‘I USED TO SIT ON IT AND PRETEND I WAS RIDING IT’
This is my dad’s 1939 5T Speed Twin (KMY 988), which he bought on April 14, 1958; I have the old logbook and all the numbers match. Do any previous owners remember it? Unfortunately, over the last ten years it was stored in a series of unsuitable places: a damp shed, down the side of a house under a tarpaulin, then in a garage with rain coming through the roof.
From what early memories I have, I don’t remember dad ever riding it, but I do remember it being parked in the garage under the window and from the age of about ten I used to sit on it and pretend I was riding it. It was all together then. I’m 60 now, and dad passed away nearly four years ago, so I inherited his four old Triumphs – the others are a 1947 Speed Twin, a 1950 Tiger 100 which dad inherited from someone he worked with and a 1953 Thunderbird on which he used to take me to Brands Hatch to watch the Transatlantic races.
This 1939 is the only one that has survived in one piece – the rest are in bits, also waiting to be restored. I moved mum just up the road from me three years ago and, believe it or not, I have found all the parts for it – apart from the headlight. Dad stored the headlight for the ’39 and all the petrol tanks under the stairs for 30 years, and between myself and my mum we have managed to lose the headlight in the move.
Dad would turn in his grave (only mum’s still got him in the wardrobe, bless her). Losing this headlight has really upset me, because dad looked after it for all those years. I’m really desperate to complete this bike in its original condition and hope that someone who reads this could help me out by selling me an original Lucas D142F headlight to replace it. I can be contacted on 07850 717715.
‘UNFORTUNATELY, OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS IT WAS STORED IN A SERIES OF UNSUITABLE PLACES’