Vintage going to waste

[nubsnubs]

A sad story...

My grandfather purchased a 1950's German Zundapp motorcycle brand new. He drove the thing over 30,000 miles. Eventually he parked it in his garage, placed it under a tarp, and never rode it again. The bike ran beautifully when put into storage. Upon his passing, he left the bike to his eldest son, my uncle. This may be the one person that should have never inheritted the damn thing, becuase he has no respect for it. Since then, the bike has beel allowed to rot, and still sits, a relic falling to peices. I have begged and plead, as with others, to get permission to work on the thing, and get it running, but my uncle is dead set that if it sits and rots, it will be worth a million dollors someday. Everytime I see it I feel an ache in my heart for it. Anyhow, I just wanted to share the story. The picture below is of the same type of bike, only in good condition.

 

[Twitch]

We have found the same retarded thinking in vintage motor cars. My 1950 Packard is original to a degree. There is no sense in allowing a vehicle to remain in shabby condition as the value definitely DECREASES. I've seen cars sitting where owners were asked to sell them yet they won't. It's as if "if I can't have it no on will." Sure one might hold onto a car many years before restoring it to put aside money for the job. But decades is crazy. Your uncle is a schmuck.

Go to nada.com and you'll see all the pricing on vintage cars. Note there are 3 values based on condition. Notice how the lowest value is based upon the crappiest condition car? It's the same with motorcycles. Simply possessing for the sheer sake of possessing is vain and nothing more. The bike could be going to good use as a parts source for other bikes if he's too lame to sell it whole to someone. People like your uncle really tick off a lot of vintage vehicle enthusiasts.:rage:

 

[Jefferson Smith]

We have found the same retarded thinking in vintage motor cars. My 1950 Packard is original to a degree. There is no sense in allowing a vehicle to remain in shabby condition as the value definitely DECREASES. I've seen cars sitting where owners were asked to sell them yet they won't. It's as if "if I can't have it no on will." Sure one might hold onto a car many years before restoring it to put aside money for the job. But decades is crazy. Your uncle is a schmuck.

I can't decide who bugs me more-- the people who let a car go to seed and refuse to sell or the trailer queens that never enjoy their car, just tow it from one show to another.

 

[reetpleat]

It isn't like it is somehow going to boom in value. He should sell it and put the money into a cd or other investment. It will probably appreciat as well or better.

 

[Benny Holiday]

Oh no! What a waste! A piece of exceptional and rare machinery like that needs to be restored and taken out on the road where it can shine! I'm with you, nubsnubs.

 

[Ecuador Jim]

I can't decide who bugs me more-- the people who let a car go to seed and refuse to sell or the trailer queens that never enjoy their car, just tow it from one show to another.

That strikes a chord with me too. I was in S. Dakota one year as the area was gearing up for Sturgis. I was amazed how many people trailered their bikes and rode them up and down the street a few times. I suppose that's better than never getting the tires dirty at all.

 

[dashiell]

That hurts. What a shame...bikes are made for riding, after all, and what I wouldn't give to ride such a bike!

 

[Doh!]

Hmm... rent this movie. It might give you some helpful hints on how to deal with your situation:

http://imdb.com/title/tt0060626/

 

[nubsnubs]

Cousin Eddie

It isn't like it is somehow going to boom in value. He should sell it and put the money into a cd or other investment. It will probably appreciat as well or better.

I wish he were that bright. Unfortunately, he is the real life 'Cousin Eddie" from National Lampoon's. It is sad. We try to convey the reality of it to him, but it always ends in stubborness.

 

[nubsnubs]

The Packard

We have found the same retarded thinking in vintage motor cars. My 1950 Packard is original to a degree. There is no sense in allowing a vehicle to remain in shabby condition as the value definitely DECREASES. I've seen cars sitting where owners were asked to sell them yet they won't. It's as if "if I can't have it no on will." Sure one might hold onto a car many years before restoring it to put aside money for the job. But decades is crazy. Your uncle is a schmuck.

Go to nada.com and you'll see all the pricing on vintage cars. Note there are 3 values based on condition. Notice how the lowest value is based upon the crappiest condition car? It's the same with motorcycles. Simply possessing for the sheer sake of possessing is vain and nothing more. The bike could be going to good use as a parts source for other bikes if he's too lame to sell it whole to someone. People like your uncle really tick off a lot of vintage vehicle enthusiasts.:rage:

Any pics of the Packard? I would love to see them.

 

[Rob]

Help me here - is the issue at hand that he doesn't think you'd do a good job of working on it/restoring it?

 

[BegintheBeguine]

I hate to see things go to waste

What is with relatives when it comes to giving? They give to the exact opposite person who should have it because of some misguided idea of leaving no one out.

Hmm... rent this movie. It might give you some helpful hints on how to deal with your situation:

http://imdb.com/title/tt0060626/

Come to think of it there might be a William Castle movie suited to every situation a Lounger would ever encounter.

 

[nubsnubs]

Help me here - is the issue at hand that he doesn't think you'd do a good job of working on it/restoring it?

No not that. He simply does not want ANYONE working on it. He is not bright enough to respect or restore it, and by God nobody else will because it belongs to him. Besides, it is already worth a million dollars as it is, or so I am sure his mind works.

 

[Twitch]

Nubsnubs- here is recent shot

 

[Technonut]

That hurts. What a shame...bikes are made for riding, after all, and what I wouldn't give to ride such a bike!

I could not have said it any better myself.....

 

[nubsnubs]

Nubsnubs- here is recent shot

Beautifull ride, Twitch. Love the blower on the door.

 

[Ed Bass]

I believe they call it "demolition through neglect"....

Best, Toots

 

[Edward]

We have found the same retarded thinking in vintage motor cars. My 1950 Packard is original to a degree. There is no sense in allowing a vehicle to remain in shabby condition as the value definitely DECREASES. I've seen cars sitting where owners were asked to sell them yet they won't. It's as if "if I can't have it no on will." Sure one might hold onto a car many years before restoring it to put aside money for the job. But decades is crazy. Your uncle is a schmuck.

I know exactly how you feel. My dad is quite the car nut - over the years we had a '36 Austin 7, '38 Austin 10, '73 MGB GT, '59 Sunbeam Talbot, '56 MGA.... probably a whole bunch of others. And that's before you get onto the bikes (though mostly he's into 70s bikes - buy 'em cheap, tinker around with them for a bit, sell them on). Currently he has inaddition to the daily driver a 70s 911 and a big 30s Morris of some sort. My mother would object enormously to the Porsche going.... Dad was never one to get sentimental about a car if there was a profit offering. lol Anyhow.... the old boy who ran the local garage had two or three thirties era cars that sat for years. Dad tried to buy them many times, but the old boy always insisted he was gonig to restore them one day - I think he really believed he would. And so they sat outside in the elements. It got to the point where Dad was offering to buy some of the bits of one for spares - all it was fit for, really. "No," came the reply, "I'm gonig to restore them." When the old boy died a few years ago, they were scrapped. Not fit for anything else.

BTW, what is the blower for (I'm presuming it's the big sivler cylinder on the side?) ?

 

[mikepara]

A waste and a crying shame.

Your uncle doesn't work for Historic Scotland? It reminds me of all the 16th Century tower house ruins in the Borders. Historic Scotland would rather a tower crumbles into the earth than be lovingly restored, if the restoration doesn't include very expensive EXACT HS Plans, builders, specified stone, timbers or fittings.

 

[Twitch]

The cylinder is an auto swamp cooler. In the 50s you added water part of which absorbed into material on a cyinder. The ram air effect from the hiway produced somewhat cool air. Cool not cold and only at highway speeds.