1938 Red Hunter basketcase

[GilbertMarshall]

Recently picked up this supposed 1938 500 Red Hunter. The frame has an E prefix which according to the U.S. club website would make it a 1933 NF or NH? Should be in boxes by the weekend.

[paul.jameson]

Gilbert,

The frame number should be stamped into the frame lug immediately above and just to the front of the oil tank. A 1938 frame should have the prefix XG and a 500cc engine from 1938 should have the prefix CD.

Paul

[nevhunter]

Both 1938 and 1939 have the frame prefix, XG. Paul. Do you have the info as to what the numerals (numbers) are for each year? . When they start and finish. Thanks if you can. Nev

[paul.jameson]

Yes Nev, that information is available. But it may not help because the apparent first and last number for a particular year is unlikely to be accurate since Ariel allocated the frames at random.

I have visions of a pile of frames, all stamped with numbers in advance, from which frames are drawn to build bikes as necessary. While the drawing of frames from the pile might be at a fairly constant rate, from time to time a new heap of frames is added to the pile and so these are used before the ones underneath. It is not uncommon for frames with numbers over 3000 different to be adjacent entries in the despatch books. The despatch books are listed by engine number.

Hence asking the Archivist to locate your bike by the frame number can very easily mean asking him to spend a whole morning or afternoon on this particular request, especially if frames are common to different models when it may be necessary to search the book for the 250cc bikes, then the book for the 350cc bikes, then the one for the 500/600 singles, then the one for the OHC fours.....

This is why the Archivist job used to take me 2 to 3 full days work per week, and why I try to avoid the current Archivist being subject to anything other than the most vital work - which usually amounts to getting someone's bike registered again for use on the road.

[GilbertMarshall]

Thanks Paul. The lower frame number was almost completely covered in paint but turns out to be prefix BP, pointing to a number of possible donors from 1946 to 48. The engine number is BH which points to a 1940 crankcase although the rest of the engine is 500cc twin port. Interestingly both the frame and engine have additional E prefix numbers, perhaps something specific to Greece?

[john.whiting]

I assume the forks are Japanese,but do look a bit Enfild India in part.Anyhoo,they dont appear to have any springing .If so must have been a rough ride.

[GilbertMarshall]

The forks are still a mystery, although they do bounce, sort of. There seems to be no way to fix the brake plate, the previous setup would have been lethal. Good news is that the engine and gearbox internals seem ok.

[paul.jameson]

What do you have for a gearbox number? Something along the lines of X1BAPDH is prewar, but if you have something like G *** B 46 then the B indicates February and the 46 indicates 1946 for year of manufacture.

[nevhunter]

Thanks for that info Paul. I'm a bit slow in replying this time, but I have a good excuse. I was riding an old bike in a lovely part of Victoria with equally fortunate enthusiasts in excellent weather for 3 days..

The frame I have for the 1939? is XG 9862 if anyone has a rough idea what year that is. Nev

[paul.jameson]

Nev,

It left the factory on 28th Oct 1939 as a VA.