1968 basket case acquisition

Hello all,

Well, after lusting after owning a Norton for many years, I have come upon a basket case that appears to be complete. I just am not sure what level of a project I would be getting into. Can you guys help me? If I decide to buy this project, I'll be a regular here, to be sure!

Perhaps I can start with what I know. First ANd foremost, I know the owner. So I don't believe he'd misrepresent what he has.

1968 Norton Commando fastback - basket case.
68 frame - rear loop chopped off, and apparently cracked up top.
72 frame in good condition, including swingarm, rear wheel, etc. Needs blast and powdercoat.
original drum brake front end swapped for a disc brake front end including front wheel.
68 engine and transmission - ahd been abused, engine and transs rebuilt in the early 80's, but engine was never reinstalled or run. Bored .040 over. Been sitting 25-30 years has been turned over now and then. How likely is it the engine rebuild will still be OK after all these years?
- set of amal carbs
- tank, rear cowl & side covers need stripping & painting
- seat needs recovering
- pattern front fender included
- new header pipes, new pattern exhaust. Also new 2-1 exhaust
- all lights, instruments, etc. seem to be there.
- needs new isolastics

It's bound to be missing some things, I don't know how much. It needs a ton of cleanup and polishing. etc. of course.

Owner wants $2000 - $3000 for all of it.

I have no idea if it's worth any of that money. Is this enough information for anyone here to advise?

Thanks!

Without a picture, we are really only just stabbing in the dark. Sounds like a LOT of work needed.
Engine will need a rebuild, you can't trust what you don't know.
And as someone said, some projects if you got them for free are not worth the money, so condition is everything.

The usual tactic for basketcases is to take their lowest price, and then beat them down some more.
Subtract $$ for everything that needs work - and quote that to them, item by item.
When you get to $10,000 needed, time to run !!!

Opethiselps.

Like Rohan says, what you can't see you need to inspect and repair. Sounds like a complete rebuild to me. You may be able to do it for 4-5K$ on the cheap side, but if you want a reliable good looking bike, you are going to spend $8K and up, depending on what you want. Plus how much time do you have? It took me 8 years to do mine, but the last year was the most productive. I was playing with it before that. If you can afford to send it all out, expect to spend $10K and up. Look at the CNW bikes for $25K and up.

Dave
69S

Hello Saxster, Gotta agree with Rohan and especially with Dogt on the time part, I have a '69 basket case that i've had for years and still can't even get close to starting in on it, so what did I do ....went out and bought another one, a complete rolling '75 mkIII this time. One that hasn't been run in years though and also needs lots of TLC before I can get it going too---- but I still don't have the time for either one. I gotta admit though, when I go out into the garage and see them, the big smile on my face tells me I've got the right bike (plagiarizing Commonoz here). If you could get him down to 12 or 15 hundred it might be worth it. Look at it like this, you'll get to put in all the little details that you want along the way, making it your own. Not to mention wrenching on it is half the fun. Make the offers face to face though, with the cash in your hand...and under his nose. I knocked off an extra 500 on the 75 that way. Cj

Yeah, I didn't really have the time or money until I retired at the end of 05. Then for some reason I seemed to have both. The money part was scary to start with, but it all worked out, especially when Bear Stearns went under and I quit the stock market in 08. Never looked back. Luckily wife and I both have good company pensions and we suffered a lot of years saving too.

Dave
69S

Thanks for the thoughtful responses and tips, everyone.

I guess expecting an engine, rebuilt or not, that has been sitting for 25 years or more to be ready to roll (or nearly ready to roll) is more than a little optimistic, but the current owner thinks that will be so. :roll:

I guess the decision now is, do I want to spend the time and money turning it back into a motorcycle, or not.

I would have taken pictures, but the bits are strewn about in a dark dingy basement, impossible to take pictures with the iphone camera I had with me.

The other question would be, even assuming I did a stellar job on the rebuild, what would I have? A non-numbers matching Norton made out of several years' different parts. Surely that would hurt the vintage value.

You'll never get your money, much less time back from it. You just have to do it for the love of the Norton. I doubt if the various numbers will do much to value as long as it is not ratty and runs good, but then why would you want to sell it? I may even put mine in the living room for functional sculpture when I can't ride any more.

Dave
69S

Yeah, I guess I know I'd never get the money out. It's like that with any classic rebuild. Always lusted after a Norton, though. Perhaps "creating" one from all these parts would just make it that much sweeter.

You could probably buy all the major components of a fastback on Ebay for three grand. All the bits and pieces are hard to judge as to value, a lot of them you will end up replacing anyway. If you wanted a Roadster you should be able to find a runner, or a non-running bike in good complete condition for 3K. Fastbacks are harder to come by, but the price sounds steep to me.

Russ

Let me put it too you this way. I got my complete 66 Atlas for $800, with some extra parts. It was barn fresh as well. Then I picked up a 71 Commando basket case, on a trade for a diamond ring that I had $300 in. (I got him down to $800 cash for the bike so I traded the ring.) On another note there is a 69 Commando SS in Florida, that is together, and kicks over, for $2300. That might help you put things in perspective a little. I got some good deals on my stuff, but there are plenty of other good deals out there to be had. Simpson got his 71 Commando, with a fresh rebuilt engine, basket case for $1000. And it looks like a model kit that is ready to be put together. So if you do pass on it, don't get discouraged, I seriously don't think he is going to get that for that bike. If he won't lower the price then come back in a few months when he can't move it and offer it again.

I bouught my 750 Commando new in 1973. Sent it out to be totally done over in 2008. Over a year and $8,000 + later Ole Snort is done and better than when I rode it the very first time. Keep in mind that I commissioned a COMPLETE re-do: Engine, trans, wheels, brakes, paint, powdercoat, carb, ignition, belt drive primary, etc.......the whole magilla and it was 90% complete when I sent it out.

My advice would be to purchase one that is as complete as possible. One that is already running. One that has had a fair amount of work done to it already. You will have less in it in the long run as well as being able to enjoy it right from the start. Being as it won't need much, you can "tinker" to make it better instead of investing a bunch of your time and money into putting together a (who knows what) basket case.

Just my two cents

Agreeing with everyone else, $2000-3000 seems reaching a bit. That said, if it's all there and in relatively good condition, I'd try to knock him down to a grand or so--cash--and not much more. The non-numbers frame is no big deal to me because the '68 frame is a throw-away anyway. Your call, of course.

I paid $4000 for my "running" 850 (it was bad, and downright dangerous) and I've more than doubled that after a full rebuild (sans-motor). It's an expensive hobby.

Howdy saxster! Welcome to the forum.

I disagree with most. If you know who did the rebuild it should be ok. The only parts to possibly fail over that much time would be the rubber seals.

Even assuming clean title I still think $2000 is on the high side.

Pictures would help.

Again, thanks for all your input everyone, and thanks for the warm welcome. I've had some more updates on the bike. I asked specifically what was included and what was missing, and I got this response:

Included:

wiring harness, selenium rectifier, 2MC capacitor and regulator, ignition switch, headlight and controls, 2x Norton manuals

Missing:

tail light, signals, front fender and a fair bit of assembly hardware (to be expected on the hardware)

I'd have to drag all of the bits out of the owner's dark 6' ceiling basement for pictures, but it might not be a bad idea to do that.

A lot of that assembly hardware can be expensive, I'm thinking of the gearbox adjuster, spacers, BSW nuts and bolts, engine studs and nuts, gearbox mounts, wheel spindles, you may want to see exactly what you are getting with it. If you are familiar with putting together a Norton, you should be able to see what's not there, if not, you may want to get someone that has been through a Norton to look at it with you.

Dave
69S

saxster said:

selenium rectifier

Click to expand...

Often incorrectly referred to as "selenium", presumably what you have is the original Lucas 49072 circular plate silicon diode bridge rectifier?



http://www.britcycle.com/products/391/391_series_4.htm

DogT is right, get somebody familiar with Nortons to look at it with you. Where are you located?

As far as the question about the value once you are done. Some people really care a lot about whether the bike is matching numbers, and all original. Others just want to get on a bike that rides well and has been sorted out. You better decide before you start which is most important to you. It isn't like the value difference in the two is gonna finance a new bike or anything like that. It is pretty amazing that you can buy a well sorted Commando for as little as they are anyway. Anybody who knows anything about Nortons is gonna be glad this bike does NOT have an original frame.

Russ

I thought Selenium was odd. Likely the original Lucas part.

The engine rebuild in the 80's included:

connecting rod bearings
crank bearings
wrist pin bearings (he thinks)
cylinders were bored and .040 over pistons put in
the transmission got new second and third gear and shims and new bearings

that's the rebuild - no mention of valve work, etc.

And I'm in Vancouver, BC. I do have a friend that is into old Brit bikes and has done lots of work on old bikes.

You really need someone that has built a Norton, he/she will immediately see what is missing and what is there. Lots of the parts you cannot just go down to the hardware store and buy. If you need to buy a lot of missing parts it can get expensive real fast. Believe me. I was lucky and had a complete one with all the parts (less the bad stuff) since I had it on the road in the past. Surely in Vancouver there will be someone with a Norton that will help. Maybe you could get SwooshDave to come up from Portland since his bike seems to be the long distance runner and he likes the long miles on that hard seat. Not that I'm jealous or anything.

Dave
69S