# RARE TITAN built Western Flyer BUILD!



## partsguy

Well folks, I got home, had some free time, the weather was nice, and so I decided to get down to business. I want to have this bike done, running, and back on the trails by this coming Spring (if Spring is defined by our crazy weather, then I'm far behind). First, a bit of a history lesson:

According to the BMX Museum, Titan was in business from 1984-1997. Not a very long life span. Titan was more famous in the BMX world, but they began to expand. Production of their first mountain bikes began in 1987. Judging from the many catalogs I own, Western Auto struck a deal with Titan in 1989 to produce some of their new mountain bikes for the Western Flyer line. This deal would be renewed until the 1994 model year. This bike, the Kodiak, was produced from circa 1991-1993. It may have been out in 1990 as well, but I do not have any resources for this year yet. I believe this Kodiak is one of the last bikes built when Titan was still an independent company, which means it is most likely a 1992. It could be a '93, but I'll have to really dig on this one. The differences between the two years is very subtle.

Anyway, here is what I am starting with; a true junkyard dog. He was found by accident while salvaging a 1974 Raleigh LTD at a scrapyard. The bike was under a pile of barb wire and chain link fence. I pulled it out with ease. Amazing what you can accomplish with a little adrenaline! The Raleigh and the Western Flyer were bought at scrap price: $13. The Raleigh was parted out for a nice pay out of about $70.

Parked just at the end of my Mtn/BMX area sits the treasure:








Note the iconic trait of the original Titan frames:








One of the shifters was replaced, but one of the originals remain. You can still make out "Western" on the label.




All in all, the frame is completely RUST FREE! I only wish I could say the same for the wheels. The wheels, cables, and possibly the entire transmission (cassette, gear shifter and all) will be replaced. They look as if they sat under water for 20 yrs, not on the road. The local bike shop does custom headbadges so I'll have them reconstruct a new badge for this. I have a 1988 Wildcat with a better badge to go off of. That will be posted later. All in good time.

Tomorrow, I get to TEAR DOWN! DEMOLITION IS TOMORROW, STAY TUNED!


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## 1959firearrow

O man, you have me hooked cause and now that I think back on it its insane I love 80s mountain bike cause I grew up tearing a barn full of them apart to make a decent one. My brothers went through tons of mountain bikes. That splatterish paint is awesome. I've been scanning the free trash days for years ever since my dad threw out all the bikes:eek:. I wouldn't mind having a good rider like this hope the build goes well gonna keep an eye on this. Man I miss those paint jobs.


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## partsguy

1959firearrow said:


> O man, you have me hooked cause and now that I think back on it its insane I love 80s mountain bike cause I grew up tearing a barn full of them apart to make a decent one. My brothers went through tons of mountain bikes. That splatterish paint is awesome. I've been scanning the free trash days for years ever since my dad threw out all the bikes:eek:. I wouldn't mind having a good rider like this hope the build goes well gonna keep an eye on this. Man I miss those paint jobs.




I didn't get a chance to tear down today. The garage is more of a car port and when it is cold, rainy, and windy, I'm not one for working outside. After I clean out all the JUNK in the basement I can continue doing my down there in the winter months.

If you look closely at one of the pics, there is another 80s mountain bike. Blue and black splatter, and its a 20in. That is my first bike. A circa 1988 Spectra Mtn. Madness, built by Murray. It been parked since Nov. 2004 pretty much.


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## Zephyr

The frame shape of your bike reminds me of the GT's. That looks like quite a project with all that rust. Might be fun times too. Can't wait to see the progress.


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## partsguy

Well, I have been setting my priorities straight. Classes first. I worked hard, got some stuff done ahead of time, and so I rewarded myself by tearing down my 1966 Huffy Silver Jet (see other thread soon) and FINALLY getting around to this guy! Like they said on _Trick My Truck_ "LETS TEAR DOWN!"

The first thing to go was the rusty and faded old water bottle cage thing. This was not a stock piece so I just snapped it off. The screw and wing nut were too rusted to budge anyway.








It is as if the bike sat at the bottom of the Ohio River for 20 years, and not on the trails. The chain was now PART OF the rear rim. This one is being replaced and is going in my scrap pile. RIP.




Ah, now we are getting down to the nitty gritty.




I wanna say these bars are bent, but it may just be a factory thing, it looks too perfectly bent. Know what I mean? I'll check my books.




I removed the anchor bolt for the stem and this watery, gooey, black crap just came POURING out of the frame! It reminded me of the pink slime in Ghostbusters 2! Well, this bike is from that era, so who knows?




My stopping point for the evening:




So, in conclusion of this post, I've found a few things. I was confused as to which cables were correct/original for the bike. As I started to remove the transmission parts and pulling the cables, I checked the one hooked into the original Western Auto shifter and I found that the white cables are indeed the originals, but they are not supposed to be white...they're that faded. They used to be a bright red color to match the "Kodiak" decals. The only spots that weren't faded were pretty much the small 1/4in portions that were in the frame lugs and inside the shifter itself. I also found that while the shifter cables were extremely rusty and almost locked up, the brakes worked just fine once I removed the bent and rusty wheels. Both wheels are junk and there is no way to save them. I'll just have to find myself a donor bike or see if the bike shop has any suitable replacements. The derailer and casette may or may not be salvageable, I think I may have to dip them in "evapo-rust" or something similar to really tell.


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## partsguy

I wonder if I can even buy those red cables anymore. Any ideas on how to go about this or am I going to have to try to restore them? One is cracked and shot so at least one will have to go.


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## partsguy

Well, I'm stuck. Ok, not me, the pedals. Unlike in the past when I was working with metal pedals and I was able to use a small amount of heat, these are plastic. Normally, plastic pedals are bound for the trash, but not when they are very nice and hard to find "Old School" Wellgo pedals that cost $30-$40 to replace if I destroy them. So WD-40 ain't working, I'm out and so I have to go get some Liquid Wrench. Dad bought the WD-40 for his purposes but its funny how I used it up. I just can't stand that horrid new cap design.

Also, is there a specialized wrench for these things? Nothing I have seems to really grip them good enough and as said, I don't want to destroy these things.


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## partsguy

Zephyr said:


> The frame shape of your bike reminds me of the GT's. That looks like quite a project with all that rust. Might be fun times too. Can't wait to see the progress.




Well, you and another member on RRB thought it resembled a GT. So I decided to research that and sure enough, A DEAD RINGER! I thought it was a Titan because of the ads describing it as a "Titan frame" and the similar welds at the seat tube. But Titans (from what I've seen) did have a completely different rear dropout. So being a GT does make better sense. So A GT IT IS!

This should also make parts hunting somewhat easier too (I hope).


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## partsguy

Well, I tried to get the rear sifter and deraileur working, the shifter works, but as for the deraileur, "He's dead, Jim." I did find a perfect match on the great fleabay in a lot of old parts. Prepare for extras in the classifieds soon!


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## kngtmat

Check out Sears Parts Direct because they have the same frame but under the name called the Grizzly & another bike, they also have some parts too (Some are the Substitution some are the original part & number.) like the chainwheel & guard.


http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...8/1303200/00061166/00001?blt=06&prst=&shdMod=

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...8/1303200/00062227/00001?blt=06&prst=&shdMod=


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## partsguy

kngtmat said:


> Check out Sears Parts Direct because they have the same frame but under the name called the Grizzly & another bike, they also have some parts too (Some are the Substitution some are the original part & number.) like the chainwheel & guard.
> 
> 
> http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...8/1303200/00061166/00001?blt=06&prst=&shdMod=
> 
> http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...8/1303200/00062227/00001?blt=06&prst=&shdMod=






Thanks, but I've got the rear deraileur kind of freed up, but I'm dipping it and the front deraileur (what the hell?) in an electrolyte bath and they are taking a bath as I type, along with other parts. Wish I did this before. As for Sears having ANY Western Flyer parts, its because they bought out Western Auto around 1987 I think. Then they sold them off to Advance Auto and there marked the end. I wouldn't trust present day Sears parts, because unlike the American and Japanese parts on this bike, the ones today are made over in Red China. I have dealt with repairing enough modern deraileurs to know. But thanks for the gesture anyway.

Personally, I think this being a GT built bike is a rumor, its back to being a Titan. For a couple of reasons:

1) Some very helpful guys on Vintagebmx.com informed me that if it was a GT, it would have the GT emblem stamped on the frame somewhere, regaurdless of where it is sold.

2) I looked very closely and found GENUINE Titan BADGED bikes in the back of the catalogs in the limited quantity bikes section.


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## kngtmat

No problem, one of the main things I wanted you to see is they have the owners manual unless they are availible elswhere online.


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## partsguy

kngtmat said:


> No problem, one of the main things I wanted you to see is they have the owners manual unless they are availible elswhere online.




Hold the phone! Owner's Manual? Missed that! I'll have to check that again, but I'll also order some new cables and cable covers if they have them, surely those are still good.

Oh, and I worked today from about 9:00 AM - 11:30 PM (UofL v. New Mexico!). 9:00-10:30 I was pickin, and I had great success! Nothing to do with the Titan, though. But I got back and pulled the parts from soaking over night. The chaingaurd is naked, as I figured it would be with all of that rust. But not all is lost! My friend suggested going over it with steel wool and clear coating it for a "brushed look". I like that idea! The rear deraileur is being taken apart for a complete rebuild, the front deraileur got tossed in my scrap pile. I also dipped my Huffy Silver Jet tail light bucket. Sadly, I'm afraid there may be very little metal left to go off of in the morning. Well, after church anyway. I can't smell like rust in church! :eek:

Anyway, I got a lot of stuff done. I also was cleaning out the garage and well, kinda showed off the bikes too. I couldn't resist, there were people around.  I'm notorious for that! 

Anyway, I digress. Back to the Titan. I'm informed that the bike is simply a junk bike from the 90s, GT, Titan, "Ugo-Hapan" Chinese or what ever it is. Well, I have confirmed it is a Titan, first and foremost, exact year unknown, but the proof is in the ads and on the way. 

Secondly, this bike is historic and by that, let me explain. Its kind of the last of its kind in a way. For those who are old enough, Western Auto was in every small town in America in seemed. My dad had fond memeories of living in E-Town (local for "Elizabethtown") Kentucky and in there going with his dad into the Western Auto store. The faded old painted ad from the store still remains on a building in the E-Town Sqaure, we pass it whenever we are visiting family.  Everybody remembers the store and most remember it fondly. It was even a part of America's pop culture, as a Western Auto store can be seen in the _Back To The Future_ movies as Marty is chased around by Biff in 1955 and as he tries to get back to the future when the lightning hits the clock tower. In the second movie, it was Western Auto that repaired Biff's car from the manure crash and in the end of this movie and the beginning of the third, the store is seen again. Then, in the early 1990s, NASCAR fans had their share of exposure to the store on the hood of Darrell Waltrip's Chevrolet Lumina race car.

For us bicycle collectors, riders, and enthusaists, the term "Western Auto" or "Western Flyer" bring some other memories to mind, such iconic bikes like the X-53, Golden Flyer, Cosmic Flyer, Buzz Bike, Wildcat, and Ram Rod just to name a few. In 2003 the remains of the battered Western Auto chain closed their doors as a company after the buyout from Advance Auto Parts.

A lower end Titan? Maybe. But it does mark the end of an era. Its like finding a 1961 Desoto. Valuable? No, not much. Historic? Yes, in it's own sort of way.


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## kngtmat

The same with a lot of the old US stores but I have only been around for their last 20 of those stores lives, your Western Flyer, my dads and I think that BMX in the other thread are the only ones from the 1990's I have seen but I didn't see either of those bikes at that Sears Parts site like yours is.


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## partsguy

The brake levers, stem, handlebars, frame, and chain ring, are all either done or almost done. I was about done with buffing the frame, and that high gloss black paint came through and bright red swirls began to pop again. This thing screams 1990!


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## kngtmat

Cool, can't wait to see any future pics.



Last week I saw a Murray bike with the same frame too so I guess one company made a frame that two other companies liked so much that they copied it.


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## partsguy

kngtmat said:


> Cool, can't wait to see any future pics.
> 
> 
> 
> Last week I saw a Murray bike with the same frame too so I guess one company made a frame that two other companies liked so much that they copied it.




GT among many other high end bikes were cloned by many overseas companies I hear. I am unsure of any Titan clones, however. I would like to see this Murray if you have pics. GT did have similar frames, but the top tube on those were a bit longer and extended past the seat tube.


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## kngtmat

I will look tomorrow when I get the time since I am
 this little phone right now.

Edit:Here is two pics of a frame I saw.


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## partsguy

Very similar, but what Murray didn't do was copy the twin tubes on the rear. If you look closely, those are curved and mine are straight as a tack. Also, the serial number is on the headtube, while mine is on the top of the bottom bracket.


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## partsguy

*Leaked photo!*

As it sits now:


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## partsguy

kngtmat said:


> I will look tomorrow when I get the time since I am
> this little phone right now.
> 
> Edit:Here is two pics of a frame I saw.
> View attachment 47634View attachment 47635




I also noticed that the mount for the rear brakes is a flat piece of metal on the Murray while this mine has a tube and the kickstand mount id different as well.

Geez everybody copied each other in the 80s!

Anyway, I found a small rust spot on the rear, so I'm going to sand that down and touch it up. You won't notice it unless you either turn the bike over or take the rear wheel off, but it must be addressed. I don't want to repaint the frame. Replicating that swirl design would be difficult and probably costly to do. Keep in mind the bike is only worth about $250 when done.


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## kngtmat

I noticed the differences too.



The frame looks way better.


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## kngtmat

I just came across while search Western Flyer bicycles in the google image search, it's another one like yours but blue.
http://leagueofbikepolo.com/bike/yo-soy/wester-flyer-24


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## Andrew Gorman

For red cable housing, Loose Screws has it:
http://www.loosescrews.com/index.cg...ke Casing&tc=&item_id=LS-6524AC&id=6633197335
A good source for other things you need in more than bike shop quantities and less than a pallet.  You should really try to track down a Huffy Aerowind if you like weird, 1980's, US built bikes-
http://oldtenspeedgallery.com/owner-submitted/monday-market-10-speeds-a-plenty/#.T5dDorNSQr4
second from the top!


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## partsguy

The bike polo link made me laugh! I never heard of such a thing! That particular bike is a 1994 model, which was the last year with the Titan contract (I think). As for the red cables, I appreciate the link! All I'm ever finding is black! The other parts will come from the various junkers my neighbor drags in. I got a Giant in about 2 or 3 weeks ago and that yeilded some very nice Shimano deraileurs. Cables aside, the only other thing to track down is a new crank and wheels. I found that some ding bat reversed the threads on one of the crank arms.

Anyway, I haven't had much time to work on this, the completed frame set as sat undisturbed for about two weeks now. Any spare time to myself is far and few between now. I really appreciate the continued support I have recieved here and when this is done, I'm gonna have some fun on the trails!

Oh, I was going to bid on a digital Western Flyer speedometer on eBay. It needed to be rebuilt due to battery corrosion but I forgot to bid - darnnit! Three years ago those were everywhere!


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## partsguy

Oh, and that Giant also yielded an exact replacement grip for the one that was broken, so now that is taken care of as well!


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## kngtmat

Cool, how is it going lately.


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## partsguy

I actually have just started finishing projects for the first time in months, I give my classes priority. Nothing has changed but the Western Flyer shifter is about to be rebuilt and the bottom bracket is being reasembled. The Greenfield kickstand is being polished as well.


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## kngtmat

That's cool, I can't finish any of my projects since I don't have the money or know anyone close enough that could paint my Christine bike and a few of my other stuff I'm too poor to finish right now.


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## partsguy

Forgot all about this old thread. The bike is done, except for the wheels, crank, and chain ring. I am still looking for the right ones. I want to upgrade and put something decent in there. The paint cleaned up real nice and so did the graphics. Fork, bars, grips, cables, all are done. It's got new derailleurs, the Western Auto shifter was rebuilt (still looking for a second one), seat post was restored, found a nice seat for it, all new brakes, headset rebuilt.


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## partsguy

After a long and straining search, I have FOUND a pair of matching Western Flyer-badged thumb shifters! I'll be getting back on this build, I haven't done anything to it in a long time.


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## partsguy

kngtmat said:


> That's cool, I can't finish any of my projects since I don't have the money or know anyone close enough that could paint my Christine bike and a few of my other stuff I'm too poor to finish right now.




I forgot you were closely following this build. How have things been on the Christine bike?

I'm so glad to FINALLY find these shifters. I can finish this Western Flyer and starting working on my other one!

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335809022&icep_item=132014425148


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## partsguy

1959firearrow said:


> O man, you have me hooked cause and now that I think back on it its insane I love 80s mountain bike cause I grew up tearing a barn full of them apart to make a decent one. My brothers went through tons of mountain bikes. That splatterish paint is awesome. I've been scanning the free trash days for years ever since my dad threw out all the bikes:eek:. I wouldn't mind having a good rider like this hope the build goes well gonna keep an eye on this. Man I miss those paint jobs.




I have a near NOS mtn bike I'll be selling, if you're interested. 1992 Huffy, with textured paint. It still has the original water bottle, never used.


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## partsguy

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## partsguy

Still looking for options on what crank and chain ring to drop in this. The old crap was just that - old rusty crap.

I want an aluminum crank (will a 3 piece fit?), with an old school looking chain ring. I just don't know how to go about it. Any suggestions?

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## partsguy

I'm also going to shift gears on this and go for a hybrid build. Maybe some 700cc wheels?

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## Scribble

I dig old-school mountain bikes, my daily rider is a 1984 Stump-Jumper. Can't wait to see more of this build.


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## partsguy

Scribble said:


> I dig old-school mountain bikes, my daily rider is a 1984 Stump-Jumper. Can't wait to see more of this build.



Thanks! I liked the paint jobs. My first bike was a 1988 Murray Spectra with a 5 speed. Metallic blue and black with neon green fork and bars.

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## partsguy

So, there's two swap meets coming up next month. I'd like to find myself the wheels I want so I can get this 'ole boy on his feet again!


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