Value of mid-50's Triumph?

[rstl99]

Hi all,
A mid-50's Triumph (I believe it's a TRW, though I'm not terribly familiar with vintage Triumphs) has become available locally.  Apparently runs, but needs some re-assembly following frame repainting.  Looks in good shape from the b/w pictures.  What is a ballpark value for something like that?  Thanks!

[Blue]

Given that most of it seems to be there including the guards which appear to be straight, I'd say around the $3,500 - $4,000AU mark

[Revband]

This bike is going to require a lot of time and money spending on it, if you don't have the expertise to do most of the work yourself then it will be very expensive, a number of parts are missing and some are obviously not correct.

I would be able to carry out the necessary work if I bought it, but in view of the cost would not want to pay more then £1500 absolute maximum and would be looking to pay rather less, if you need to pay others to do the work then I would say look for a bike that is road ready.

I have now restored six old bikes and the way the cost adds up is frightening and that is doing all the work myself, the only thing I don't do is chroming.

[bikerisme]

i agree with revband have rebuilt a couple of bikes from the ground up
and the cost of bits soon mounts up and thats assuming you do most
of the work yourself it always costs a lot more than you think and thats
not taking into acount your time but if you can get it for the right price
go for it!

[watcycle mechanical]

I agree with both revband & bikerisme this machine is missing a number of difficult to obtain parts althou all the tin ware is there remember a coat of paint could be hideing a multitude of sins dents rust etc that unless you have some expierience inpainting & panel beating your going to have to shell out any where between $1500au to $2300au for a decent paint job. So useing revbands maximum purchase price of  approx $2800au  your all ready up to around $5000 & you havent even stripped it down yet. Start that & the dollars just keep adding up at the least you will need to replace all the gaskets & seals approx$150au. Judging by the dust Id say she's been laid up for awhile so if you were to press it into service she will begin to leak in a very short time once that starts it only gets worse then you have to consider rings at least approx $70 or the possibility it might want a rebore $50 per cylinder new piston etc etc etc. Unless you are realy enthusiastic about this particular vintage & plan on keeping it indefinately you wont see much value for the money & time you spend on it

[Rex]

You blokes seem over-pessimistic to me. I'd say it's mostly all there and useable as it is. It's not a basket case, nor is it a rusty heap of shite lying in the corner.
Obviously up-close-and-personal could be diferent, but it would appear to be an easy running resto from those pics.
Must be worth the thick end of £2000 if it's as good as it looks, and a whole lot more if/when it's fully restored.
A nice old flat-head...

[watcycle mechanical]

Like I said to some one who realy likes that particular model it would be worth whatever he /she had to spend on it to bring it back to its former glory. I love triumphs & if my shed were bigger I would try to gather at least one of every model built.Look out here I go useing my vast fortune on extravagances again.Ah bugger I was dreamin  but arent we all millionares when we are asleep.I have just completed a nuts & bolts resto on an M33 the thing came out of burma & there wasnt a part of it that hadnt fallen victim to the burmese butcher's tool kit ie a14lb hammer & a worn out chissel handed down through at least 7 previous generations so it has cost a lot more to restore than what it is worth but to the owner the nostalgia of reliveing his boyhood watching his Dad ride one its worth it.What the customer wants the customers gets. Regards Geoff

[Rex]

The cardinal rule....never buy a bike from a "poor" country and expect it to be anything other than totally and utterly shagged. To them, it's transport not a toy, and the concept of having some bike lying unused for years is absurd.
The only reason they sell 'em on to daft Westeners is because they can't squeeze any more life from them, and even then they've probably been bodged and had odd parts fitted for years.
But this TRW is far removed from that scenario....