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fox 4styler resto - my holy grail

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theRuler:
i'll start at the beginning . . . .

the fox 4styler was my first "decent" bmx. i got a crappy bike for xmas in 83, and rode it to death and beyond.
but xmas 85, i got this:


xmas day 1985.

i was 12 at the time. this bike made a huge difference to my riding, as it was far far better than the 80 quid bought-from-a-petrol-station bike i had rode for the previous 2 years.


xmas day 1985 - off with the chainguard and reflectors, and into a gumbie

i rode this bike for a couple of years, but i cracked the frame during year 2. i rewelded it a couple of times but it kept cracking behind the seatclamp. it was the layback putting the stress on the frame, but that was seized in and i couldn't shift it!! afterwards i rode a gen one haro up until i quit at the end of 1989. but the fox was special as it was my first "decent" bike.

when i got back into riding again in 1996 i looked around for another one, but in those pre-internet days there was few places to look (my dad had binned all my bmx stuff after i left it cluttering up the garage).

i had posted on most bmx forums over the years asking if someone had one. only a few people had even heard of them.

until about a year ago - dan harris won one off ebay. he didn't know what it was, but dan is a bmx magnet and will buy anything that looks interesting!  i got wind of this ebay purchase and literally couldn't believe it!! a complete fox4. under 100 quid too!! i badgered dan to death, until he cracked like a fox frame. the following day i collected the bike in person from near manchester:


the picture in the ebay advert

it had been ridden like that. the stem was locked up tight with the bars in that position!

it was a bit beaten, but complete and with all it's original parts (slightly different spec to mine, but some were sold with zytecs, some with sumo alloys)

so i stripped it to bare metal
resprayed it in 2k white
sourced all the parts that were on the list for the one i had - copy comp 3's (lol), aero zytecs, suntour power stem copy

i restored/reused:
frame, forks
crank, powerdisc, chainring
seatpost
brakes - and cables !!!!!
bars, headset, BB

got a new seat, new zytecs, new chain, new tyres, new black mushy's (toadstools)
i redrew the stickers from photos, and steve p printed them out for me (thanks steve)

i have built the bike to the exact spec that it was when i got one on xmas day
except i used a genuine suntour power stem (the copy wouldn't fit!!!) and i used shimano dx's instead of wellgos, as i had a black set kicking around

anyways here's the pics . . . .
(excuse the lol qual - taken on my phone)

















and here's a token gut lever



it was easier 21 years ago ;)



thanks for reading, and keep searching for your own holy grail. one will turn up!

Del:
Great history with some great pics, fantastic build and congrats for finishing your holy grail, I remember a kid had one of those around my way BITD.  :daumenhoch:

downhill3375:
 :4_17_5: that gra  8)

b45t4rd:
Cool story :)
Cool bike, like it a lot, is the headtube steeper than a TRM?
One on the bay at the mo £250 starting price! :shocked:

harris:
nicely put together,and great history of you and the fox   :)

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