AJS Model 30 - a new bike joins the family

 Well, his has been a long time coming. A few months ago, son Thomas & I conceived a plan to buy a project we could build together with the kids - to give them some hands on experience and learn some new skills. I wanted Tom to buy something he really wanted, and we looked and bid on a Sunbeam S7, a BSA B50, an A65 and looked at an Ariel NH (which was a very good deal but wasn't a project).

I'm delighted that we ended up with this, a 1958 AJS Model 30 - Tom says there is a poetical symmetry to it, since I had a 1957 example when I was at university which we sold soon after we bought our first house.

It's an eBay find, described like this:

• AJS Model 30 Project rebuild or spares.
• Frame and engine are 1958 model 30
• Was going to rebuild, but will never happen, so must go.
• Engine fully rebuilt by local AJS Model 30 club specialists 15 years ago, still turns over fine. Comes with AMC gearbox and clutch etc. and majority of all major parts to rebuild, look at photo and you’ll see what’s included.

Obvious things that are missing are the silencers, mudguards, speedo and rear shocks but if we really have a properly rebuilt engine for less than £900 we will have done well!

Main frame and wheels above and most of the rest of the cycle parts below. Siamese exhausts - a sidecar bike? The rear mudguard stay looks like one from the CS model; there's a chainguard, brake pedal, battery carrier and lots of other bits:

A box of bits, including a new looking set of engine bolts:

Another view of the same curtain - there are two tanks in the kit that arrived and we see fork legs, some very high bars, a set of yokes (one of two), headlamp shrouds, one of two headlamp shells, centre stand, a head steady, footrests, frame rails, sidestand, oil pipes, engine plates and covers and the toolbox:

A tidy 58/30 engine with dynamo, gearbox, oil tank, primaries and clutch:

We can't wait to get stuck in!

Tank Strip

Here's a nice little eBay find - an original tank strip for the Huntmaster. This is an original Ariel part, rechromed -its been polished very thin, but it was a good price and its usable, unlike the one I have!

'58 Huntmaster

Well it looks like the itchy Mouse Finger has been twitching again... This was, like the Bantam, another eBay accident and what I thought was a low bid - "I'd like it at that price but I will never win it" - turned out to be the best price on the day.

This is the original eBay text:

1958 Ariel FH Huntmaster 650cc basket case

Here is a good opportunity to acquire a very worthwhile project for next winter!

This Ariel Huntmaster is generally complete and in sound condition.

The engine is not the original but appears complete and in good condition. The original crankcases are also included and could of course be built into the engine to make the numbers all matching. Gearbox is complete and in one piece all looks good. Wheels are also complete, rims obviously poor condition.

Exhaust down pipes are as new, one silencer is missing.

Smiths 120mph chronometric speedo is there & looks good.

The bike  has its original buff log book registration 39 FRB. I have corresponded with DVLA and they inform me that they have a record for the bike on their computer and a V5C can be issued subject to an inspection at local office.

The old buff log book shows date of registration as 6th January 1958, the bike was supplied by David Tye Ltd, Cromford, Derbys.

The bike looks to have only had two owners.

Frame number is CAPR 10669, engine number CNLF 4656

This would be a very good project , and now is the time to buy it so that some of the prep work can be done over the summer and everything got together for rebuilding over the winter.

Don’t miss this opportunity to restore a very dependable old Ariel to its former glory!

Selling for Spares or Repairs as seen in the photographs.

Please note everything in the photographs is included in sale and there are no extra parts not in the photographs!

And as the man says, it is virtually complete. The horn is missing, and whilst the engine bolts are there, there are very few fasteners. All the tinware is in pretty good shape, though the seat base will need some welding; there are two small dings in the fuel tank; the gear lever is missing; the switches, lights and speedo are all there; the K2F magneto & dynamo are there though the pickups are missing; the forks are straight and clean; and lastly all the numbers match up.

Here are the pictures:



Eventually it will look like this:

Not sure who's bike this is, but it has twin exhausts - mine currently has a two-into-one

It has the same tan seat, and it has the airbox (though the hose is missing):

I had to buy mine on eBay, at vast expense. At least it is an original one:

My gear lever was missing too.

This lovely machine has a FERC, which mine doesn't:

That's the Fully Enclosed Rear Chaincase, to the uninitiated...

Managing

I use this spreadsheet to manage my parts, track what I need, what I've ordered, what I paid or budgeted for the rebuild...

The parts are grouped by work package; can be filtered or grouped by vendor, order status, part number, or whatever you want.

Very useful. Here it is: http://pisl.co.uk//ArielAccounts.xlsx.zip