Nos Tange 303 bottom cup has just shed its skin

[Wez]

 

so have just began to swap headsets on this rhino and using my time honoured method  ( slowly vice the headset cupsboth together between two firm pieces of wood ) that has never failed began to fit the bearing cups of the 303 headset i got the other day from Asia only to watch in horrer as the chrome covering basicly fractured and fell away from the bottom bearing cup ... gutted, Ive has several of these and these is the first one to do it  



anyone else had that??

[leehunt1]

Next time stick them in the freezer first..

[Wez]

Next time stick them in the freezer first..

to shrink it? Man that is GENUIS  

gotta work out now how best to save this cup ... any ideas 

[leehunt1]

Next time stick them in the freezer first..

to shrink it? Man that is GENUIS  

gotta work out now how best to save this cup ... any ideas 

Im quite clever but genius is a bit much 

[Wez]

Next time stick them in the freezer first..

to shrink it? Man that is GENUIS  

gotta work out now how best to save this cup ... any ideas 

Im quite clever but genius is a bit much 

Hahahaa...

[The Burner King]

Do you think it is the original chrome on it?

[Wez]

Do you think it is the original chrome on it?

yes I think so, in the cup itself is a small bit of corrosion and Im guessing its stemmed from that..I rubbed around the neck of the cup which just aided the rest of it to flake..
just to add insult to injury my cat has just eaten the 303 decal i took off it

[leehunt1]

Do you think it is the original chrome on it?

Its just a cheap thin chrome..!
Wafer Thin 

[Glynnyboy]

No other option but to rechrome the cup now .

[Wez]

Well I've just wire brushed it back and polished it with some wet dry and cif as it stands its ok at best , might try a polisher wheel see if that smooths it up cos underneath was actually pretty rough, if that fails then might rattle it satin black along with the top bearer,

Decal wise I'm not seeing any 303 decals locally so just working out which is nearest 300 or 320 ?

[Jaan]

looks like you left your thumb in the vice too mate 

[Wez]

  ^^^^ 

This is what I was after

http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php'topic=104294.0

[leehunt1]

Do you think it is the original chrome on it?

yes I think so, in the cup itself is a small bit of corrosion and Im guessing its stemmed from that..I rubbed around the neck of the cup which just aided the rest of it to flake..
just to add insult to injury my cat has just eaten the 303 decal i took off it

put the cat in the freezer as well 

[Wez]

^^^^
I cant, its dead...

 

[Jaan]

^^^^
I cant, its dead...

 

So its in the oven then? 

[Wez]

^^^

It was, now its in a skip ... 

[monkian]

Sorry to say this Wez but That doesn't look like a 303 cup to me.
It should be a steel one with holes, yours looks like it could be Alloy

[Wez]

right o so... maybe we have 125 parts fake or otherwise ? ive weighed it in 131grams .. ill see how this fits in the cromo frame when it arrives if the bottom cup looks ok in satoin black ill spray the top and stick it up as a 125, the nut and the inner bearer are steel for sure...



as with things from Asia its most likely a dud eh? Hell they can make a fake chicken egg, crazy foo's 

[monkian]

Your top cup look a bit round but that could be down to over polishing. That or it's a replica part.
Either way I don't think the two cups originally belonged together. Like you said, it maybe a 125 bottom cup.
Looking at the photos, the top nut stamp doesn't fill me with confidence either
I compared 303's with 320's a couple of years ago when a few odd ones turned up a while back...
This old thread might help as well: http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php'topic=104294.0

[Wez]

Thanks mate I've been scanning that thread today and reviewing the evidence . I bought in 3 separate auctions 303 components, these are on my tap and are much sharper and are consistent with adverts and yr photos, the two bought of these previously are overall better than this most recent one because it took very little for it to fracture and come apart ...
Looks like its mix, match and make do with this headset then 

[monkian]

Sorry to hear that man
I hope you can recoup a refund of sorts. If you bought from ebay and paid through Paypal you should be protected against this sort of thing.
If I were you I'd be processing a claim. Hope it all works out for you mate

[BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN]

Just to ask is there a order in which they are most sought after Paul ?

[monkian]

That's a hard one to call B, I guess it just depends on what you're building, what suits and more likely these days, what's available.
The sealed Tioga MX-4SL (Tange 320) seems to have the best spec for a chromed steel set with its sealed parts and beartrap.
I think 303 must have all been chromed steel with decal colour options where as 300 were solid colours
(that's the only difference I can see between them but from what we found out, there was a sealed 303 option as well).

Alloy 125 are just awesome in those anodized colours. I think Blue / Gold / Red would probably be the more sought after colours.
125LP might fetch a bit more but these days we're lucky to see any version come around so it might not make any difference.
TBH I have a bit of a thing for the Tange MX-5 but it's extremely rare to see a nice one up for grabs 

Top end Tange headsets will always command good money and I could see any of these hitting the same sort of mark.
BTW if anyone has a nice MX-5 JLMK

[The Burner King]

right o so... maybe we have 125 parts fake or otherwise ? ive weighed it in 131grams .. ill see how this fits in the cromo frame when it arrives if the bottom cup looks ok in satoin black ill spray the top and stick it up as a 125, the nut and the inner bearer are steel for sure...



as with things from Asia its most likely a dud eh? Hell they can make a fake chicken egg, crazy foo's 

There is a seller on ebay selling these as NOS but states reproduction in actual listing, i'm sure it's one of those, and i bet thats why the chrome has come off, the originals the chroming was done very well. I thoughtyours was a fake when i first saw it, but didn't want to say in case i was wrong.

It was this guy below selling the chrome ones, this is a black one but also fake but does say reproduction in the description

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nos-Old-School-TANGE-BMX-125-ALLOY-HEADSET-PART-JAPAN-fit-se-kuwahara-pk-redline-/261126974406?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3ccc616bc6

[Wez]

Yes reproduction is the keyword 

reckon Ill spray this one up completely and fit it with repro decals as a 125 to my current project and be happy