What real life items used as props have people searched years to find?

[andy19422]

After reading the thread about the Serenity Catalyser being found by Zombie Killer and Joatrash, I thought it would be good idea to start a thread so people who are trying to identify real life parts can post in. There are a lot of people who don't watch Firefly so they wouldn't know this part was a grail item but if they did it might have been identified a lot sooner. Here is an example. I was reading a Dr Who forum and some one was trying to identify a part on the Tennant TARDIS control panel, I knew that it was a Trim wheel from a Jet Proverst Aircraft cockpit straight away, so I probably saved months of searching for him. Here is how it will work. Post some good pics of the part and any information that you have or want to share, then people can keep an eye out for it or maybe they even use one every day.
I'll start the ball rolling with my Grail part.

By andy19422 at 2010-09-01

By andy19422 at 2010-09-01
I'm sure a lot of people recognize this part. It was used in the first Star Wars films. Two were used complete on the Mouse Droid and Landspeeder and they were cut down for use on the E-11 Stormtrooper blasters and X Wing fighters. After a year of research by me and another member here, MARV we have hit a dead end. We think that it's a Video Pulse Amplifier strip from a 1950's Naval Radar system operating at 30MHz and was sold as surplus in the seventies. It was probably made by Marconi Marine or possibly Decca. If anyone has any more info or has a contact in the radar industry, please post.
so over to you guys, what parts do you want to find?

 

[andy19422]

Well I really thought I would get some replies in this thread, I guess people don't need the help!:facepalm