Parts hard to find or do not exist anymore

[Swivel]

What has been the hardest parts you've found and how long have you waited for it?

Also what parts do you know just don't exist anymore? I know there's an arguement that they must be out there somewhere (or for the right money) but once its in the hands of some of these bigger US collectors there's a chance that those will never come out on the open market.

Be interested to find out what you've been hunting years for and no matter what money or contacts it just hasn't surfaced....

Matt 

[Peter J]

Comp 3 yellow label in red 20x1.75

NOS RED SR High Flange Hubs (ended up re-anno’in a NOS set of blue)

The one thing I can never find is time to restore or build bikes 

[Spen69]

The one thing I can never find is time to restore or build bikes

I'd have to agree with you on that one my slightly rounded friend.

I even got to the point of encouraging my wife to go out with her mates just so I could get a few hours tinkering in the garage, but she'd rather spend it at home with me she told me, even when I offered to pay for her night out

I guess I'm a victim of my own hadsomeness eh, I just can't win

Oh, never had a problem finding parts Matt as I don't give a fook about this NOS nonsense and all my bikes are only ever roughly era correct so never been stuck looking for an April 1984 rear brake cable outer or what ever it is you loony-tune show-pony builders loose sleep over

[58 delray]

you say what you mean spenc 


a Max uni seat cover is one of the hard to find bits i'm after, never seen one for sale 
red comp2s
snakebellys

[Swivel]

Oh, never had a problem finding parts Matt as I don't give a fook about this NOS nonsense and all my bikes are only ever roughly era correct so never been stuck looking for an April 1984 rear brake cable outer or what ever it is you loony-tune show-pony builders loose sleep over

Spence lol, I don't just mean NOS, I mean even finding a part that's used that is now gone, dried up... I think every year that goes by and the more people building the harder things are to find and perhaps there's more rare stuff being launched in the skip as its a box of old 80's stuff and the person has no idea... I dread to think what a bike will cost to build in say 3 years let alone 5 years time as prices just keep rising as parts are becoming more and more rare.

[dordymush]

I even got to the point of encouraging my wife to go out with her mates just so I could get a few hours tinkering in the garage, but she'd rather spend it at home with me she told me, even when I offered to pay for her night out 

I guess I'm a victim of my own hadsomeness eh, I just can't win

well turn into a scruffy fooker then and we might just be able to get to the meets on time 

[Peter J]

I guess I'm a victim of my own hadsomeness eh, I just can't win

Seriously.........how foookin hard did you bang you head back in 2008 


Love ya 

[58 delray]

I guess I'm a victim of my own hadsomeness eh, I just can't win

Seriously.........how foookin hard did you bang you head back in 2008 


Love ya 

    

[Spen69]

Good point me old gypo haggle-monster, I spend all my allowable spare time actually RIDING my bikes or getting to the meets with my wingman Dave - we usually arrive on time or just a couple of minutes late, so I'm getting better

Matt, big hugs, I was only having a friendly dig mate. If you can't find the exact part you need, just compremise with something newer until the bit you wanted originaly comes along. I was after a resonably priced set of 400's or 401's for ages so I put a set of race cranks on the bike for a couple of weeks and bingo, Dan put up a scruffy set of 401's in my price range and I was sorted

Simples

Oh, Pete and Andy - you both know you were a long way behind me in the handsome queue, so let's not get all jealous now

[Peter J]

I tend to find its the “consumable” items such as tyres, grips, seats that we all battered BITD that are hard to find.

I’ve never gone after the niche stuff (ESP/Hadley/Campy etc) for two reasons, one I never saw them BITD and two my pockets are not that deep !!!!

[deeman]

ive only just come back to bmx and am on the verge of completing one bike.ive learnt one thing.SKYWAY HOT SEATS are nigh on impossible to find!!for any money in any colour!ive spent 4 months looking and luckily found a white one recently thanks to a very helpful tip off from a rad member.Apart from that i didnt see another one anywhere.Also the original White HARO multisurface tyres getting extremely difficult!im glad im building the bike now and not in 2 yrs or 5 yrs!

[58 delray]

Oh, Pete and Andy - you both know you were a long way behind me in the handsome queue, so let's not get all jealous now

  i'll have some of whatever it is you're smoking mate 

[Redline]

Comp 3 yellow label in red 20x1.75

NOS RED SR High Flange Hubs (ended up re-anno’in a NOS set of blue)

The one thing I can never find is time to restore or build bikes 

I think Sam Meticulous has some Comp III Yellow label in Red that he's lookin to shift fella 

[lk_97]

I don't really look for 'rare' parts, I'm too inpatient and I like to ride the bikes I have, but I've only ever saw one set of those weird silver discs that were on a vdc.

[BMX1973]

Kuwahara Laserpost - When they do turn up are counterfeit  

Kuwahara Bars  

Pedals

[rooski]

A lot of the lower end stuff is the hardest to find i.e snakebelly tyres,foam type grips etc, stuff that was upgraded and never bought again aftermarket

Most of the better stuff IS there but is not available due to hoarding,you have only got to look at the "show us your NOS" type threads to see this.

As for simply hard to find:-

ACS mini mountain levers

[The Burner King]

Gen 1 tioga yellow label comp 3 tyres in black 20 x 1.75 are hard to get nice used ones - never seen any nos ones  Does anyone even have any?

[southern andy]

Chrome Sugino crank caps.

How can a pissy little bit of plastic cause so many problems.

[oldtired]

i've got two of everthing that's been listed so far.. ........................................................................honest        

[griff]

not exotic at all but my haro whitewalls were a bugger to find - have seen one pair of used ones come up in a year after I got mine (and I know I was fookin lucky to get them NOS considering the amount of people that have mentioned them upon seeing my bike for the first time  )

made me fell ever-so-slightly guilty about riding them from london to brighton and everywhere else, dunno what I'll do when they eventually wear out

thanks again anyway nick  

[animal]

These Anlun Aero cranks seen here restored from a manky mess . They r on my MRD Expert replica of my bike bitd .

Rare as hens teeth  took me nearly 7 years 2 find a set  bought 3 sets that were all wrong bdc  its the spider on them that makes them rare as they did about 4 different options  btm pic is my bike bitd with my original set on 

[dordymush]

Chrome Sugino crank caps.

How can a pissy little bit of plastic cause so many problems.

i bought 4 used ones last night off the bay and it was like YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS  

[QUADROPHENIA]

Gen 1 tioga yellow label comp 3 tyres in black 20 x 1.75 are hard to get nice used ones - never seen any nos ones  Does anyone even have any?

got a nos set of green and yellow 

[bodamus]

I sold a NOS set of those Anlun Aero Cranks this year they were on my Slingshot

[Kaner]

Elina Turbo seat and IRC 80x tyres (the tyres are now in the for sale thread 2 years too late!)