{"id":1598,"date":"2013-04-03T10:24:45","date_gmt":"2013-04-03T16:24:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/panasonicbikemuseum.info\/newsite2026\/?p=1598"},"modified":"2013-04-03T10:26:17","modified_gmt":"2013-04-03T16:26:17","slug":"the-most-difficult-panasonic-bicycle-restoration-items-in-the-known-universe-to-find","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/panasonicbikemuseum.info\/newsite2026\/the-most-difficult-panasonic-bicycle-restoration-items-in-the-known-universe-to-find\/","title":{"rendered":"The Most Difficult Panasonic Bicycle Restoration Items In The Known Universe To Find"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the process of doing my vintage Panasonic build and restorations I have had to hunt for vintage parts in order to bring certain bicycles back to spec.\u00a0 As it turns out, the three most difficult bits to find (for me) ALL belong to the uber-cool AR-6000 Aero model bicycle.<\/p>\n

The almost “unobtainium” bits found on the Panasonic AR-6000 Aero:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Shimano Dura Ace AX Aero brake hood covers in bluish gray.\u00a0 If you want your AR-6000 restoration to be perfect “catalog spec” then I wish you well in finding these uber rare replacement brake hoods.\u00a0 In the past four years I do not believe I have ever seen them available individually.\u00a0 To acquire some, be prepared to buy the entire brake lever assembly on eBay at considerable expense… and THAT is if you can even find them.<\/li>\n
  2. The aero water bottle pictured on the AR-6000 in the catalogs.\u00a0 Hint:\u00a0 It isn’t a Dura Ace AX water bottle!\u00a0 Logic would imply that since the bike was equipped with the Dura Ace AX part group that Panasonic would have also taken the easy route and selected the AX series water bottle.\u00a0 No such luck!\u00a0 As it turns out, the catalog spec’d water bottle is an O.G.K. Aero model water bottle which, as you might imagine, is rather difficult to find.\u00a0 I spent 8 months looking for one and eventually found a pair of them still new in their original boxes in a southern California bike shop.\u00a0 They cost me $140 for the pair back in 2008 and I’m not sure I have seen any since.\u00a0 The easy route is to spent $70+ on Dura Ace AX bottles which turn up more often on eBay but it won’t be exactly catalog spec.<\/li>\n
  3. The Ariake Aero Nu-Buck saddle.\u00a0 I seriously think Panasonic had them custom made just for the AR-6000 and then made only as many saddles as they did AR-6000 bikes.\u00a0 In 5 1\/2 years I have not once seen one for sale that wasn’t already attached to the bicycle.\u00a0 I have pretty much given up home of ever finding an original Panasonic branded Ariake Aero saddle.\u00a0 My AR-6000 restoration will likely end up using a Kashimax Aero saddle or San Marco Concor.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Honorable mentions:<\/span><\/p>\n

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    1. The orange colored Selle Italia Flite Titanium (non-Gel) saddle for my PR-6000 build took more than 2 years to locate.\u00a0 In the end, it was my “wanted” ad here on the PBVM web site that led me to a nice NOS example within months of my placing the ad.\u00a0 Let that be a lesson to those of you hunting tirelessly for an odd part etc.\u00a0 Use our FREE classified ad system to post a wanted ad.<\/li>\n
    2. New old stock Shimano Sante components for my 1989 PICS Team Custom.\u00a0 When you have a perfect new old stock frame you tend to want your components to be equally nice.\u00a0 When you are mental enough to attempt a new old stock Shimano Sante build you tend to make your life a bit more challenging that it really needs to be.\u00a0 Sante was release as a part group between Shimano 600 and Dura Ace, and at the time it was sort of looked upon as the fashionistas choice or perhaps even a bit poseur-ish.\u00a0 The ironic thing is that most of the used Sante components I would come across via eBay or online classifieds shows signs of HEAVY use.\u00a0 I almost never see near mint Sante components like I do with other component groups.\u00a0 Maybe the cycling press was wrong about Sante?\u00a0 At any rate, it has taken over a year to come up with my new old stock Sante components for the PICS Team Custom build and the most difficult bits to find were the cranks, bottom bracket and headset.\u00a0 Finding a very nice used headset or in my case, new old stock, was the biggest challenge.<\/li>\n
    3. The 1985 Panasonic Team Europe I.\u00a0 Yes, the whole darn bicycle!\u00a0 I have wanted one forever and did see one for sale a few years back and even had the chance to buy it at the time but I hesitated since I tend to be OCD about my bikes and wasn’t sure it was worth the asking price.\u00a0 I still kick myself mentally on an almost daily basis for that.\u00a0 Live and learn!<\/li>\n
    4. Araya Aero 4 rims no longer grow on trees (just in case you were wondering).<\/li>\n
    5. Red Mavic Open Pro SUP 32 hole rims for the ’89 PICS Team Custom build.\u00a0 Finding them in blue for my PR-6000 was also a challenge but not nearly as hard as red for some reason.<\/li>\n
    6. New old stock PICS frames still in the box.\u00a0 They are about as common as flying unicorns that sing old Van Halen tunes… as in, you almost never<\/em> see them.<\/li>\n
    7. Titanium framed Panasonics.\u00a0 Enough said.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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      What are YOU looking for that you can’t seem to locate?<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      During the process of doing my vintage Panasonic build and restorations I have had to hunt for vintage parts in order to bring certain bicycles back to spec.\u00a0 As it turns out, the three most difficult bits to find (for me) ALL belong to the uber-cool AR-6000 Aero model bicycle. The almost “unobtainium” bits found […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20168,"featured_media":1604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[401],"tags":[650,651,549,547,35,548],"class_list":["post-1598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editors-blog","tag-ar-6000","tag-dura-ace-ax","tag-rare","tag-rare-parts","tag-restoration","tag-restorations-2"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t