First Year Yo in need of Grellow

[datmony]

Hi there, picked up my first Yo a few months back. It is a first year Yo with the original fork, mainly xc pro and in decent condition. It currently has a seized post and the previous owner powdered it purple at some point in its life.

I am generally not one for period correct builds as I in general prefer functionality over form. Thankfully though, I have picked up enough bikes over the years that this one is going to be returned to all its former glory and will be period correct with the exception of using Phil bearings and likely running a Brooks or Ideale saddle.

With that I am wondering who folks have used for repaints that can faithfully reproduce the grellow. I was talking to the guys at Indy Fab for some guidance and they gave me the original paint formula that one of the guys knew but noted that some of the original mix is no longer made. There is only the tiniest bit of grellow left on the fork above the race where it was masked for powder and it is just the base coat so I don't think that will be enough of a sample to reproduce the color and hoping to find a ninja out there that can do the color as well as decals.

Thoughts on who would be the best of the best?

[Doug Carter]

I have in my notes from a LOOONG time ago...

Grello is 1-part fluorescent green plus 3-parts fluorescent yellow sprayed over a white base coat (mandatory for proper fluorescent "glow"). Keep in mind that all fluorescent paints and powedercoats are not light fast and will fade drastically over time in sunlight.

The white primer base is the key to the fluorescents having that glowing appearance.

[rody]

I shared the formula with IF and Serrota paint departments when they were still actively taking on repaints.

Unfortunately, Radiance Incorporated, the company that made the flouro powders that were mixed into the clears to give the effect, has LONG ago stopped making the product. There is not currently an accurate replacement for the original Grello.

Sorry,

rody

[WD Pro]

What's the new fat yellow look like in the flesh ?

It could be a good alternative with a modern twist ?

WD

[Stingercut]

Is it just me ? Or do others find these obsolescence issues a bit depressing

[mainlyfats]

Originally Posted by Stingercut

Is it just me ? Or do others find these obsolescence issues a bit depressing

On the contrary... I can't imagine owning a bike that didn't bear the stamp of my preference and my time. IMO re-creation of a just-un-boxed bike at any cost displays a lack of imagination and ignores the question that motivates ME most: what would you do?

[Stingercut]

Originally Posted by mainlyfats

On the contrary... I can't imagine owning a bike that didn't bear the stamp of my preference and my time. IMO re-creation of a just-un-boxed bike at any cost displays a lack of imagination and ignores the question that motivates ME most: what would you do?

I take your point about originality, customising it to personal taste etc. I like metal flake in it I just find it a little unsettling when folks say something can not now be recreated. In practice I'm sure it pretty much can. I quick Google reveals plenty of goodies looking grello like

[WD Pro]

I seem to recall that Dr S on RetroBike got pretty close ? I think it might have been a white powder coat followed by a wet neon and then clear ?

I am sure the thread could be found easy enough

WD

[Stingercut]

Originally Posted by WD Pro

I seem to recall that Dr S on RetroBike got pretty close ? I think it might have been a white powder coat followed by a wet neon and then clear ?

I am sure the thread could be found easy enough

WD

Also this fine effort by Jon Rock http://www.kleinspainted.com/--repai...e1432795058037

[shiprick]

Spectrum Powder Works

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spect...55263431183740

[datmony]

Originally Posted by rody

I shared the formula with IF and Serrota paint departments when they were still actively taking on repaints.

Unfortunately, Radiance Incorporated, the company that made the flouro powders that were mixed into the clears to give the effect, has LONG ago stopped making the product. There is not currently an accurate replacement for the original Grello.

Sorry,

rody

Thanks Rody. Chris at IF (who is about as amazing of a guy as there is around. They totally hooked me up on a repair to a Deluxe I had bought) had given me the original paint mix and told me that same thing about the powder.

Dilemas dilemas...... anyone have other thoughts on what to do to bring this thing back to its former glory?

[datmony]

Originally Posted by mainlyfats

On the contrary... I can't imagine owning a bike that didn't bear the stamp of my preference and my time. IMO re-creation of a just-un-boxed bike at any cost displays a lack of imagination and ignores the question that motivates ME most: what would you do?

For this one it is not actually a lack of imagination, it is more an effort to create a time machine. I remember lusting after one of these back in the day. At the time I was a poor college student and I could only buy one nice bike and not even a custom frame at that. As a result I ended up with my Bridgestone MB1. I have never regretted that decision and despite 25K+ miles on that bike, I still love it. It has patina..... it is a mishmash of high end parts but it still rides like a dream.

In general that is my mode on almost every bike I have in my collection, build uber functional riders that I can beat the snot out of. I keep very straight forward parts selections of XTR on them so that I have a high level of interchangeability between the builds and I stick to what over the years has proven bullet proof. Heck, my 2004 Soulcraft is built with 950 cranks and M732 top mounts because they just plain work the best.

I very rarely do period correct builds, I very rarely build something to try to represent a moment in time but I do have however two projects that I am going to do very faithful restorations on. They represent to me, two similar design philosophies but taking place on two different coasts. The first of these is the subject here.... the first year Yo. I all but drooled the first time I saw a picture of this bike in Grellow. I lusted but could not afford. I have come across several over the years but none were "it". They either didn't have the original fork, were obscenely over priced, were just plainly too worked over, or were just mid to late 90s ones that did not have the same place in my heart.

The other of these I will be doing a fairly painful restoration on is an IBIS SS that I stumbled on. Both of these bikes have oversized tubes, ran 29.4 seatposts and were just plain schwanky. The Yo will be virtually all first year XC Pro although I have some cool NOS Pederson design brakes that I might put on it for a bit of flair. The SS will likely be a very straight forward M900 build with the exception of 732s and a Phil Bottom Bracket.

There will be things on both that will bear my personal preferences.... but some of that stamp may very well be trying to live in a time long since past..... even if its only for a few hours on the trail. Neither of these will be trailer queens. MTBs are made to be ridden and these will be......

[mainlyfats]

Well then I'd have faith in Keith Anderson to get as close as possible today (if you've got the scratch).

http://www.keithandersoncycles.com/K...on_Cycles.html

[Stingercut]

If you are talking ^^ $$$s you might as well get Leni Fried to doodle all over it and make it a true work of art These bikes came out during the rave scene so loads of smilies, neon multicolour, rude boys, spaced out piil heads, pirates, DJs wearing baboon jackets...ya get me ?

[Spikes]

Kudos to Keith! He'll get the job done...