I have a customer that came to my shop for an inspection on his motorcycle and I was talking to him about his bike and commented that I had the same 1 yr Brown tank model CB750, he bought it along with another one that was in pieces at an estate sale, I asked if I could see the other one because he said he had no interest in putting it back together. The frame hanging on the wall and the blue gas tank and side covers wrapped in plastic peaked my interest, so I asked him if he had the motor. It was complete, a 1969 CB750 Sand Cast. My dilemma is do I tell him what he has or grab it and run.
I would give him the low end of a fair price, even if higher than he was asking. If paying him more than he is asking I would tell him he is not asking enough and I want to be fair. No deal is worth pissing off customers. That is shitting in your mess kit.
Anywhere from 10K to the one that sold at auction for 142K depends on production #s and condition. He had his other bike at my shop for a state insp. the 69 is at his house in the garage.
He bought it at an Estate Sale and probably paid next to nothing for it. It's not like you are cheating him out of a family heirloom . Grab it and RUN, He probably did the same thing. as they say......Dog Eat Dog
Well he basically got it for free, he only wanted the complete one but it was a package deal and had to take both.
Stuff is only worth what you are willing to pay. If you guys can work out a mutual deal, then it should be good. Bike-in-a-box is going to take some time and money to sort out, don't short yourself. If you plan on restoring it, you might see yourself looking for some expensive bits in the process.
Don't know if I will sleep better tonight or not. I asked him what he would take for it and he said he thought it was probably worth a $ K just in parts, then came the big sigh and I offered him $3K and explained what it would take to restore it. He looked very surprised and asked why I would pay so much, soooo, I told him what I thought he had and to do some research on it through Honda and on the internet and if he still wanted to sell it to give me a call. When I left I think he was in shock. I probably could gotten it for $500. He is an older guy and just a Sunday rider, we'll see what happens.
Him and his three car's help fill my mess kit, as you put it. I'll wait and see if it comes around, it is a small town. Either way my life will go on.
I have been self employed in one business or another for over 40 yrs, I just wanted to make a living not a killing, I did the first one, the other just snuck up through the yrs.
I also have been self employed most of my life, I have had this company for 33 years and before that was mostly self employed except for my electrical apprenticeship. It has it's rough points, but self employment allows one to, over time, end up working with people one likes and doing things one likes, every day.
Have to agree with the doing what one likes part, but over the years to get to that part, my body parts are disagreeing.
I have parts that complain from time to time, and at 63 I likely don't have much more than another 10-15 years before I give up the construction work and only do technical stuff. Troubleshooting, design, and consulting. I have already started in that direction, and were it not for my son wanting me to teach him the trade I would likely already be doing mostly that.
Hopefully he is like most older guys and will do you right. For one reason or another us older folk more often than not tend to do what is right. There are exceptions, sure. I am surprised he didn't accept your offer on the spot.