» New Build: 1986 GT Performer

New Build: 1986 GT Performer

Greg | May 5, 2009

For a long time I’ve been looking for a NOS (new-old-stock) GT Performer frame and fork. For some reason, it’s virtually impossible to find a 1980s-era Performer. Why is this the case when NOS Haros seem to surface now and then? I have no idea - maybe because GTs were more popular back then and as a result easily sold out in bicycle stores. I know the Performer was a less expensive bike than the Haro Master and Sport, but I’m still surprised that only very few NOS frames have surfaced.

:: 1986 GT Performer, powdered by C4 Labs, stickered as an ‘85 model - click to enlarge ::

Although I did not want to buy a used frame, an exceedingly clean 1986 Performer appeared on BMX Museum and I got it for a great price. How clean is this frame? Aside from the factory pink paint having some chips and scratches, the frame appears new. No washer marks, no dents - nothing. It’s a rare find in itself, so I thought this would be my candidate. I sent the frame, forks, and an NOS purple set of Performer bars off to Chip at C4 Labs to be stripped and powdered the same color, and the frame returned in a beautiful, color-matched state. High quality reproduction decals were purchased AJK Bicycles, although the round “Santa Ana” decals are actual NOS GT decals from the 1980s. From the photo, you’ll note that I stickered this frame as a 1985 model, rather than the 1986 model that it is. My reason for this is quite simple - I prefer the 1985 decals, and the frames are exactly the same anyway.

It took several months, but I located all the proper parts as NOS, and this will be a GT Performer as I would have wanted it back in the 1980s - close to factory stock with some minor upgrades.

Here’s the parts rundown: