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RADBMX.CO.UK  |  Old School BMX 1980 - 1988  |  Old School Freestyle (frame stands and kickturns galore!)  |  Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
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Author Topic: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!  (Read 33769 times)

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Offline WINI

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Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« on: September 07, 2018, 03:15 PM »
Right, I've been scratching my head a bit on this one so thought I would open it up to the floor.

I have an early 84 unstamped GT Performer frame, serial showing it as March 1984. These were available at that time in chrome or white as far as my research has taken me. However when I have stripped some of the paint back to revel the serial, under the bad rattlecan yellow is a layer of pink (very much the shade GT produced the 85's in) and then bare metal. No chrome, no white.

All I can think is that either  A) GT did an early trial or a special in pink, or  B) Someone BITD went to great lengths to strip the OG white back to bare metal and had it professionally finished in GT pink. Then someone threw a rattlecan of lumo yellow over the top.

Any GT experts have any other ideas? I'm going to send to Dan for a new coat, but might rethink the white if it was OG pink?
Neil, the bathroom's free. Unlike the country under the Thatcherite junta

Offline deeman

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2018, 03:19 PM »
Be rad if the OG colour is somehow pink.....white ones are a bit boring! I thought they first came in white, chrome and yellow?  :-\
SMALL MINDS TALK ABOUT PEOPLE....
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Offline That Swan Guy

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2018, 03:29 PM »
Be rad if the OG colour is somehow pink.....white ones are a bit boring! I thought they first came in white, chrome and yellow?  :-\

you is correct but Wheelways in Grimsby (sole UK importer of GT in the 80s) did custom jobs on request too
Who wants to ride with Eddie Fiola?

Offline WINI

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2018, 05:11 PM »
Be rad if the OG colour is somehow pink.....white ones are a bit boring! I thought they first came in white, chrome and yellow?  :-\

you is correct but Wheelways in Grimsby (sole UK importer of GT in the 80s) did custom jobs on request too

Hmm, that could fit. Do you think they started importing pre-stamp Nick?
Neil, the bathroom's free. Unlike the country under the Thatcherite junta

Offline That Swan Guy

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2018, 05:13 PM »
Be rad if the OG colour is somehow pink.....white ones are a bit boring! I thought they first came in white, chrome and yellow?  :-\

you is correct but Wheelways in Grimsby (sole UK importer of GT in the 80s) did custom jobs on request too

Hmm, that could fit. Do you think they started importing pre-stamp Nick?

Easily as the advert that showed the first Performer was theirs let me see if I can find it
And Eddie came over in 84 to promote it
Who wants to ride with Eddie Fiola?

Offline That Swan Guy

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2018, 05:16 PM »
Note the words: Complete bike available in April 84 which would mean that frame sets were available earlier.
And the frame is unstamped.

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Who wants to ride with Eddie Fiola?

Offline Gashead

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2018, 05:39 PM »
Be rad if the OG colour is somehow pink.....white ones are a bit boring! I thought they first came in white, chrome and yellow?  :-\

you is correct but Wheelways in Grimsby (sole UK importer of GT in the 80s) did custom jobs on request too

Not strictly true, as the guy from Bikeology in Bristol also brought them in the UK, I remember he had pink GT’s and Skyways direct from the states, as custom bikes, brought alsorrs over 👍

Offline WINI

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #7 on: September 07, 2018, 08:10 PM »
So what’s the concensus, do I go pink or white? Not mint enough for chrome

I’m starting to favour a return to its original pink
Neil, the bathroom's free. Unlike the country under the Thatcherite junta

Offline Faze 3

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #8 on: September 07, 2018, 10:53 PM »
I know this isn't strictly relevant. But throwing this into the mix.

Back in 85, I stripped with nitromorse the white powder off my haro master, and painted it orange.

If that bike was found today, someone would perhaps think, they'd stumbled across an orange 84 master :-\

Offline deeman

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2018, 11:04 PM »
Pink all day long Mark  :daumenhoch:
SMALL MINDS TALK ABOUT PEOPLE....
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Offline WINI

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2018, 08:57 AM »
I know this isn't strictly relevant. But throwing this into the mix.

Back in 85, I stripped with nitromorse the white powder off my haro master, and painted it orange.

If that bike was found today, someone would perhaps think, they'd stumbled across an orange 84 master :-\

Hence scenario B) though looking at the thickness and quality of the paint, I doubt it’s been done ‘at home’
Neil, the bathroom's free. Unlike the country under the Thatcherite junta

Offline factory pilot

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #11 on: September 08, 2018, 10:06 AM »
How early was Dave Breed riding a pink performer.. ?
Just because it’s 84 doesn’t mean it didn’t sit around until 85 to be painted .. probably got left near the back of the pile in the factory and eventually, in 85, got painted ?
"Knowledge is the acceptance of ones own ignorance." Socrates 399BC

Offline oldschoolace

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #12 on: September 08, 2018, 10:13 AM »
^^^^^^ This

Huge bug bear of mine that people get caught up on dates and catalogues like these companies ran a super tight ship with their serials
Highly likely it was still in the warehouse come 85 and just got painted pink!

Go with the pink  :daumenhoch:
Sixteen thirty-two. What is that? A year?   No, it's your top score on Pole Position.


Offline WINI

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #13 on: September 08, 2018, 10:50 AM »
^^^^^^ This

Huge bug bear of mine that people get caught up on dates and catalogues like these companies ran a super tight ship with their serials
Highly likely it was still in the warehouse come 85 and just got painted pink!

Go with the pink  :daumenhoch:

Spot on, mine too. It’s well known that even the ‘high end’ companies BITD didn’t meet the quality standards of today or even match their own declared dimensions. We’ve built some of these manufacturers up to be something they weren’t, quite frankly.

Two in the pink, one in the stink 👈

Pink it shall be
Neil, the bathroom's free. Unlike the country under the Thatcherite junta

Offline kalex

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #14 on: September 08, 2018, 11:01 AM »
I know this isn't strictly relevant. But throwing this into the mix.

Back in 85, I stripped with nitromorse the white powder off my haro master, and painted it orange.

If that bike was found today, someone would perhaps think, they'd stumbled across an orange 84 master :-\

Hence scenario B) though looking at the thickness and quality of the paint, I doubt it’s been done ‘at home’

I'd say this is spot on as even bitd kids dad's worked in body repair shops etc.

Offline WINI

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #15 on: September 08, 2018, 04:10 PM »
It’s a possibility, no way of knowing unless I can track down the original owner I guess.
Neil, the bathroom's free. Unlike the country under the Thatcherite junta

Offline Wayne Ryder

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #16 on: September 09, 2018, 10:38 PM »
I had an early, white GT Performer. Always annoyed me that the platform tubes weren't flush with the toptube. Pretty sure it wasn't stamped.
At some point, it went off to Space Designs for a repaint, loud pink. A little after that, the forks were repaired, turned out one of the dropouts was only welded top & bottom so a friend got it welded for me.
If you're anywhere near Derbyshire, I wonder if it's my old one.

Offline WINI

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #17 on: September 11, 2018, 02:17 PM »
I had an early, white GT Performer. Always annoyed me that the platform tubes weren't flush with the toptube. Pretty sure it wasn't stamped.
At some point, it went off to Space Designs for a repaint, loud pink. A little after that, the forks were repaired, turned out one of the dropouts was only welded top & bottom so a friend got it welded for me.
If you're anywhere near Derbyshire, I wonder if it's my old one.

Wow, that's an interesting lead! Yeah they guy I bought it from lives in north Derbyshire, though I think he's originally from the Manchester area. There can't be too many of them around in the same place, unstamped and with fork issues. Mine came with Landing gear so the OG forks were obviously ditched at some point. Don't suppose you have any old pics or know if they painted over the OG white or stripped it?
Cheers for the info!
Neil, the bathroom's free. Unlike the country under the Thatcherite junta

Offline Wayne Ryder

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #18 on: September 11, 2018, 11:01 PM »
No Sweat, unfortunately the guy who had the frame after me has (bloody recently) deactivated his Facebook account. Chesterfield's North-East Derbyshire and both he and I lived near there at the time.
I remember the paintjob was spot-on, really good quality. Probably stripped, but Terry Jenkins has been on here before, he might be able to say for sure how they were done.

Interesting that the forks had gone by the time you got it. I was riding in a park and there was a creak when I pedalled, took ages to find. One outer edge of the left dropout was completely bare and I'd been riding it with only the inside top and bottom blobs of weld in place for over a year. One of them had snapped and it was rubbing together. Scary really, and my lovely pink paintjob was ruined!
I still have the Pro Performer bars, once white, now Smoothrite black with a crimp from the stem.
« Last Edit: September 12, 2018, 12:00 AM by Wayne Ryder »

Offline deeman

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #19 on: September 12, 2018, 01:36 AM »
This is getting really interesting...... :popcorn:
SMALL MINDS TALK ABOUT PEOPLE....
MEDIUM MINDS TALK ABOUT EVENTS...
GREAT MINDS TALK ABOUT IDEAS....

Offline WINI

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #20 on: September 12, 2018, 01:20 PM »
Cool photo! Thanks for the digging mate. It could well be the same, although I was looking for some evidence with the parts as I bought it complete and they were very different to the one you have shown. I know this doesn't make it conclusive, as someone may have bought the frame only and added they're own parts but it would have really sealed the deal if the same parts were attached too. In my case, it came with red tuffs, CW experts, Shimano DX etc.

I could get hold of the previous owner and ask, though when I bought it, he couldn't remember where and when he got it BITD.

Looks the right shade of pink though!
Neil, the bathroom's free. Unlike the country under the Thatcherite junta

Offline Wayne Ryder

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #21 on: September 12, 2018, 05:40 PM »
I can pretty much guarantee I only sold the frame & forks, the parts would have been kept. I THINK I swapped the GT for a Haro Master at one of the Alfreton comps.

Offline WINI

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #22 on: September 13, 2018, 02:57 PM »
I can pretty much guarantee I only sold the frame & forks, the parts would have been kept. I THINK I swapped the GT for a Haro Master at one of the Alfreton comps.

This gets more interesting. Is Ryder your actual surname? The guy that put me on to the guy who had the GT (his best mate) is called Ryder.....
Neil, the bathroom's free. Unlike the country under the Thatcherite junta

Offline Wayne Ryder

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #23 on: September 13, 2018, 07:23 PM »
Yep, real name because a dreamt up alias would sound stupid to me the next day. Or maybe it's just lack of imagination.

By the way, I'm becoming more sure by the day that it was swapped at Alfreton and not sold or bartered with the guy who recently quit Facebook (who lived pretty close by and would sometimes have the old stuff after I'd bought new).

If this really is the same frame from all those years ago, it's pretty odd/cool that two people with the same surname have owned it. Not so much if we'd been called Smith.

Offline QUADROPHENIA

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Re: Early 84 Performer = thoughts please!
« Reply #24 on: September 15, 2018, 08:17 AM »


Ordered mine months b4 they got imported, mine was was shipped from the states via another importer, the advert nick put up was late to the game as far as I can remember

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