My very un-original Grifter

[wizard]

So, quick backstory. I was born in '89 so I missed all the grifters the first time round, but when I was young I needed a bike, dad found a knackered old grifter on a scrapheap and brought it home to fix up for me (him being an engineer and all).

It was originally metallic blue, but neither the colourscheme nor most of the trimmings survived the process of making it functional (the original chain was so rusted it came off in the shape it was when it was on the bike, all the chrome pieces were ruined, the seat was destroyed).

It got repainted a few years later, and the wheels swapped out for other grifter ones.

I THINK it's a mk1, the original tyres were the round profile ones with regular hexagons on, not the square ones with long thin blocks.

Here are some pictures as it stands now (I just replaced the tyres and brake pads to make it functional again)






What I would like your expertise on is a) what mk is this if you can tell me, and b) what's up with the forks? All the pictures I can find of grifters have a crossmember on the crown of the fork, mine doesn't, it's rounded tubing instead of a butt-joint.

Thanks
Matt

[oleskool]

great story mate! ye forks arent original.. i like it!

[Scooter]

The forks are Either BMX forks, or from a period 20 inch wheeled ATB / MTB / Other model bike.

Also, sounds and looks like it is a mk1.

[bigbifter]

post the frame number and that will reveal all

[sensei]

Apr 9, 2013 0:10:11 GMT wizard said:

So, quick backstory. I was born in '89 so I missed all the grifters the first time round, but when I was young I needed a bike, dad found a knackered old grifter on a scrapheap and brought it home to fix up for me (him being an engineer and all).

It was originally metallic blue, but neither the colourscheme nor most of the trimmings survived the process of making it functional (the original chain was so rusted it came off in the shape it was when it was on the bike, all the chrome pieces were ruined, the seat was destroyed).

It got repainted a few years later, and the wheels swapped out for other grifter ones.

I THINK it's a mk1, the original tyres were the round profile ones with regular hexagons on, not the square ones with long thin blocks.

Here are some pictures as it stands now (I just replaced the tyres and brake pads to make it functional again)






What I would like your expertise on is a) what mk is this if you can tell me, and b) what's up with the forks? All the pictures I can find of grifters have a crossmember on the crown of the fork, mine doesn't, it's rounded tubing instead of a butt-joint.

Thanks
Matt

[BB]

Yep, metallic blue was on the MK1. Don't remember a metallic MK2. Its been a while