Hi all and thank you for the welcome. I'm Chris, I live in Cornwall, UK with my Wife Alison and have been extremely fortunate to have just been given a 1951 Comet by my parents. Having just turned 50, and my Father Warren having always been into classic cars and bikes, I've always been around something special. From Bentleys, Rolls Royce, Jensons, 280SL's and E types to name a few to Shadows, Manx Nortons, Norton Internationals, a Racing Goldstar and he still has his lovely little pre war BSA!
Granted, the majority of these were owned in a completely era and I know he'd wished he'd kept hold of a few....but that's not what he did. The Comet is probably the longest he's held onto a bike and was seriously thinking about selling it to free up a little space in the garage.
During our weekly chat, letting her go was mentioned and I was reminiscing about the days of being taken to Infants school in the sidecar of the Shadow and the time I was 14, sat on another Shadow and the weight got the better of me and she fell on her side (not the best day!!) So he asked me did I want it? No Dad don't be daft, I've not even got a bike licence!! Have it, I'll bring it down weekend after next with your Mum. What will I do with it? Sell it if you want he said.....never going to happen Dad. I'll put it in the front room as a piece of art and you can take it along the Cornish coast roads every time you visit and that's how it was left.
Now that she's here, I've had to lock her in the shed outside as the smell of fuel was too much to be inside. She'll soon have a new home once the garage is completed and sit alongside another air-cooled classic, a 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier which we use as a camper. She's been to Spain and France twice (broke down both times!!) but we have got to know her from front to back and the same will be the case with the Vincent.
The Comet is all matching numbers with certification from 20 years ago. Jonathan Lambley now has all of the numbers to confirm. The timing gear spindles had worked loose and the Gentlemen that owned her, struggling to get parts machined locally, stripped and stored her in tins and boxes for 30 years! She roared back into life in 2001 and was nicknamed 'Thundering Phoenix'. My Father purchased her in 2003.
So now she's with us, I've ridden her across the patio and have a real desire to pass my test (I can ride bikes, just not legally!!) and have short rides locally to the beach and maybe some classic events along with the Chevy!
Apologies for the Shakesperian introduction, I didn't just want to say I've been given an old black thing that's a nightmare to start and stinks.....I've grown up around these and many other beautiful classics and feel very blessed to be her Guardian.
A few pics and best wishes to you all.
Chris
