Brought Home Another Stray - 84 Tecate

[jb2wheels]

I WAS thinning the herd but, well, most of you understand I'm sure...

I actually picked this up in July.
It runs and was only $400. It was in impulse buy.
Looks great in the picture but it's really a POS.
Lot's of . Like all the green is actually red plastics. And everything else is freshly painted black.
And the frame is butchered by the grab bar.
Needs "everything" - bearings, chain, sprockets, etc.

On the plus side, I already stripped the green paint and the plastics are in better shape than I expected.

Well, crap, the picture uploader is fighting me - I'll try again later.

[MojaveRider]

Did you buy this from a guy that lived in a trailer in Magnolia? If so, I looked at this bike but he was still asking more than $400 for it so I passed. Make sure you check the water pump seals. It was very low on water when I looked at it; he added at least 1/2 gallon of straight water to it in front of me.

[jb2wheels]

Yep - that's the one. I probably should have walked away from it after I saw it. It runs but... what a pile.

[MojaveRider]

I'm glad it went to someone that is going to save it instead of letting it deteriorate further.

Here is the picture he sent me before I went to look at it. If only it was this nice in person...

[jb2wheels]

Cool - that's the picture I have.

The green paint on the tank started to bubble while it was still in the van on the way home. That's funny right there.

[yaegerb]

Cool - that's the picture I have.

The green paint on the tank started to bubble while it was still in the van on the way home. That's funny right there.

Pictures must really be deceiving because from that picture looks like one helluva buy for $400.

[MojaveRider]

Pictures must really be deceiving because from that picture looks like one helluva buy for $400.

His original asking price was $900 (when I first saw the ad anyway), and I thought it was a good buy at that price from the picture alone. He said it didn't need any work, nothing at all.

[Frankencelery]

His original asking price was $900 (when I first saw the ad anyway), and I thought it was a good buy at that price from the picture alone. He said it didn't need any work, nothing at all.

Yeah, a lot of guys say that, and then you get there and you have to ask what it DOESN'T need. I'm not a violent guy, but when you drive hours to see something and then find it's a PoS, it really pisses you off and makes your fists itch.

Mine was similar. Also an impulse buy, looked great in the pics. Guy said there was NOTHING wrong with it, and I've put about another $500 into it just to get it rideable. I came on 3ww and bitched about it, and folks here put me in my place, saying any running Tecate for the price I paid is a good deal. Yours probably was too, and another one will be saved, which is a good thing.

[ama009]

Mine too!! Guy wanted 2k and Drove 3 hours to see it because he said it didnt need anything. At least it ran and had new tires, but needs everything else.

[jb2wheels]

I'll save it for sure!

It is actually fairly complete and it did run.
And the radiator doesn't leak.

But...

They painted the RED plastics GREEN.
And cut about a foot off the stock pipe to sort of slip on some kind of 4 stroke muffler.
And of course no air filter in the box - a personal pet peeve

By the time it's said and done, I'll probably have another 6-800 in it but it will be a nice duner.

I did already snipe a Banshee shock off eBay that came up cheap.

[MojaveRider]

I'll save it for sure!

It is actually fairly complete and it did run.
And the radiator doesn't leak.

But...

They painted the RED plastics GREEN.
And cut about a foot off the stock pipe to sort of slip on some kind of 4 stroke muffler.
And of course no air filter in the box - a personal pet peeve

By the time it's said and done, I'll probably have another 6-800 in it but it will be a nice duner.

I did already snipe a Banshee shock off eBay that came up cheap.

Did he fix the rear brakes? He told me the rear brakes worked, but when I got there the rear master was seized and disconnected.

[tecaterob]

The pic looks great... Still a good buy. Lets be honest, what can you buy with $400 now and days...

[jb2wheels]

The pic looks great... Still a good buy. Lets be honest, what can you buy with $400 now and days...

You're right of course. A little buyer's remorse to match the seller's remorse I have from selling the 85 I brought back from CA. That was not my best decision.

[jb2wheels]

Did he fix the rear brakes? He told me the rear brakes worked, but when I got there the rear master was seized and disconnected.

That's funny, too.

There's no bleeder in the caliper. No way those brakes will work. The only reason the fronts work is because they're cable operated.

[smrover1]

Sounds like the tri-z i just picked up nothing works on it. Hell for 3 to 400 bucks what the hell. when i still go out in the garage i still just look at it in awww I remember looking at these new on the showroom floor as a kid. It still puts a smile on my face after 30 years i finally own one.