Do I want to get hit by Lightning?
 

Made you look!

But seriously, I think that I may have found a deal of a lifetime. I called the LBS today to check on the ETA of a Banjo Brothers bag that I have ordered. I also asked about this Lightning bent that was in their backroom that I saw when placing my order this past weekend. I thought maybe it was in for service, but turns out that is for sale (consignment). The employee that I talked to over the phone said that it "priced $450-500, or something like that". Problem is that I couldn't tell what model it was when I saw it, and the tech on the phone couldn't figure it out either.

It *looked* like it might be an older P-38, but I am not sure. It was a SWB with OSS, 20" upfront and a larger (unsure of size) in the rear.

What I would like to know is if this is really going for that price, would it be worth it? Lightning states on the site that they design their bents to last 50,000 miles. If this frame is decent, but everything else could/should need an updating, how much extra $$ would it be? Assume worst case and LBS does all of the work.

I just want to make it clear that the Lightning in question is a 'consigned' item. The LBS is selling it for the current owner. I trust that this LBS in not a clearinghouse for stolen rigs.

I am trying to determine worst case scenario financially on my part before getting the sellers hopes up. If I think that I will be financially unable to purchase and then afford any repairs, then I'll disclose which LBS in the state has this bent.

But, yeah, when I heard the price (assuming that is correct), flags started flying around in my head. The seller could be:

-Poor health, unable to ride
-Selling to help purchase another rig
-Could be part of an 'estate' sale
-Could be the current owner bought it used, and is now either moving up or moving on.

I am unable to go back to the LBS at the moment. Car-light, have class in less than 2 hours, it's been raining all day, temps are dropping, and it's supposed to be snowing sometime tonight. Accumulation between 2-12", depending on which talking head one listens to around here. Honestly, I think that weather forecasting in this state is a cross between Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Spin the Bottle.

Even an older P-38 is worth 450-500, unless it's totally trashed. One thing to check is the area around the head tube and top tubes. That area was infamous for cracking. Tim Brummer would do the repairs at a nominal cost, and the last repair I saw done included a new gusset to reinforce the area. I think Tim's attitude with the P-38 goes something like, 'you can build it to last or you can build it light.' The P-38 shows its racing heritage by being built light. Someone will probably correct me, but I think the P-38 comes with a 3-year warranty rather than a lifetime warranty like some other manufacturers.

A bit more info- Price is $475, older P-38 with Suntour. Red w/white decals. LBS owner says it's in good shape. He sells Sun/Easy Racers 'bents, as well as several DF brands.

If you spent $500 updating the wheel, cassette, chain, and shifters to 9-speed, you'd have less than $1000 into a nice P-38? The seven speed stuff is probably functional, so the upgrades could happen later (if it really is in good condition.)

Does it have the gusset to indicate a repair? If not, the frame will eventually crack there.

I'll check it out tomorrow (Sat.). Apparently, I am not the only one who has spotted this gem. It may be gone by now.