Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

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Gannet
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Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by Gannet »

I am fairly new to the Seagull world. However I would have thought that the Marston Seagull at present on e bay for £235 was very good value and I am very surprised that it hasn't been bought.
Can somebody enlighten me as to what the usual prices for a Marston are; or what the possible problems are with this particular one.
Thanks.

Jeremy
Keith.P
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Re: Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by Keith.P »

The Ebay Marston? is a member of this site and to mention Marston prices on this forum could lead to. well I'll just say. we don't say.
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The Tinker
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Re: Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by The Tinker »

They are over rated any way. The pipe off one would do for one of my racing 102s
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skyetoyman
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Re: Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by skyetoyman »

Couldn't resist a Marston. At least this one will stay in Scotland. I may not live long enough to get the correct tank though. Sadly it is yet another one that will have ato stay out of seawater.
LLS c 1961 on a crescent 42 boat c 1980 + wspcl c 1976 + 102 SD8561 c 1944 + 102 ACR 1948
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Hugz
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Re: Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by Hugz »

Like the way he says tanks are available..... where?
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Charles uk
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Re: Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by Charles uk »

The Marston Register sometimes get tanks & have been known to have them remanufactured.

Calling this model a Marston might be stretching the truth a little, this example was probably assembled/sold more than a year after British Seagull bought the assets of the Marston Seagull division, the fuel tank logo currently on it was probably identical to the one it wore when first sold.
It's quite possible that some of it's components were finished machined by Marston though it's more likley that as it's serial number places it about 300 motors after the swop over, & the major components seem to have beem made in batches of about 250, many of this motor's parts could have been made for British Seagull.

I would argue that this give it a rarity value as it now is one of the very first motors to carry a British Seagull logo, even though is 100% a Marston design, it's also possible that the SN & SD were Marston designs that were all ready in the pipeline as they to have more in common with their forefather's than their decendants.

There has been a lot of talk between members of the register with regard to it's value, none of whom had been prepared to bid at this level due to the cost & difficulty of bringing it back to it's correct original condition.
Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.
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skyetoyman
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Re: Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by skyetoyman »

Still happy that I bought it . It will not be sold for spares and I will restore it with its brass tank until a steel one turns up. I have no reason to think Charles UK is incorrect in saying it left the factory with it.
Might spash out on a chrome intake though. May be my only chance of affording a "Marston" I would argue that if it is stamped OP then it's a marston
LLS c 1961 on a crescent 42 boat c 1980 + wspcl c 1976 + 102 SD8561 c 1944 + 102 ACR 1948
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Charles uk
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Re: Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by Charles uk »

Terry it would have had a steel tank with a central bayonet fuel cap, the prop shaft/prop is a bit of a worry also, it should look like H-A's or if it has a DOP/DON engine number just like an SD.
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charlesp
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Re: Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by charlesp »

That's a reasonable price for an honest motor. In fact I'm tempted to think it would have gone for more had it been left as an auction rather than a buy-it-now.

It is considerably rarer than an SD, perhaps fewer than a thousand OP and ON motors were made before the military ones, I suspect really no more than six or seven hundred. So it's scarce. It's a better quality thing overall than the SDs, too. Pre-war materials, pre-war finish, pre-war quality.

The carburettor is a nice one, and it has the drain tap which is a nice feature. The finned block is nice, and the bracket is vey scarce - not many of the long shaft version survive.

Most importantly it doesn't look as if it's been messed about. It looks pretty original. No stainless steel, no grease nipples, and the like. The tank would have been replaced when the original rusted, which of course they can.

It's really only the tank, which as the other Charles so rightly says would have been a steel one with a central bayonet cap. The brass ones didn't arrive until after the war. And the air intake of course.

It is a British Seagull rather than a Marston, and would have had the British Seagull logo rather than the Marston one.
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Niander101
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Re: Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by Niander101 »

Im glad its going to a good home and as said steel SD tank we think is the correct one therefore
fairly easy to find
I do believe this was looked after it looked like it had been protected with an oily rag after use etc
now it came from near Oban near the loch entrance being "the falls of lora" Loch etive
true "barn find" literally was in a barn....:)

personally i did think it would of been worth more
but happy its going to a good home and staying in Scotland!
Not that im Scotish!
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charlesp
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Re: Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by charlesp »

The steel tank needed isn't an SD one. The one for the OP has a central filler.
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skyetoyman
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Re: Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by skyetoyman »

Not Scottish --Niander101-- That makes two of us.
LLS c 1961 on a crescent 42 boat c 1980 + wspcl c 1976 + 102 SD8561 c 1944 + 102 ACR 1948
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Niander101
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Re: Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by Niander101 »

charlesp wrote:The steel tank needed isn't an SD one. The one for the OP has a central filler.
I see ...ok an SD tank could be altered IE filler cap moved to center
its steel so can be welded
That would be the easiest way as once filled and painted if done well would be good enough..:)
well the best one could do..obviously a Marston tank will not become available .
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Charles uk
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Re: Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by Charles uk »

The register will supply you all the bit that you require special tooling for, if you want a new one Niander.

Obviously the 2 second hand tanks the register helped owners find over the last 6 months don't count!
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Re: Price/Value of Marston Seagulls

Post by Horsley-Anarak »

charlesp wrote:It is a British Seagull rather than a Marston, and would have had the British Seagull logo rather than the Marston one.
My ON had Marston on the tank, but I am still told it is not a Marston.

Surely the O suffix makes it a Marston, even if it may have been produced on the cusp of British Seagull.

Or do we now say that all new Range Rovers are not Range Rovers but Tatas ?

H-A
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