Well, she's just about finished. I'm just waiting on some decal protection, new CF seat post and saddle and a chain stay saver. With the exception of the chain not wanting to shift to the smallest ring on the cassette (probably just a minor derailleur adjustment that I'm not figuring out), she works smooth as butter on the pavement, has positive/quiet braking, excellent shifting, very nice street manners and weighs quite noticeably less than the 1995 GT Tequesta it started out as. The new seat post and saddle will bring the weight down another pound or so.
An additional plus is the neck extension places me in a much better position that doesn't exacerbate my neck surgeries which means my hands don't go numb and I can ride longer.
It remains to be seen if all the cheap Chinese replacement parts (headset, stem extension, handlebar holder) will hold up over time, but for now, it's all looking and feeling very good.
I can't wait to try her on the trails.
Not too bad for a 6-7 year old frame with mostly 25-26 year old parts.
2013 Nashbar frame w/old GT Tequesta wheels, drive train (Shimano STX rear derailleur & shifters) & rear brake/levers. Manitou fork is from about 2008.
She's going to get a Maori themed decal frame protection set and black foam chain stay pro.
I hope the mud guards work.
Rear brake line is quite cozy up on the rear mudguard, but it doesn't affect braking in any way whatsoever and doesn't seem to be at risk of wear by rubbing against each other.
New, cheap Shimano shifter fits & works great!