[Tmike]

New member you may (or may not) see a lot of going forward... Have a fella wanting to trade me a 67 Black Bomber for an old car I've had listed for sale. Says he's had it for 20 years, "good condition, runs it regularly but doesn't ride it". I'll be looking at it later this week and wonder if anyone might offer advice regarding specific issues to look for. Any feedback to assist in determining the value would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike

 

[ancientdad]

It would depend, of course, on the value you put on the old car you have for sale, but if you can get a Black Bomber in trade for something you're selling and can afford the "loss" (at least for the moment), it will eventually return the value and potentially then-some. Wish I could find a situation like that, I'd do it in a heartbeat. As for the bike's condition... if you have any motorcycle experience at all, just listen for noises in the engine that don't sound proper, check the oil to see if you can smell fuel contamination (if the fuel shut-off is left on, these carbs can gently overflow down the cylinders into the bottom end and can cause great damage if run with diluted oil), and make sure all the functions work including transmission (all 4 gears, the Bomber is a 4 speed)

 

[Rothafella]

Welcome TMike. There are a handful of BB owners on here and perhaps they will weight in as well. I would tell the owner to leave the bike cold for when you arrive and you can make your own determination about how it starts up. My bike will start up with the slightest touch of the starter when it is warm, but cold will give you some insight. I'd check the date on the tires to see how old they are. I'd also look under the pipes for rust spots or anywhere water could have accumulated and caused them to rot. If you take some pictures, the experts on here could give you an estimate. The BB is a rare bike and people will pay good $$ for a fine example.

 

[Tmike]

Thanks Tom. This will be Bike #5 currently in the stable but first true collectors item so to speak. Value of the car being traded is 6-8 thousand knowing full well the value of anything is dictated by what someone is willing to pay for it at any given time. Very early in the negotiation so just trying to determine the potential value prior to getting serious which should happen later this week.
I'll post some pictures and have more questions then.

Mike

 

[Tmike]

Well, it looks like the deal is going to happen. The gentleman came and looked at the car and showed a few pictures of the bike along with a bit of history. He's the second owner and had it 40 years, 18,000 miles and "ran when parked 2 years ago" (for what that's worth). He put most of the miles on it as a daily driver early on. So... transaction will be completed next week at which time I'll post some pictures (and likely many more questions) on the projects log forum.

 

[ancientdad]

Looking forward to pictures of the bike. I'm curious what car you're trading for it... but disclosing that is obviously up to you

 

[Tmike]

That bike and cash for my 1940 Ford. He has better space and capabilities although the car doesn't need much. The bike is simpler (I know, famous last words) and opens up garage space so really a suitable deal considering an agreeable value for both parties.

 

[ancientdad]

Wow, that's quite a swap. I always loved the '40 Ford body and I'd love to be able to afford a vintage car project, but if I did it would have to be a '55 or '56 Chevy... that would make both me and my wife really happy. Plenty of knowledge here for your 450, so post some pictures of it so we can see what you're getting into...

 

[Tmike]

Deal is done, car is gone, money in hand and titles exchanged. Going to pick the bike up Sunday. Along with the title he included the original purchase receipt from a Motorsport dealer in Denver. He's the second owner, purchased 6/9/71 for the price of...... $600.00. Yes, six hundred.
I'll post pictures and the plan next week after I have the chance to evaluate it a bit.

 

[ancientdad]

Deal is done, car is gone, money in hand and titles exchanged. Going to pick the bike up Sunday. Along with the title he included the original purchase receipt from a Motorsport dealer in Denver. He's the second owner, purchased 6/9/71 for the price of...... $600.00. Yes, six hundred.
I'll post pictures and the plan next week after I have the chance to evaluate it a bit.

I'd love to see a copy of that purchase receipt... names and VIN redacted, of course - but just for the nostalgia of it. and BTW, $600 for that bike, even then, is disgusting. I bought a brand-new CL450K4 in high school, only a few months after that, and paid about $975 for it, but we were looking at the K0 450s like they were humpback whales around then...

 

[12ozPBR]

If there was one car I would rather have more than the Black Bomber 450 it might just be a ‘40 Ford. Especially if it was a coupe. I would be interested in seeing a pic of the car if you cared to post that. And of course we want to see pics of that Black Bomber when you get it. Welcome and Congratulations on your new bike!

 

[Tmike]

Picked the bike up this past Friday. Hopefully some pictures will appear...

 

[Tmike]

Mr. PBR asked for a picture of the Ford this was traded in on. This is the car sitting in his shop.

View attachment 269048

 

[Tmike]

So... off to the New Projects forum.

 

[ancientdad]

the bike looks pretty good for its age, and seems to be original all over (except maybe for the mirrors, but I'm not sure on that). I think you did well. Sadly, the picture of the car didn't come through, I'd like to see it myself