Frankenstein bike help

[Tridox]

So before I start, understand that I'm new to bike terms and may sound dumb but I need some help!
I recently decided I wanted to buy a bike on Craigslist, it was only $30 (laughs) aand I knew it needed fixing up but after getting it and really looking at it I realize whoever "tried" to fix this bike had no idea what they were doing.

The only identification I have for it is a little duck looking logo sticker thing on the front of the frame that says Raleigh. I found serial number on bottom and one number that was P1013-5. The frame is still in good shape but its been painted and I have no idea what kind of bike it is. Normally this wouldn't matter, but I got to looking at it and realized I have a 9 speed rear cassette with an 8 speed derailleur and one 8 speed shifter thats different altogether from the other shifter. And both shifters act lie someone poured jam in them. I also have a Schwinn seat and nothing anywhere on the bike to determin what parts are supposed to be there...

Now this bike was only $30 so I'm not mad at all, but I have no idea where to start. I don't want to spend a lot on it, but I need new shifters regardless... I just don't know if it would be better to keep 9 speed cassette and buy a 9 speed derailleur with shifters or to buy 8 speed cassette with old derailleur and new shifters. I just don't know what bike it is to determin what it was originally meant to be. I'm just looking for the cheapest route.

Sorry about the long story, any help would be wonderful.

Edit: My budget (if I can get away with it) is like $70-$80 i know I'm a cheapo, but this is a $30 bike. I wish I knew if this was a walmart special or if its actually a good quality bike worth it to really fix up.

[nfmisso]

Pictures are absolutely required.

Raleigh was once a premium brand, but feel on financial difficulties, the name was purchased, and there are still bikes offered under the Raleigh brand. The current ones are still above average.

Is it a road bike, mountain bike, hybrid, or something else? Where are the shifters located? Brifters and bar-cons are over $100- for 9 speed. A complete 8 speed twist grip set (flat bar only) can be had for less than $20- including new cables, but not new housings.

You are also going to need access to tools. Is there a co-op or similar near?

[Tridox]

I guess I should have been a little more specific. Its a mpuntain bike. And I don't have access to specific "bike" tools but I think any of the shops around me would switch out the cassette it I bought the new one and just brought in the rim for them to change.

I'll get more pictures up as soon as I can (Tonight), but the one I added is the picture from the ad I bought it from.

[nfmisso]

(06-30-2014, 03:23 AM)Tridox Wrote:  ......And both shifters act lie someone poured jam in them. ...

This is a problem - they are most likely completely gunked up. They may or may not be salvageable.

A bike shop will probably swap the cassette for $5- or free if you purchase the new cassette from them. You also need a new chain to go with your new cassette.

Yours is definitely a new bike.

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(06-30-2014, 12:17 PM)Tridox Wrote:  switch out the cassette it I bought the new one and just brought in the rim for them to change. .....

Rim? I hope you mean wheel. It is a real pain to remove the cassette from the hub without the whole wheel being assembled. A wheel consists of a hub, spokes and a rim.

[Tridox]

Yeah I'd take the whole back wheel in. I called the bike shop and they said it'd be cheaper to buy a 9 speed derailleur than to buy an 8 speed cassette, but I googled it and I can get an 8 speed cassette on amazon for like $25. Am I missing something? Then i could just try to declog the shifters.

[nfmisso]

Find a better shop.

Your current RD will work fine for 9 speed - and for that matter 5, 6, 7 and 8 speed as well.

I use Sunrace and SRAM cassettes, after some bad Shimano ones, a 12-32 like this will work fine:
http://www.amazon.com/Sunrace-8-Speed-Nickel-Plated-Cassette/dp/B00D9NCXBE/

Your shifters are the main challenge - jam is hard to remove. Some people report success blasting them with solvent. I suggest getting the shifters working before doing anything else. With 8 speed shifters on a 9 speed cassette, you can get at least three cogs to work smoothly: the largest, the smallest and one of your choosing somewhere in the middle.

After you get the shifters working properly then worry about the rest of it. If you can't get the shifters working properly (and I have to admit that I am not optimistic); then you have to decide what to do - you can always lock the FD and RD on to one cog and run it as a single speed.

[Tridox]

I think you're right about the shifters. I can try, but I probably won't have much luck as you said. And you're saying if the RD works fine even though its 8 speed it'll work for 9 speed? So I could get away with just buying 9 speed shifters if it came down to it, or doing what you said and locking them making it a single speed. Thanks for the advice, it's been a big help.

Also you said the bike is "new" does that mean it's worth putting a lot of money into it if so desired? Or should I put a repair cap on this thing at like $100 max?