3C for restoration UK - ex Japan

pf1 said:
This would have been a good one for Hubert.

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Wow , I wouldn't have touched that at any price..judging by the heavy engine corrosion it's been somewhere damp or outside..everywhere I looked there were damaged or missing parts ....with a 70s Jap bike with spares easily got and relatively cheap it could have been a proposition at two thousand less but not at Laverda spares cost and availability .

Here is the TS I have jusy bought for £5500 it was running this summer..IMG_20231202_144750784_HDR.jpg
 
pf1 said:
I would take it on but not at that price. There isn't much missing that can't be easily replaced, all the good stuff is there. The engine turns over so at least it will come apart without a fight. Those 3C's are a far nicer bike than the later models in my opinion.
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Thanks, didn't mean to be critical of your post, I like the 3c myself but the TS came up and I have no regrets with it
 
The Sock said:
Beyond economic repair, it'd take five figures to put it right.
PS. It ain't a 3CL.
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No old bike is beyond economic repair.
It'll always cost more to put restore than it's resale value.
This one is not beyond economic repair which is why I'm rebuilding it.
Paul
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The essential difference is that you have personal history with that bike, as I do with mine, Paul.
Consequently, the economics of restoration don't inform the decisions.
The previous owner of that particular bike has an obvious history of total neglect.
Anyone taking it on, at anywhere close to the asking price, is going to spend a whole bunch of money, and time, on a bike with which they've had no personal relationship.
I accept that, for some, the challenge of bringing a bike back from the dead is enough.
But look at the number of "restorations" that appear, at ridiculous prices, because the restorer doesn't enjoy riding the bike when it's finished.
 
Not necessarily a slack dpo, could well be deceased estate, or any number of reasons. That tv show where people bid on storage lockups that have not paid rent must have some tragic stories behind some of them.
 
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I don't see the total neglect aspect. It's supposedly only done 7000 miles (perhaps), there was obviously an electrical problem, maybe a long time ago and the bike was probably laid up. The engine doesn't look butchered to me and most of the cycle part damage will have been done whilst in transit. Having said that, it will definitely be a money pit but most of them are, however shiny they may be. I suppose I'm looking through rose tinted spectacles because I have most of the parts here to sort it out and the biggest cost would be chroming.
 
The Sock said:
The essential difference is that you have personal history with that bike, as I do with mine, Paul.
Consequently, the economics of restoration don't inform the decisions.
The previous owner of that particular bike has an obvious history of total neglect.
Anyone taking it on, at anywhere close to the asking price, is going to spend a whole bunch of money, and time, on a bike with which they've had no personal relationship.
I accept that, for some, the challenge of bringing a bike back from the dead is enough.
But look at the number of "restorations" that appear, at ridiculous prices, because the restorer doesn't enjoy riding the bike when it's finished.
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In my humble opinion, personal history has nothing to do with it, price does.
It'll cost you over £10 000 to properly restore a 3C, purchase aside. So a lot depends on how much you buy it for. In the end, it'll be worth more than the market price.
That one would probably cost around £12 000 to restore if you do most of the work yourself, so it's not worth more than £3000 which brings us into break for spares and throw away what you can't sell territory.
Paul
 
pf1 said:
I don't see the total neglect aspect. It's supposedly only done 7000 miles (perhaps), there was obviously an electrical problem, maybe a long time ago and the bike was probably laid up. The engine doesn't look butchered to me and most of the cycle part damage will have been done whilst in transit. Having said that, it will definitely be a money pit but most of them are, however shiny they may be. I suppose I'm looking through rose tinted spectacles because I have most of the parts here to sort it out and the biggest cost would be chroming.
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Its a big no from me...huge amount of work and cost. And you have no idea whats in there..5k for the engine wk alone. .Guess if you are bored/ talented and money is no object...
 
pf1 said:
I'd rather take that bike on any day than yours Paul. A bike that's burned out is like Dr Terror's House of Horrors to me.
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Burnt bikes need a bit of experience with how the alloy reacts.
For the rest, it's just money and Meccano.
Paul
 
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