how often does 1970+ eldorado show up

[needanotherbike]

I see a nice clean 1972 eldorado across the country but not sure if I want to go get it.  how often do they show up?  are they fairly rare to be in good condition?  or dime a dozen?  How long would one need to wait, I am in Austin,Tx area.

TIA.

[Perazzimx14]

It seems like there is no shortage of them. Routinely someone will post about another barn find or of running units f/s.

[Dave Swanson]

They surface regularly.  After you buy your first one you will find 3 more within a couple weeks, so it seems.   Join the MGNOC http://www.mgnoc.com/index.html  and watch the classifieds on their newsletter, and keep a close eye on the WG Swap Meet section.

2 years ago after looking for quite awhile I committed to buy a quite rare 93 1000S.  Within one week there were 2 more nice ones for sale. 

Eldos are very cool bikes.   I found mine looking very forlorn in a dark corner of an old Brit bike shop.

After emptying my bank account it now looks like this.   

[larrys]

Unless you want the satisfaction of bringing a tired or dead one back to life, I think that buying a nice one will be cheaper. As with restoring anything, car, truck, boat, or airplane the cost to restore can easily be double what the machine is worth when you're done. Many here have first hand experiences that prove it, self included.
Larry

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

they are not particularly rare, as far as guzzi go...  there are tons of them in Cali... you seem them for sale pretty much constantly

there are at least 3 on the MGNOC site in classified right now

[needanotherbike]

I didn't know about MGNOC, thanks for the suggestion.  Dave, your 1974 eldorado is dead sexy!  "If there are none, for sure 5 will come up the week after you find and buy one."  yep, well played.  It's always like that.  Decided, I need an eldorado in mylife, I was 60% sure but now I am 100% sure.  and Yes, I want something that someone else took out the satisfaction of restoring. 

[jumpmaster]

Decided, I need an eldorado in mylife, I was 60% sure but now I am 100% sure.  and Yes, I want something that someone else took out the satisfaction of restoring. 

Never fear.  The chances are about 9 to 1 (against you) that any "fully restored"  or "100% correct" Eldorado or Ambassador you buy will end up costing you $1 or 2K in parts & labor to correct stuff that was overlooked, ignored or even lied about by the prior owner when describing it for sale.  Ask Charlie Mullendore about the experiences of some of his customers who bought "clean" or "restored" bikes, which he got to make some money on getting safe and road-ready.  A "runs well" bike will almost certainly cost considerably more to correct creative things that have been done to the bike over the years by one or more prior owners.  I personally bought a "restored" Eldorado a couple of years ago and count myself lucky to have only needed new tires (which I figured on) and some minor wiring rerouting after I bought it.  It was wildly overpriced in the listing, but I ended up buying it for only a little bit too much.   In the next year I found some other funky things one or more prior owners had done to it, but all in all I did ok considering I really didn't do nearly as much research as I should have before even starting my shopping. 
Bottom line:  buy the nicest one you can afford with the features/equipment you want already on it (disc brakes unless you're in love with the look of the front drums, windshield if you want one, decent saddlebags, etc.).  If you're into patina & grunge, saddlebags at reasonable prices are around, but if you're going the nice as possible route then be prepared to pay big bucks for saddlebags that will match the condition of the rest of the bike - unless you are one of the lucky people who can restore them yourself.

[needanotherbike]

I don't need anything that nice. I need something about 80% of what Dave Swanson.  I want to use it as a grocery getter.   Maybe I will be build wooden box in the back to put my organic foods :).  drive it across the state once in a while.  I have a 2012 V7 Racer currently.  currently in austin tx.

this is a reasonable price at 5400... far western ny.



pictures to copy


this is abit more expensive at 6750, in florida, a little closer




this one is good but also very far in MA, north of NY




I have some ambassadors near by.  They don't look nearly as good to me, but what's the major differences?  I know the engine changed from 750 to 850... i read that the eldorado was an up grade to the ambass?  an also what's up the convert, why do people want that style?  I feel it doesn't look nearly as good.

[T4halo]

I like my old Ambassador. Did a 2000 mile trip through the midwest on her in July. Starts, runs, and stops pretty good. Thought I’d replace her last month but after purchasing a newer bike I cant bring myself to let her go. My new softail just feels different.

T4

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I have some ambassadors near by.  They don't look nearly as good to me, but what's the major differences?  I know the engine changed from 750 to 850... i read that the eldorado was an up grade to the ambass?  an also what's up the convert, why do people want that style?  I feel it doesn't look nearly as good.

Comparing a "civilian" Ambassador to a "civilian" Eldorado, they will look nearly identical. Same thing when comparing the two in "police" trim. But, if you're comparing a "civilian" of one to a "police" of the other then one may not look as good (depending on your preference). The major differences: five speed transmission on the Eldo vs. four speed on the Ambo, 87 cc more displacement (Eldo 844 vs. Ambo 757). I like my Ambassador (and V700) just fine.

Regarding the Convert: I think the DeTomaso era Guzzis (big and small) have a distinctive, tasteful style all their own. If you don't like it, that's fine, there are plenty of us that do.

[jumpmaster]

I have some ambassadors near by.  They don't look nearly as good to me, but what's the major differences?  I know the engine changed from 750 to 850... i read that the eldorado was an up grade to the ambass?  an also what's up the convert, why do people want that style?  I feel it doesn't look nearly as good.

Eldorado has a 5-speed vs. Ambassador's 4-speed.  Eldo rated at approx 5 more hp, but also a little heavier so any performance improvements probably more based on rider skills than on hp/wt ratio.  Greg Bender's "This Old Tractor" has a whole article comparing the differences between the various loop frame models.  Lots of people on this forum regularly ride both Ambassadors or Eldorados on long trips.  One more thought - you may already know this, but hold out for a bike with Nikasil cylinder bores rather than chrome, unless you put aside about $2K for repair/replacement of major engine parts as part of the purchase price.  A few people on this forum swear that they have never had an issue with chrome bores on their Ambassadors/Eldorados, but they are a decidedly small minority.

Converts are an acquired taste, but those who like them also seem to ride them often and for long distances.  From what i've read, performance isn't significantly different from Eldorados and handling may even be better, but I've never ridden a Convert so I don't really know.   Brakes are probably better than Eldos - getting the best out of Eldo front drum-brakes is apparently almost as much an art as it is a skill.

[needanotherbike]

One more thought - you may already know this, but hold out for a bike with Nikasil cylinder bores...
Converts are an acquired taste...

I didn't know about the Nikasil bores, thanks for that tip.  As for the converts, I didn't mean to offend anyone, I was just curious.  There are two 2014 californias for sale 14 miles from me, maybe I will go for that, about the same price as a good 70s eldorado.   ~7000-8000

[Furbo]

Hey,

I'm just N. of you around Ft Hood/Temple.

Get ahold of whoever is doing time as the MGNOC State Rep.  They would probably have a very good handle on who's looking to sell.

Loops are unique. A true rideable classic. I've had my '72 since 1987.

[fotoguzzi]

How often? For a 1970 Eldo,    never.    They came on the market in 1972