For about a year I 've had to spin the disk before I close the lid on my game cube or I'll get the "disk cannot be read" message. Now it won't read them at all. When I open the lid the disk is never turning. I'm trying to find out what the problem is and where to get the parts.

Hi. I also own a Gamecube and have been modding consoles for people for a while. This sounds like the motor in the lens fixture has failed. If you have a soldering tool of some sort, you can use any motor from a 32x-56x CD-Rom drive as long as it matches the exact size as the motor in the GC. - I usually pull them from either a Sony 32x CD-ROM or an eMachines DVD-Rom out of the 533id eTowers.

If you're hesitant to replace it (I've noticed a lot are), you may want to take it to a shop or have someone talk your through it. A good shop would only charge something like $15-$20 max for something like this, but ask them first. (Its usually about the price to just buy a GC Repair kit.) - If you do that and the disc still doesn't read, its a lens/fixture issue. Thats something I've never succesfully changed out without having to reopen the machine and refix.