1980 Cobra Pro

Winner: 2013 Pushies Galore Build-Off

LixBMX RAWR Custom Pro build sketch animated

Meet the LixBMX 'RAWR' Custom Pro, my custom creation for the 2013 Pushies Galore BMX Build-off. I was initially disappointed when I first found out that the build-off rules required there to be no brand names on the frame (other than our own, or fictional) and no professional refinishing (DIY only), but after mulling it over for a few days a new kind of excitement kicked in. This point of difference in the build criteria has forced me to think outside the box and play to my love of design with no 'era-correct' aesthetic to fence me in.

Build Concept

My plan is strip the frame right back and give it a contemporary raw-look finish with some cool trompe-l'oeil heat-tint-esque detailing around the welds. After detailing I'll clear coat it and build it up with a hybrid vintage-meets-street aesthetic — the complete antithesis of 'factory'. I'm going to use parts I already have lying around, most of which I'll need to strip/polish/restore to suit the build and bring the bling. My budget for the build is $100. I'll be sticking to it like glue, so it'll be all about elbow grease and transforming my old orphaned parts into something special.

Watch the RAWR build video on Vimeo →

Parts List

(White = parts I already have, Red = need to purchase)

Frame & Forks: 1980 TBC Cobra Pro by Koizumi (to be stripped, polished, custom detailed and clear coated)

Bars: Mongoose Supergoose cromo (to be stripped, polished, custom detailed and clear coated)

Cranks: Sugino Mighty 3PC with matching 43T chainring (both to be stripped and polished) with grey crank caps and chainring bolts (from bike-parts-plus-more.com.au)

Bottom Bracket: Hi-Tech square taper (from detailedbikeco.com.au)

Pedals: Carbon Cycles eXotic PC platforms in 'Cola' (translucent brown) with crmo spindles (from carboncycles.cc)

Chain: KMC (to be cleaned/stripped and polished)

Wheelset: Alex 36spoke alloy rims, black/shiny side, with low flange Mongoose hubs (hubs to be cleaned, shiny sides and spokes to be polished) with silver missile valve caps (from bike-parts-plus-more.com.au)

Freewheel: Dicta 16T

Tyres: Duro whitewall 1.75, street tread (from bike-parts-plus-more.com.au)

Seat: UGP (to be stripped and recovered in custom tooled, stitched and brush dyed leather) with black seat guts (from bike-parts-plus-more.com.au)

Seat post: Generic cromo layback (chrome finish)

Seat post clamp: Tuf-Neck copy (to be stripped and polished)

Grips: Vans waffle grips by Cult, in brown with black bar plugs (from LuxBMX.com)

Headset: Odyssey Dynatron

Stem: SR MS-420 (to be stripped and polished)

Brake (rear only): MX-1000 copy (to be stripped and polished)

Brake lever: Dia Compe MX-124, black (refinished for another build, but not used)

Brake Cable: Hi-Tech inner with Porkchop BMX neon pink housing (from PorkchopBMX.com)

Budget Breakdown

Grips: $20

Tyres: $30

Pedals: $10.75

Chainring bolts: $9

Crank caps: 60c

Seat guts: $4

Valve caps: $2.50

Brake Cable: $15.99

Bottom bracket: $0 (bartered)

History

In its day this Koizumi made TBC Cobra Pro frame was also released as the Diamondback TK, Centurion Force and the (Diamondback) Pro-Star A-Series. The 'Cobra Pro' branded release was the Toowoomba Bicycle Company's pro race BMX intended to stack up against Mongoose and similar pro race frames of the time.

This is how it once would have looked in its youth...