RADBMX.CO.UK
BMX General => BMX Chat => Topic started by: Max-Felix on June 17, 2020, 01:44 PM
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Hi guys,
Following this topic: http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,104138.0.html
You know how it is as you get older...
I've always been pretty nostalgic but 41 years ago now I can still picture as clear as day sitting on my Grifter 'conversion' outside a Chingford E4 bike shop in true awe at the Motomag equipped Mongoose in the window. The very first BMX many of us had seen.
For some reason it was the black swan neck stem I remember most.
The excitement back then from seeing real BMXs and waiting for the monthly mags does not compare to anything these days. Despite all these parents efforts our lockdown kids are glued into a virtual LCD world for 14 hours a day, totally oblivious to the glorious 'life of BMX' we led from '79 through the mid 80's.
My first BMX was a Silver Streak, then PK Ripper (stolen from ROM at two weeks old) to be replaced by the old Haro in the topic above. That was a true survivor when as the first owner I sold it about fifteen years ago.
But it's the iconic Mongoose that I crave but with Tuffs rather than Motomags even if not right for the purists.
Am I likely to find an original survivor with original finish and decals etc to start from?
Is this really the price to pay now??
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274398089341?&fp=m&_trksid=p2495300.m4856.l9913&autorefresh=true
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Couldn't agree with you more, I think for many of us a first memory would be an old gusset goose or similar from the same era.
Regards the price of the complete in the ebay listing you presented, I think unfortunately with the current crazy prices in the market that is about what people are expecting. Whether it's worth that or not depends on whether there are people out there prepared to 'hit the button', and at the moment (maybe through 'lockdown syndrome' maybe through lack of knowledge :-\) there are a few that do.
Imho though, if your prepared to do a little work you should be able to build yourself one for a little over half that price.
If your prepared to look around and shop outside of eBay a 79 motomag f&f can be found for around ?200ish. e.g.
https://bmxmuseum.com/forsale/384700
If your prepared to talk to museum sellers (even when they don't list as offering international sales) some will ship to you. Some flat out won't, but many will. This seller would, as he regularly sells internationally on the bay too.
So that's $260 for the frame (~?207 at todays change rate)
But remember shipping, about $100, or ?80
Then you'll get clobbered for import duties on arrival of the package at our boarder (and they're arses), about 1/3 the cost as a rule of thumb, so another ~?65
So, all in for f&f, ~?352
Nice set of early tuff, shop around, don't be fooled by stupid eBay BIN prices, and look to spend no more than ?200, depending on age, condition, etc. Rough saveable ones you should get for quite a bit less.
Bars, gooseneck, chainring & crank, really does depend what finish you're after, period correct Ashtabula, snowflakes, and box bars, or? But even with the former you could get change from estimating ?100/piece, quite easily.
so, ?300
Seat & post, again, will depend how period correct you want to be, but say a generic post and era right seat could possibly think of ?100
Pedals, depends, anything from ?20 to 200+ for the purists.
say ?100
Tyres, same sentiment as pedals.
say ?100
then it's down to the smalls, of grips, chains, seat clamp, etc.
Say ?200.
So, all in around
?1350 and you could have a great build, if you're lucky with the sourcing of the parts. And, whilst the smile used to come from looking in the shop windows, waiting for Christmas or birthday to arrive, and then thrashing the result around the streets, fields, parks, most now comes from hunting the parts down, getting them for sensible prices, and building the bike. Then riding it too, but no where near as well as you did at 10-16 years old :(.
And, btw, the above are rough estimates, you could possibly spend a bit less (repo tyres <?50, repo seat the same, as examples), but you could also easily spend a heck of a lot more. It really just comes down to you, snd what you'll be happy with.
Good luck in your endeavours :daumenhoch:
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Hi Picklez,
Fantastic, thanks so much for taking the time to write that. Very helpful indeed. :daumenhoch:
To be honest I'm pretty anal about originality and would much rather have an all original beaten up survivor than a refreshed rebuild full of repro or re-finished parts. It would have to have original decals and I really don't care about how beat up it is, patina or shagged - I love them like that. As long as not too bashed/bent or cracked etc!
This second one below maybe a little far but maybe somewhere between these two:
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Obviously a totally different market in the US and I'm guessing anything like that is super rare in the UK.
I think given the time and cost building up from original parts then I'm better off looking for someones time/effort/trawling and paying a premium for it but if as you say the right F&F came along then no worries but barring tyres/chain etc I'd want all original.
When I think of all the parts I must have chucked out BITD... I literally have nothing left bar a plate, tee, cap and a shed load of UK/US mags as I used to buy them all from '79 onward.
The seller of the ?2k one on eBay I linked seemed pretty straight and honest in replying to some queries but it's repro decals of course and price is something I still cannot get my head round.
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get these bought straight away.....now you have your colour scheme.......
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Old-School-BMX-Mongoose-Pad-Set-BLUE-Retro-80s/392843075083?hash=item5b77459e0b:g:qnAAAOSwpZhe60cj
repop issues? leave it.........too late for all that fistblump explosion
these look great!
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Picklez, that is some reply by the way... :slayer: :slayer: :slayer:
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BLUE Tuff 1's on a '79 nickel, now we're talking....
carlise aggressors.....
pre-bent levers, set up in a Cook Bros. style, I need to lie down...
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You can't beat a mk1 gusset goose in nickel plate, end of :yahoo_silent:
Instant memories right there and they look like they were welded together from bits of old pipe and box-section in your mate's shed. I love 'em 8)
Survivor is the new NOS and there are loads of tips and advice on here how to restore them but keep original, so take your time and don't be afraid to ask questions. If you find a decent frame and forks in the US that you can ship over, that would be your best bet for a tidy example :daumenhoch:
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Some great advice here already! :daumenhoch:
You can definitely build a decent bike for less than the stupid prices on ebay - plus you'll have a lot more fun and/or satisfaction doing it yourself! As Pete says, you can often get good deals from the US (unsurprisingly, given the size of the market there), despite the additional shipping and customs fees. If I'm buying a frame, I usually ask the seller if he minds putting other small parts in the same box. I then buy stuff from other US sellers (on the Museum or US ebay) and get them sent to the frame seller's address. Take your time, be patient and start a build thread on here!! :daumenhoch: