T80 wheels rebuilt

cost me 300 quid have these done includes new shoes bearings and skimmed drums.
crazy prices destroy restorations for a profit.

£300 thats the cost of a roadworthy T80.
Its common knowledge that money spent on restorations is never recovered, & jap bikes generally cost more to do than old brit iron due to the specialised tinware that commands rediculous prices where its available NOS (new old stock) dealers have now cottoned on to the fact that those obsolete parts they have cluttering up their stores are now 'gold dust'. A few years ago they would have gone in the skip.
As far as the Townmate is concerned I dont really see the point of doing one of these up to concours condition, I still use mine as daily transport & usable secondhand parts are still cheap (I have a shed full) but everyone wants mint ones, hence why the price of NOS ones has gone through the roof. I am not bothered if my rims have a bit of surface rust, (just keep them oiled in winter) or a plastic side cover has a few scratches & is missing its Townmate transfers.

I worked for Fiat Lancia in the 70s I remember the parts department filling a skip full of NOS on more than one occasion well befor the days of the internet! I would have loved that load!!!!!
I agree on the tidy bike side of things to oily rag bikes always look better to me, I went to a bike show and the standerd of the bikes made me feel sick inside. well done to the rebuilders but naaaaaaaaaaaaa