RESTORATION OF 1938 ARIEL SQUARE -4

[ralph thetford]

Hi Eveybody,
I have just joined the Forum and have just started the restoration of a 1938 Ariel square-4.This was purchased by my father new in 1938 from 'Kings of Oxford' for £98.00--- he bought it on HP and payed £1.20 per week for two years
Dad used it with a 'sidecar' from 1938 until 1956 when It was then laid up until 1962, at which point I used it for work for a year until mid 1963 (and it went like a rocket ). Since mid 1963 to present it has sat in a shed collecting dust and rust and is in need of restoration including an engine rebuild.
It is a low millage motorcycle ---My father bought it in 1938 just before the War and so got limited use between 1939 and1945 due to fuel shortages, and it was again off the road again between 1956 to 1962 due initially to the cost of fuel brought on by the 'Suez crisis' in 1956 and was then only used by me for around a year between 1962 and 1963.
The speedo stopped working at 4500 miles at some time in the past but I dont think it has done more than 10,000 miles in its whole life.

How things have changed---I still have the final bill of sale from 'Kings of Oxford' and on the bottom of the bill it gives a bit of mototing advice as follows---
'When leaving Oxford on your fresh mount from 'Kings Motors' we would remind our friends there is both a speed limit and a speed Cop in Oxford----Just save opening her out until you are on the open road'.

Ralph thetford --Hull East Yorkshire.

[Vincent.vanGinneke]

Hello Ralph, Welcome to this forum & club !
Very nice to read that you have a One family Ariel !
I wish you all the best and I am sure that if need be , information about anything related to your SQ4 (and perhaps more) you can find here on the forum.

best regards, Vincent

[Knud.Degnbol]

And I thought, that I had my 37 Square for a long time.

I bought it in 1963, but more then 30 years went by before it was proberly restored.