-SG- This machine has had the same owner (sadly now dead) for over fifteen years and is well known in the south of England where it has been much admired, used and has shown great reliability. It is for sale now at Vintage and Veteran.
It started off as a veritable basket case and has been turned into a very presentable machine. Engine 45715 began life in a 1930 Model 18 shipped out in September 1929 and it is for this reason it is fitted with the 1928/9 oil pump, like the bike in New Zealand, covered by the recent posting. The frame number pre-dates the engine by several months.
For the quite high asking price I would hope to find little wrong and indeed, I would rate the overall restoration as pretty good. However, there are a few points worth making - some plus and some minus! Potential buyers may like to consider the quite minor 'minus' points if making an offer!
First, the 'Plus' points:
- It is fitted with a correct brass type 6 carburettor and float chamber.
- The front hub is correct - a 7 inch Horton.
Nit-picker's 'Minus' points:
- Tank lining is not quite correct. The black lines aren't quite wide enough in my view.
- The kick start lever is wrong and comes from an LS gear box. It should be straight, not curved.
- The restorer has plated the brake arms - as I've said before, by this date they should be BLACK!!
- The clutch lever is a later type and the clutch arm on the gearbox is not Sturmey Archer.
- It is fitted with a very nice - but incorrect - 'Square' ML magneto and there is no magneto shield, which in any case, will only fit the correct ML CMAK magneto.
- Bearing in mind the overall finish the restorer has aimed for, I am surprised he failed to re-plate the scruffy cylinder base nuts and rocker box support/cylinder head sleeve nuts.
- The rear hub is not the right one being - I believe - slightly later but it fits well and this is not a noticeable point.