Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

I'm in the process of restoring a W/NG that I bought in a dilapidated state a year or two ago. I started restoring in March 2020 (along with most everyone else) and I've been working my way through the various parts and assemblies. I've now got to the back mudguard which was in a bit of a state, but recoverable with a fair bit of plating and brasing. The rear, lift up portion had what I took to be a previous patched repair but to my surprise and delight it turned out to be a brass plate with chassis contract number etc.. (see attached photo).

John Duckworth put me onto the Articles and Tech Info page on Drags website and the Known W/NG War Contracts Information table, but it left me a little confused. My frame number is XG13006 and engine number BH3976. Looking these up in the table, the relevant Demand and Contract Date is 18/9/40 D and 7/12/40 C, Contract Number C 8,722. As you can see from the photo the Chassis Contract No. is C 13871 which is a 14/3/42 D , 12/3/42 C in the table.

Any thoughts?

Jim Haydock
Lancs Branch

Jim
Probably a replacement rear mudguard section/mudguard or someone has sourced a later contract plate and attached it.

I thought the plates were normally attached with rivets not screws (Q: are there nuts on the inside?)

Nevhunter posted last year re contract plates:

"TWO W/NGs one of which I still have, have them (originals and matching) positioned on the lower read mudguard. They didn't even bother to get the holes LEVEL when they were drilled".

Maybe Nev could say whether his originals were screwed on or riveted....Nev?

Cheers
Alan

Alan,

No doubt due to my ineptitude I managed to post the same question under two different headings. Apologies for that, but I've posted a reply under the W/NG General section.

Thanks for your help, I've also included a photo of the inside fixings as requested.

Jim Haydock

Alan, all I've seen are screwed on. No captive nuts either The screw heads looked exactly as those do.(philister) it's likely the guard got swapped when lots of this stuff was being disposed of OR someone's found a plate and just fitted it, It does look in good condition and looks to be an "authentic " stamping. Things like a contract plate would not be of much concern when these bikes were sold off to and used in civvie land to a starved market at the war's end. An allowable range of engine and frame numbers correspond to any given contract plate. The "normal' number of machines with a contract seems to be 3,000. Nev