1950 Comet purchase

[redbloke1956]

Hi Guys, first time on this forum (hopefully not the last) I am thinking of purchasing a matching numbers, fully restored 1950 Comet and would value any opinions, I have been looking for a comet for some time and have come across the above mentioned.
It is approx 13,500 pounds....does this sound like a REASONABLE price?
Any responses to this matter would be appreciated

Redbloke1956

 

[chankly bore]

I dunno about reasonable,but around 20,000 australian and upward seems to be what the market will bear.Who did the restoration is the next question you need to ask.Is the bike usable or a museum piece? Take it from me-Comets are great "bikes to use; so I hope you do so!Cheers and keep us informed.F5AB/2A/79** since 1971.

 

[davidd]

I think that is all the money, but not unreasonable if it is in good running condition. As Tom Monaghan said about Duesenbergs: "You can't pay too much, you can only pay too soon."

David

 

[clevtrev]

Blimey, I paid 5 Pounds for mine, don`t tell you know who.

 

[youngjohn]

I paid a similar amount for a matching number, professionally restored 'ready to go' Comet recently, and I am very pleased with it. I didn't want another project, and I'm sure that I won't loose anything if I eventually sell it. I envy those who bought a Rapide for a few hundred quid twenty five years ago, but the fact is, we are where we are now. Look at it this way, a premium quality vintage bike which demonstrates the finest British engineering and design of the period, with maybe a couple of thousand examples left worldwide, and which has no doubt had significant time and money spent on it, or a mass produced Yamaha R1 which will loose 5 grand in 2 years. Same price.

 

[BlackLightning998]

Hi Guys, first time on this forum (hopefully not the last) I am thinking of purchasing a matching numbers, fully restored 1950 Comet and would value any opinions, I have been looking for a comet for some time and have come across the above mentioned.
It is approx 13,500 pounds....does this sound like a REASONABLE price?
Any responses to this matter would be appreciated

Redbloke1956

Well, there is restored and there is restored. The money sounds about fine if the bike is what you say it is - but be aware, I bought my Rapide from Australia, as a "refurbished" bike not restored - I know where the engine work was done. Well in less than 2000 miles the engine required a second major rebuild here in the UK which cost me another several thousand pounds on top of all the work that had been done and invoiced in Australia. What was the issue, well I will never really know as the person who did the work stopped replying to my emails.......that wasn't very nice of him was it?

This was absolutely nothing to do with the lovely man who sold me the bike - he had sent the machine to a specialist and paid all the invoices himself - if he'd kept the bike then it would just as soon have blown up on him, he is blameless - but the guy who did the work, well that is something else.

If the timing side sounds noisy don't let anyone tell you "they are all like that" - have someone who knows have a look inside.

So buyer beware - go to a local section, talk to local members, they'll tell you - and make sure that you really know what work has been done on your bike, who did it and to what standard. If it is all straight and OK then the money sounds good value in today's market from what I have seen happen in Auction and Ebay recently. It is certainly not "cheap" and may only be current "value for money" if the work has truly been done to a high standard.

Welcome to the fold and best of luck.

Regards

 

[Albervin]

I always recommend a person looks inside the timing chest of a Vincent before purchase as it can tell a lot about a bike. One problem that won't show up on a newly rebuilt bike is the use of sub standard parts. Unfortunately the rebuilder is at the mercy of parts' suppliers and if cams or followers have not been suitably hardened they will disappear at an alarming rate. The same goes for many other parts we depend on for smooth running of our machines and unfortunately we only discover the problem when the damage is done. None of the recognised Vincent parts' suppliers is immune from guilt on this matter & I sometimes wonder if there is any independent quality control carried out on batches. The latest faulty part to arrive on the shores of Australia is a timing cover where the thread for the big end quill is tapped BSP!!!! Why was this never spotted before being sold & shipped to Australia?
It seems Stuart has been learning lessons the expensive way, as many of us have done over the years. My first Comet was a total mash up & if I lived in the UK instead of over here in Australia I would have taken it straight back to Atlantic Motorcycles. That was back in 1985 & I have moved on from there. I hope Stuart does the same because riding the bike is great therapy and the good times will remove the bad taste from your mouth and hopefully the ill feelings you hold.
I strongly advise redbloke to contact the Qld or NSW Section before spending his money because, even though we have a good exchange rate at the moment, it is still more expensive to fix Vincent problems here than nearly anywhere else on the planet.