Here's my latest build-in-progress. I just got these from my powder coater last night. The first one is a Pro Stretch that I will be building for myself. The second one is a pro that's for sale. The pro has a set of Auburn forks.

PS Before


PS After




Pro Before


Pro After

Sweet kastans. Those are the only ones I've ever seen that weren't that orangy red.
Have you ever seen one that was cracked at the junction of the seat stays from someone over tightening the bolt ? The bolt is so close to the welds it looks like it could stress them.

Kastanman, let me know what you need to finish her, I'll help you out if i can.

[ October 28, 2005, 10:47 PM: Message edited by: KastanKillector ]

92gli, the junction at the clamp area is a really nice weld job. It took the guys longer to weld that on than most of the frame. Very smooth. On top of that the seatpost for these is 25.4, not 22.2, so the seatube is not a skinny butted up against larger top and bottom tubes. The clamping power is great. Used on Kastans, same style till 1999, then to Mosh, same thing, just that the clamp was welded on the front, as well as the early Iron Horse frames. I'll try to get you a pic to check it out closer.

Clamp on a couple cruisers. I put the raw one in so you can see the work.

another

Yellow

[ October 28, 2005, 10:47 PM: Message edited by: KastanKillector ]

they also came in true blue, not the pink misfit up top.

[ October 28, 2005, 07:57 PM: Message edited by: KastanKillector ]

Are the true Blue Kex's the first run of frames? Dont see many of those! That Pick Kex is Haggard!!! I know, I am still working on it!!!!

Red was first. Then all of a sudden the Green/Teal hit the scene. Red always looks orangy in the pics. But it's red. Blue and yellow with the Green/Teal. The Prototype was a red frame, red Uniblade and red bars.

Have you ever heard about kastan riders riding 24k gold dipped uni blades? That is what I have heard, but never seen one? I was told it was only for the team riders?

Kman: Looks like your frames turned out great! Is the powder color dead on or a slightly different shade. I brought my teal KEX to a paint shop and found a really close match (DCC 41480), but I would rather go with powder. It's stripped now and ready for a new coat

KKillector: Awesome pics! I don't recall ever seeing a yellow or blue KEX. PLMK if you can hook me up with some decals.

The gold Uniblades were plated, 2 of them, by one of the team riders Dad's. Never ever factory produced.

[ October 28, 2005, 09:46 PM: Message edited by: KastanKillector ]

Kastanman- What kindof fork you using on the build? Nice rides!!!

Are you gonna sell the Auburn forks? I'd love to have them for my Auburn !

Yo Kastanman, I have a candy apple red KEX prototype from 1990. I rode for one of the Co-Factory teams back then. I also used to do a little R&D on the side, because our shop was so close to the factory. I am going to scan some pics of the bike as it was built, plus I will get some new shots of just the frame. I used to ride the strut (as it was called by Kastan), and never had any problems with it (and I weighed about 235 lbs. when I rode it.
I don't have too much left of my Kastan stuff, that frame, and old KEX cruiser and my uniform.

By the way, the first colors for Kastan werered, then the teal. About '93 they started painting them yellow, I'm not sure about the blue frames.

The shop owner and I painted the Factory Teams Razorback helmets around that time (When Matt Hadan was on the team). It was fun, but lots of work trying to get 8-9 helmets almost exactly the same, the only difference between each helmet was the design on the visor (Kind of an old Eddy Van Halen Guitar scheme, with the Kastan colors, of course!)

Good luck with those re-builds!

HinkDog

Here is a prototype tested in March 1989. The difference from production models being on the frame at the droppouts. The seat-stays and chain-stays stop clean.

[ October 30, 2005, 12:38 PM: Message edited by: KastanKillector ]

And production, with the very clean cut-outs, used on Kastan frames till 97-98ish.

[ October 30, 2005, 11:19 AM: Message edited by: KastanKillector ]

KastanKillector,

I believe that is the Prototype I was referring to. After they got the frame back from the test, they stripped the paint and gave it a candy-apple red coating that was for Gary Fisher bikes (Linn was making some frames for them). Closed stays and the cable guides are all in tact.

HinkDog

[ October 30, 2005, 12:22 PM: Message edited by: HinkDog411 ]

Oh yeah, note the size of the downtube, oversized (actually, kind of ovalized). That's another give away.

HinkDog

Sorry I haven't been back to the site in a few days. Lots of OT at work.

KastanKillector, I think the only things I need are decals. I have a fair reproduction of a downtube sticker, but that's it. I would like to get some repos done, but I'm about 5 decals away. That and maybe a seatpost. I've got NOS 2piece Kastan bars, the chrome Kastan forks. I've bid on every set of Kastan cranks that's come up for auction, but the sellers have all ended the auction early. I'd take some four-piece bars if you got some extras


Akcuda, Its a little darker than the factory color. The Dupont color is RAL 6033 Mint Turquoise, and its not super glossy, but neither was the factory teal.

Hinkdog411, that’s Awesome that you got that proto. Post some pics.

Does anyone know why my PS has an oval top tube and the Pro has a round one?

LOL

Kastanman,

Apapparently, the Pro Stretch had the Oval top tube. I took a look at my proto yesterday, and it IS NOT the one from the test. Mine has an oval top tube as well as down tube, BUT it does have the closed style dropouts/seat& chain stays as shown in the pic from KastanKillector. While it's not the one from the test (I'm kind of bummed about that), it is definitely a Prototype.

I will post some pics soon, I have to dig through my old photos & scan them, etc. I will also be taking some newer pics of it as it is.

Thanks for the props!

HinkDog

Proto Pics

[ April 01, 2006, 04:06 PM: Message edited by: HinkDog411 ]

Nice ride! The rear drops look like redline drops and not kastan drops. What is the serial number? Sweet frame!

It's a prototype, there is no serial number. It was made from old pl-24 cruiser tubing that they still had around.

Where did you find that frame? Are you going to build it or what?

OUCH ... what was that ? I think I just got bit by a Kastan bug !!!!!!!!!!! want to play ! ALL the Kastan stuff I've seen is so sweet ! keep schooling me , PLEASE !!!

Heres one of our Aussie Kastans at our recent gathering. This one belongs to V8ute (Anthony) Pics from Waza !


[ November 16, 2005, 01:45 AM: Message edited by: Coastvl ]

I got the frame straight from the factory manager on a Sunday at KMP in 1990. I had been in a car accident with my production KEX Pro S, which resulted in a smashed and bent downtube. Since I was on a co-factory Kastan team, we called them to see about getting a new frame at team deal, but they said don't worry, they'd bring me a new one. I had it built up w/ a chrome strut and all chrome parts. It was sweet! I even had the Kastan bars (regular, not forklifter style).

No, I am not going to build it, that's not my thing. I just have been holding on to it for the memories.

The frame has seen some battles. It served me well in the early '90s. It was the first 20" I raced as a Pro.

-HinkDog

any chance of seeing all of that mag test
you tease us with, please .... ?

and more pics of these bikes too
i am begining to appreciate this brand

Sweet proto HinkDog, but why not build it back the way you had it. Don't restore it, just build it as a survivor. That way you don't have spend the $$$$ for NOS parts.

Do you feel the peer pressure?

My cousin just gave me a hole bunch of old mags last night, and I noticed that one issue has a Kastan test on the cover. Problem is I don't have a scanner.

Now I understand why V8ute bids on Kastan stuff, he has a really nice ride. I will post pics of the magazine later when I get home guys. And soon, very soon, my 24's will be done. Oh, yeah.

I think it is kind of cool how V8ute's build and mine resemble each other. Kind of like long lost cousins or something. The setup is kind of the same considering the inverted stem and position of everythig. Nice!

Ok who has their fork on backwards? I'm thinking v8ute, because the one in the test I have is the same way as Kastankillector. Kastankillector do you have decals for the 24's?

They made the strut in both left and right side, so no-one has one on backwards. I have used both and noticed no difference between them.

Kastanman- Are you running a blade on your build?

All I know is that the decals on the bay right now are not the right color.

What are you talking about, I thought forest green was the kastan color????? lol! Look like hell, plus you know you will never get them from the guy!

I

AM

THE

KASTAN

KING



[ November 16, 2005, 08:17 PM: Message edited by: KastanKillector ]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

KastanKillector is The Kastan King, so you better recognize!!!!!!!!!!!

I remember being very impressed with that article. I ended up ordering a Proline Pro with the strut & forklifter IIs at the bike shop where I worked. I still have it too--the issue and the bike
Hink: Very cool proto you have there

Thanks akcuda, it has served me well in the past. I even got quite a few compliments on it when I built it up the first time. J-Rich saw it in Vegas in '90 (when he still lived there & was riding for L&S, remember them?) he told me it was the dopest looking bike he had seen. It's funny, 'cuz when he moved down here (San Diego), I reminded him of that very statement when he saw me with the bike & said that it looked familiar.

-HinkDog

I know there is a wanted section, but figured itd be more appropriate here in the kastan thread.

Anyone have any headtube decals?

My KEX is at the paint shop and I need a headtube decal to finish her off.

I am also looking for a uni fork and a standard fork if anyone is selling.

Almost have all the parts for an assembly, pics soon to follow.

Thanks.

[ December 10, 2005, 11:36 PM: Message edited by: plainsbikesouth ]

Hey plains, Do you have a full set minus headtube?

Yeah, basically, I responded to your PM.