oh had a frame once that had peg holes in it that was 35 years ago but one of the bolts had broken off in the hole my dad tried to drill it but never could get it out. unknown what type of frame it was but found it in an alley next to a garbage can. hey Evan at 12 I grabbed up old frames and such LOL

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: Trying to Save this Mongoose Decade

I was thinking of reusing the screw ins on the back and getting some fork clamp standers for the front... where do I get those?

Pulled the wheels out of the bleach today, scrubbed them and WD40'd them... they look NICE.

 

[jats]

Re: Trying to Save this Mongoose Decade

not sure on clamp standers have only scene the axle peg style will look around though would love to see pics of the clean rims

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: Trying to Save this Mongoose Decade

not sure on clamp standers have only scene the axle peg style will look around though would love to see pics of the clean rims

I'd take some photos right now, but a huge storm just blew in. This is as close as I can get to them, they are in front of the car on the ladder drying rack under the carport.

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: Trying to Save this Mongoose Decade

Rain stopped:

Also, I'd been soaking the drivetrain goodies in some old gas/oil mix that I siphoned out of my Waverunner, the gas cleans it and as it evaporates the oil protects it. I don't like using gasoline as a cleaner, or telling others to, as the chemicals can soak into your skin and endanger your, ummm... reproductivity, but after 3 kids I had that taken care of anyway, so I can, you can't.

Anyway, I cleaned the parts today and sat them aside for later assembly, though the head tube cups I might soak in some vinegar to remove a little rust. I will be finding some other BB cups as mine were damaged and probably some wheel nuts too.

 

[jats]

wow the rims turned out incredible never would have thought that a little bleach would have made that big of difference and of course wd40 dose come in gallons for a reason!!! as for gas and oil at 47 don't need new kids! love the 2 I have and they are enough ( my wife had the fix) its cool the way these old BMX bike parts clean up though!!!!! you got rain thats cool would love a little hear we been pushing 100 degrees for a month.

 

[CCR]

I don't understand what it is about old school freestyle bikes, they are awesome. Are you planning on rebuilding the foot platform at the seat post. Wheels look great !!!

 

[yoothgeye]

wow the rims turned out incredible never would have thought that a little bleach would have made that big of difference and of course wd40 dose come in gallons for a reason!!! as for gas and oil at 47 don't need new kids! love the 2 I have and they are enough ( my wife had the fix) its cool the way these old BMX bike parts clean up though!!!!! you got rain thats cool would love a little hear we been pushing 100 degrees for a month.

Yeah, and the write-up I read said to use straight bleach... no. I filled a big tupperware tote with water and what I had of bleach, maybe a gallon, so it was really watered down.

As for the rain, we get enough, but it's still in the 90s to 100 before and after the rain, only a little relief, but I'm glad to have rain.

I don't understand what it is about old school freestyle bikes, they are awesome. Are you planning on rebuilding the foot platform at the seat post. Wheels look great !!!

Yes, I can't get it back to factory, I don't have the right steel or a bender or the ability to knurl the tubing, but I am going to try to make it look convincing. There will be welding.

 

[jats]

wow the rims turned out incredible never would have thought that a little bleach would have made that big of difference and of course wd40 dose come in gallons for a reason!!! as for gas and oil at 47 don't need new kids! love the 2 I have and they are enough ( my wife had the fix) its cool the way these old BMX bike parts clean up though!!!!! you got rain thats cool would love a little hear we been pushing 100 degrees for a month.

Yeah, and the write-up I read said to use straight bleach... no. I filled a big tupperware tote with water and what I had of bleach, maybe a gallon, so it was really watered down.

As for the rain, we get enough, but it's still in the 90s to 100 before and after the rain, only a little relief, but I'm glad to have rain.

I don't understand what it is about old school freestyle bikes, they are awesome. Are you planning on rebuilding the foot platform at the seat post. Wheels look great !!!

Yes, I can't get it back to factory, I don't have the right steel or a bender or the ability to knurl the tubing, but I am going to try to make it look convincing. There will be welding.

old school looks cool cause it was new when we were kids, and the new frames are kid of clunky with the big alloy tubes. steel rocks!!

 

[Fisch]

Youth, I think what you have here is a mongoose stylist not a decade. Only made for one year, and is basically the entry level decade. It came with these cranks, these mags and had one set of peg bosses on the fork rather than 2 like the decade.

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr261/game_clothing/Guns/1988MongooseCatalog31.jpg

How bad is the old fork? I have a ratty decade with a bent fork, and might could use one from a stylist, even though it had one less peg boss than the decade it'd be pretty close.

 

[jats]

hey EBay has clamp on pegs there rough lookin but you can fixem

 

[sensor]

i know pictures can somtimes be decieving on white stuff looking brighter than it really is...
so...if they arent as white as you want them use hydrogen peroxide to soak them in for a few days(outside in the sun!) and that will whiten them up quite well.
looks like you got a 2nd/3rd gen rotor on it. ohh bit of advice dont grease the plastic disc(light oil works...grease will just make it really sluggish)...dont ask how i know :lol:

 

[yoothgeye]

Youth, I think what you have here is a mongoose stylist not a decade. Only made for one year.

Cool thanks, I didn't make the diagnosis, someone told me on here from a fresh finds post me (or could've been on the now defunct rrbbmx.com). Fine by me. I was wondering about the coaster brake tab in the chainstay, would the decade have that too?

I'll let you know about the forks. On a trip right now.

 

[heyslugger]

Bleach for the win! Nice project, Tar Heel.

 

[yoothgeye]

Totally a Stylist, just looked at pics on BMXmuseum, this confirms that the rims and seat are stock as well as the pedals, crank, and chainwheel.

Sweet, but looks like they were 87 and 88. Guess I gotta change my title now.

 

[Fisch]

Someone told me the early freestyle bikes had both a coaster and a caliper brake for different tricks. The decade has the tab and my 84 haro freestyler does too.

Any thoughts on selling the old fork? Mine is bent on my decade, and though it isn't an exact match for it, yours is almost a twin brother. My Decade is such a rough un-stock ratter, that I don't know if I want to pay the ebay or Museum price for a Decade replacement fork. Heh... my decade is such a mutt, I thought it had a rare GT stem on it. (Long gone is the original Spin-tech.) And the Museum guys informed me it is indeed rare, but only because it is a dyno scooter stem, and not a bike stem! LOL! A case of rarity not equaling worth.