A friend of mine had this exact model and color when I was in college in the late 90's - early 00's. It got stolen within a week, and he built a klunker which he rode and never locked up for the rest of his college career. I was seriously in love with his Hard Rock, even though I was riding a black and purple Rockhopper at the time, and I almost felt as heartbroken as he did when his got stolen. My extra precaution kept mine from getting stolen for another year (Arizona State bike thieves are relentless) and I rode a light pink and blue Takara road bike (which would be a highly-sought prize in today's vintage market. Thank god my Dad still owns it so I can visit it from time to time) for the rest of my college career, and the thieves never thought it worth their time. Anyway, sorry for the long comment, but this very bike brings back some strong bike-related memories.
As an owner of 84' Koga Miyata rat bike I often watch these restoration videos, but let's be honest, the biggest benefit of owning a rat bike is because it looks like a trash, and with friction shifters most thieves probably won't be able to drive it away even if you leave it unchained. Keep it simple and low cost. Spend your money and effort on your dream bike you keep at home, safe from elements and criminals. ;)
Nice one! Orange constructor specialized! I also got a stumpjumper sworks that i got and restored a few years ago, love the frame. Very light. Keeping it as close as original possible, its my 26 roadie. Has a small issue with the headset lower fork bearing race, does not "match" it, need to find a tighter one to fix that. Besides that, awesome bike.
Btw Gary! I was looking for alternatives for avoporust, cuz it's not available in my country. So I found a thread where a guy suggested it is Edetate disodium (C10H14N2Na2O8). I tried it and I've been using it all the time. It is supercheap, safe for use as it is not toxic doesnt smell and easily available (ordering online). The regulation may vary from area to area though. You need to warm a water to 60C add this powder and a soap and mix it. Just drop the rust parts for 24 hours and the rust will be eaten away like a magic. You can use it multiple times. But capacity of the mix is limited. It works like one molecule of Edetate disodium is connecting with one molecule of rust and go away together as one
Paraparaumu On Yer Bike!!!! That was my local bike shop growing up.... I bought my first ever bike from there as a kid. Such a cool find haha. I hope you dont get rid of the sticker!!
@@garysprojectsSuch a small world! It’s crazy that the bike made it over to Australia from New Zealand lol. Probably went over with the hoards of people jumping across the ditch lol. I’d commented right as you’d mentioned the sticker at the start of the vid… Not gonna lie, I was gutted to see you remove it 😂. In your defence, it was pretty unsightly lol. Either way, rad build bro!
Nice retro specialized build!!! Love those Motocross style handle-bar! 😎👍 Love these vintage specialized bikes... Last 2 weeks ago, i almost got a vintage specialized rockhopper fsr full suspension bike, w/all orig parts and a manitou fork, in very very pristine condition, original decals, color. White frame and black swing arm... Saw it on fb marketplace, very low price, too bad someone buy it before i could messege the seller... 😅😅😅
I strongly recommend getting a vice. They're not that expensive and don't take up much room. I got one recently and I'm using it all the time in my bike builds.
@@garysprojects Me neither, I have just mounted it on my "table" which is a 18 mm sheet of plywood. It's one of my best purchases and I should have gotten one long time ago! Love the bike BTW!
I had a bike for several years that had grip shifters. They were.... fine. They weren't anything special, but they worked fine. I never really understood why they get so much hate. Are they, like "dork disks" just viewed as uncool?
Hey Gary, i would like to call it Bumble Bee…comes out pretty shiny and technical well renewed😎the chosen spots and sounds are great! Thanks for sharing your passion🌟🙂
sick as usual! do you flip/sell most builds? i have 9-10 bikes that i’ve built up (i can’t stop picking up frames). it doesn’t really seem profitable or even possible to break even on these builds, but i also come from a place with no bike scene at all. what’s your model to keep bikes moving?
Cheers mate I sell them on , for me, I put a lot into my bikes so I think that helps with selling. Obviously my bikes aren’t for everyone but for the ppl that value my work they appreciate it. Hope that helps Good luck!
Gary how do you find breaks and shifters that fit a thicker moto bar? I’ve got some sick moto bars that are 1” diameter and I can’t find good grips or anything that fits them
I like gripshift but those are awful and not OEM specialized had their own branded units that are awesome. Rm40 is Alivio for sure. I have the darker wheel version of those on a purple GT Timberline Betting that came with the MC-12 cranks. The recall alivio cranks.. also on my GT.. Which would be confirmed with the front hub being a MC-12.. Usually that would have been a 21 speed with -12 so perhaps it was -16
@garysprojects they are much easier to swap cables and clean. I have a 94 Rockhopper on my IG post. The rear Mech look like mc-16 so the cranks would be the same.. so that's an upgrade rear wheel and shifters
Another great looking build, thanks for sharing 👍
wow!! thank you very much for the support Glenn I appreciate that !!
as you usually say: "overall, nice bike!!"
hahah cheers mate! pretty good !
A friend of mine had this exact model and color when I was in college in the late 90's - early 00's. It got stolen within a week, and he built a klunker which he rode and never locked up for the rest of his college career. I was seriously in love with his Hard Rock, even though I was riding a black and purple Rockhopper at the time, and I almost felt as heartbroken as he did when his got stolen. My extra precaution kept mine from getting stolen for another year (Arizona State bike thieves are relentless) and I rode a light pink and blue Takara road bike (which would be a highly-sought prize in today's vintage market. Thank god my Dad still owns it so I can visit it from time to time) for the rest of my college career, and the thieves never thought it worth their time. Anyway, sorry for the long comment, but this very bike brings back some strong bike-related memories.
That’s awesome sounds like some go of memories. Glad your dad still has his ! Sounds cool !
Gary is that guy who spreads wd40 on his bread when he runs out of butter😂
Haha the youtube magic at the end was amazing😂 everyone using that corny trick getting calmly roasted by Gary 😂
hahahah thank you mate, glad you enjoyed cheers!
Evaporust great on pancakes
@@hamadysack3157 need to try 😂
Good to see your good old-fashioned refurbs again!
thank you my dude !
From Jerry to GARY GOOD JOB
@@jeromeGrzelak thank you JERRY
Great video! I've been locked in from the start. It's therapeutic.
Thank you very much ! It’s therapeutic for me too working on bikes
Appreciate the demonstration of the limiter screws on the mechs
cheers mate glad it was helpful
@@garysprojects u helped me fix this girls bike I got a crush on lol
@@garysprojects w that very tip
@@CryptJeeper damn!!! Hope she appreciates it 😂💕💕
I thought the bit showing manually adding tension to the front derailleur cable to find the correct limit was especially helpful. Thanks!
Impressive what you can do with a balcony workshop! Nice bike
hahaha cheers I appreciate that!
That Pedro bottom bracket tool is a game-changer. Need to find one.
@@biosfearmag it’s a good one ! Super helpful I got mine from
Beautbike.com.au
@@garysprojects shipping might cost more than the part to Portland, Oregon. :) I'll check local bike shops. Thanks for another good nugget.
@biosfearmag I think Pedro’s is an American company anyways 😂 they should have it somewhere, cheers mate !
Hey I forgot this guy builds bikes as well!! 😆 haha! Sweet build by the way 🍻
Dang roasted !! 🤣🤣🤣
Cheers mate !
As an owner of 84' Koga Miyata rat bike I often watch these restoration videos, but let's be honest, the biggest benefit of owning a rat bike is because it looks like a trash, and with friction shifters most thieves probably won't be able to drive it away even if you leave it unchained.
Keep it simple and low cost. Spend your money and effort on your dream bike you keep at home, safe from elements and criminals. ;)
What if I lock up my rat bike inside 😂😂😂
nice job gary! nice ride!
cheers my dude i appreciate that !
Nice one! Orange constructor specialized!
I also got a stumpjumper sworks that i got and restored a few years ago, love the frame. Very light. Keeping it as close as original possible, its my 26 roadie.
Has a small issue with the headset lower fork bearing race, does not "match" it, need to find a tighter one to fix that. Besides that, awesome bike.
Thank you ! wow awesome that's quite a nice bike. glad you can keep it going ! cheers
Btw Gary! I was looking for alternatives for avoporust, cuz it's not available in my country. So I found a thread where a guy suggested it is Edetate disodium (C10H14N2Na2O8). I tried it and I've been using it all the time. It is supercheap, safe for use as it is not toxic doesnt smell and easily available (ordering online). The regulation may vary from area to area though.
You need to warm a water to 60C add this powder and a soap and mix it.
Just drop the rust parts for 24 hours and the rust will be eaten away like a magic.
You can use it multiple times. But capacity of the mix is limited. It works like one molecule of Edetate disodium is connecting with one molecule of rust and go away together as one
Wow! that is awesome glad you were able to find a solution. sounds great!
Every ratmobile NEEDS a front rack!
Hahah luckily I still have my diy one
Nice build! I really enjoy your vids. I just finished refreshing a 2000 Rockhopper. Late 90s to late 2000s were some of the best bikes.
Thank you my dude I appreciate that! yes, they made some great bikes during that period and also cool paint jobs too!
yeah overall pretty cool bike
Cheers mate
Paraparaumu On Yer Bike!!!! That was my local bike shop growing up.... I bought my first ever bike from there as a kid. Such a cool find haha.
I hope you dont get rid of the sticker!!
@Aitchy_ hhaha wow!! thats cool. small world ay !
guess you will have to watch the video to find out 🤣
@@garysprojectsSuch a small world! It’s crazy that the bike made it over to Australia from New Zealand lol. Probably went over with the hoards of people jumping across the ditch lol.
I’d commented right as you’d mentioned the sticker at the start of the vid… Not gonna lie, I was gutted to see you remove it 😂. In your defence, it was pretty unsightly lol. Either way, rad build bro!
Gary, what kind of bars are the ones tou used on this build? I just got a GT Palomar and want to build it with this bars. Thank you inspiring content!
@@Aitchy_ cheers mate !
@@juancecchinelli8405 mx bars from mxstore.com.au the cheapest ones on their website
Just bought a 2001 hardrock comp and it had the original tires on it lol
haha nice
Absolutely epic build mate ..... Good to see a refurb .... Keep up the good work brother
Cheers mate I appreciate that! will do my best thank you
😭so good!!! I would ride this bike every single day
cheers mate ! super fun bike to cruise around for sure
Very nice dude and i have loads of retro bikes which might have to be rat builds 👍😀
cheers mate!
beautiful.
Thank you! Cheers!
Nice retro specialized build!!! Love those Motocross style handle-bar! 😎👍 Love these vintage specialized bikes... Last 2 weeks ago, i almost got a vintage specialized rockhopper fsr full suspension bike, w/all orig parts and a manitou fork, in very very pristine condition, original decals, color. White frame and black swing arm... Saw it on fb marketplace, very low price, too bad someone buy it before i could messege the seller... 😅😅😅
Thank you mate they are pretty comfy! ooo ya that sounds like a cool bike. hahah sometimes that happens, happy hunting ! Cheers
@@garysprojects yup, regret that i didnt messege the seller asap... Hahahaha. Anyways, keep up those bike build videos! 😊👍👍👍 Have a nice day. 😎
thanks Gary, my kind of machine, great stuff
Cheers Reece I appreciate that !
Sweet resto! I've been thinking of putting some BMX style handlebars on my old Rockhopper.
hell ya do it up! will be fun
Yes the deep yellows are so much better looking then bright yellow
Agreed !
Hey Gary nice bike, like your use of 2nd hand parts, excellent results, seeing a lot of these style of bikes around Melbourne now😊😊
Cheers mate ! I appreciate that. Yep use what I can if it’s not broke haha. Oh yes ! I’ve seen more around too, great to see people enjoying bikes 😊
Keeping it 3x and reusing lots of parts. Overall, nice bike.
that's it - if it aint broke , no need to replace. cheers mate!
always keep quil stem with removable face, great content as always 😁
@@papergasket_ yes will keep it for another project ! Thank you very much 😊
Yellow Velo Gang 🤘
hell yaw!
i would have resprayed it but you did a good job 👍
@@martinwild8424 thank you mate
I do like me a BMX'ish little mountain bike on a sunny day!
any cheers mate, a fun ride !
I strongly recommend getting a vice. They're not that expensive and don't take up much room. I got one recently and I'm using it all the time in my bike builds.
@@astral_brain would love one haha, but I don’t have a work bench to put it on 😅
@@garysprojects Me neither, I have just mounted it on my "table" which is a 18 mm sheet of plywood. It's one of my best purchases and I should have gotten one long time ago! Love the bike BTW!
@astral_brain dang ! That works? Nice I gotta try that thanks for the tip!! Cheers mate i appreciate that 🙏
Sticker idea Gary:
Gary roasted my bike 🔥
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Kerja yang bagus...
Salam satu pedal dari Indonesia ☕🙏
Thank you very much 🙏🙏🙏💕
Nice, I had one of these in 1999, I think the colour was called electric mango
Nice!!! That’s a perfect name 👍
I have a moral issue with replacing quill stem with an adapter
sometimes you gotta
I'd whip out the cone spanners, that rust and crap doesn't bode well for the state of bearing grease.
Edit:
Good job, looks like a "super nice" ride.
Cheers mate maybe I’ll have a peak in there soon
You should of build it into a bmx cruiser with a 44t in front and a 16t in the rear it would of looked awesome
@@willasomavich haha almost there
Bg saddle is body geometry (specialized brand)
Ahh right on
Awesome build! What are the bars you used?
cheers mate they are : www.mxstore.com.au/p/Extreme-Racing-Mini-Black-Steel-Handlebars/17-HB3-02
I had a bike for several years that had grip shifters. They were.... fine. They weren't anything special, but they worked fine. I never really understood why they get so much hate. Are they, like "dork disks" just viewed as uncool?
I think just general preference, I personally don’t like them because they can shift when riding etc , if they work for u keep em 👍
Have you ever put evaporust inside a frame to deal with internal rust? If not that, what's your preferred way of dealing with internal frame rust?
I haven't but I would probably spray wd-40 and try to clean it out - some people use linseed oil to protect it
Hey Gary, i would like to call it Bumble Bee…comes out pretty shiny and technical well renewed😎the chosen spots and sounds are great! Thanks for sharing your passion🌟🙂
That’s a great name ! Haha good explanation. Thank you my dude thanks for watching 🙏😊
@@garysprojects You’re welcome😎
YEEELLLLOOOOOOWWW
we did it !
How many bikes do you have now Gary? A stable check would be nice
@mechatakoyakisan I just sold one but I got quite a few 😅😅😅 hahah ya maybe if I can get em all out at once would be cool
sick as usual!
do you flip/sell most builds? i have 9-10 bikes that i’ve built up (i can’t stop picking up frames). it doesn’t really seem profitable or even possible to break even on these builds, but i also come from a place with no bike scene at all. what’s your model to keep bikes moving?
Cheers mate I sell them on , for me, I put a lot into my bikes so I think that helps with selling. Obviously my bikes aren’t for everyone but for the ppl that value my work they appreciate it. Hope that helps
Good luck!
are you doing all of this on an apartment balcony?
Do you work on bikes one at a time? And what about tool storage?
@@mungus530 yes to all, hahah its a tight space but I make it work
At this point your astroturf must have enough chemicals in it to kill a horse with one touch
@@c0nsci0usness 🤣🤣🤣 luckily I have no horses on my balcony
This bike’s from New Zealand sold just north of Wellington
Ayyy nice ! Someone must have shipped it here
@@garysprojects honestly, I’d guess a third of people in Melbourne are kiwis 😅😂
@@zanecatterall6783 🤣🤣🤣 could be, could be
Gary how do you find breaks and shifters that fit a thicker moto bar? I’ve got some sick moto bars that are 1” diameter and I can’t find good grips or anything that fits them
@@braycattle yeah thats hard, these are 7/8 pit bars so they fit. ive seen some ppl use plastic levers and melt them to stretch out for 1inch tho
@garys.projects hi friend!) What camera and micro do you use? maybe some kind of tripod? Tell us more about your video setup please)
@@user-yb9rk7pw6t I just use iPhone XS Max for everything and quadlock tripod. Cheers !
@@garysprojects Thank you - you create amazing videos - I realy apreciate it!
No worries thank you very much !
자전거 이뻐요
Thank you very much !
Where do you get those moto bars? They always look sick!
Cheers man I got them off mxstore.com.au
What's the liquid sandpaper you use ?
@@nicolasmunoz1309 T-Cut colour restorer
@@garysprojects awesome! And the vapo rust? I just finished the video, the bike look good as hell🔥
@@nicolasmunoz1309 cheers mate I appreciate that ! It’s called “evapo rust”
Dude you didn’t polish the seatpost they look-sweet when there polished
@@willasomavich good question, I wanted it to match the rest of the bike
I like gripshift but those are awful and not OEM specialized had their own branded units that are awesome.
Rm40 is Alivio for sure. I have the darker wheel version of those on a purple GT Timberline
Betting that came with the MC-12 cranks. The recall alivio cranks.. also on my GT..
Which would be confirmed with the front hub being a MC-12..
Usually that would have been a 21 speed with -12 so perhaps it was -16
@@the_nondrive_side oh cool I didn’t know specialized had their own ones! That’s cool, I wanna see how different they are
@garysprojects they are much easier to swap cables and clean. I have a 94 Rockhopper on my IG post.
The rear Mech look like mc-16 so the cranks would be the same.. so that's an upgrade rear wheel and shifters
Anyone else have that thing where as soon as they see foil your teeth feel weird?
I definitely don’t
@@garysprojects you're a foil scrunching machine
😂 true that
is your voice different?
@@keixoun ?? Not sure
Get rid of the 2x at the front as this is old tech and go 1x
try 3x u might like it
was really hoping you gonna lose dem front derailleur and go one by...
Not this time