Wow MX, that's a big move to Tassie. We're making the sea change from the mountains to the beach and will be closer to the kids in Terrigal and Woy Woy. Still, Tasmania is a little slice of paradise itself.
Marc, I bought my Metisse through a friend in the US who'd bought it from the UK as a basket case mixed in a container load with a couple of Nortons and of all things a rusty Aston Martin parts car for his one that someone had sacreligiously fitted a Chevy motor. He found a better, more complete Mk4 Trumpy 500 Metisse on Mark Holloways Swapmeet so he offered the pommy basket case to me. It's a genune Derek and Don built Mk3, not a repro, fited with the period Norton forks QD rear wheel and trimmed down Ariel front wheel. The nickel is a bit iffy but apparently the 'glass is all good. The 650 engine is in a million pieces in a milk crate but my American mate has thrown in a complete Bonny bottom end. Apparently early unit triumph Metisses are pretty rare as everyone back then wanted the pre unit Trumpy or Matchless engined bikes. As a bonus, my mate threw in a Greeves Challenger in equally crap condition as a freebie. I don't quite know what I'll do when it gets here but it won't be getting the Villiers engine. I'm thinking something like a Trumpy 500 to make "Grumph" which were fairly common in the 60s. Even a B44 engine ("Greeza") would be great if I could find one for pauper money. Yours should be a beauty it won't be legal for pre 65 here but I don't think you'd be that worried about that.
I'll work out the posting format and then I'll post some photos when the bikes get here.
