Interesting Article from MPH
My Model 'PS'
Matthias Huxoll
Having restored my one owner Vincent Rapide (see MPH 741, October 2010, pages 18 and 36) and owning a 1935 Rudge Special, I found in the same MPH 741, a sales advertisment for a 'Python' (Rudge Special).
Not knowing that Vincent had models with the famous 500cc single-cylinder four-valve-head Rudge engine, I was immediately very interested in that great combination. The Python from MPH 741 was soon sold elsewhere. But my Rudge contacts helped me to identify a Vincent H.R.D. Python DPS in Germany. After getting in touch with the old Rudge and BMW enthusiast and having a look at his Python, I was surprised that it was a Vincent H.R.D. Python Model 'PS'. That means the sport model with the Rudge Ulster engine, four brakes and diamond frame (rear spring). After several months of contact, I was able to buy the Model 'PS' which already looked good. The D790 was delivered new, together with the D789, to The Netherlands. The D789 is also still 'alive' and there.
Back at home I had to find out that not everything was as good as it looked like in the first place. The cylinder head was the 1932 full-radial-four-valve iron head, the headlight was the wrong one, the carburettor too small and finally the engine needed a full rebuild. My good friend Andreas Ulm (Rudge specialist) restored the engine and also the correct bronze-cylinder-head with two parallel and two radial valves.
After several months of searching, I found the 1934 bronze head and exchanged it for another Rudge
head. But the biggest challenge was to find the correct B.T.H headlamp! After eight months of bargaining
(after even identifying a B.T.H owner) and after offering several different other headlights (which I all
bought for exchange), I was eventually so lucky to get the correct B.T.H.
By the way, if anyone knows a H.R.D. 500 O.H.V. (1925-1928) for sale I would be very interested.