HQsignals

Time to pick this up again. The project has been sitting around for too long this winter while I had other things on my mind.

I'm now looking for a good seat for the motorcycle. Finding an original Mansfield will be almost impossible, so looking around for some alternatives that at least will look very similar. Does anyone have any suggestions ?

regards,

Bjorn

It has been a while since I saw a paratrousers, but perhaps the knife/scabbard would get in the back of your knee while riding in the position shown in the picture? Hence the alternative carrying method.

regards,

Bjorn

Hi Ron,

I haven't overhauled the front wheel yet. Still bears color and tyre it came in.

It was just easier for moving the ML around.

Regards,

Bjorn

I did some work on the front mudguard and the fueltank. This is the result so far:

Hi Sam,

the villiers 9D engine is indeed a James ML engine.

Dating an engine on the engine number is not easy, as the engines seem to have had varying numbers during the production.

I would say that your engine is likely either an engine fitted to a 3rd contract ML, or a 1945 post war ML.

the AAAxxxxA pre/suffix is unique to the ML, as far as I know.

regards,

Bjorn

GREAT project ..looking forward to more. Just wondered why paint the nuts and bolts? They would probably not be painted when new but cadmium/dull chrome finished.

Hi Andy,

I still need to sort out the nuts & bolts. As I don't have a lot of time to work on the ML I figured the bolts & nuts would be easy to replace in a later stage.

After disassembling the ML, I started by sandblasting the parts.

Main focus was getting the bare frame together.

Added a 2K primer and top coat. Still need to paint some bolts & nuts.

Nice work Guy. Great to see your projects coming together at a nice steady pace.

regards,

Bjorn

Since I'm starting to take on my James ML's restoration, I decided to make a topic to share the progress with you guys.

It will be the very first restoration for me, so I'm still learning along the way.

As I picked it up:

Hope you guys enjoy the topic.

Kind regards,

Bjorn

Great work Guy!

Thanks for clarifying this Ron!

Last week, while waiting for parts to come in, I found a bit of spare time and got a look at some paint on my ML's gear lever gate. During my search I noted that some restored ML's have a lighter shade of brown (SSC2 and BS499 ? ), then others.

Found some pictures online of original unrestored James ML parts, and now I'm starting to think it 'might' be some original BS 499. The colour is dark brown, but with some kind of dark green-ish shade in it. I'd like your opinion on this colour.

underneath there seems to be some kind of red primer.

here's a photo of it:

regards,

Bjorn

Very impresssive work you've done there Guy. Can't wait to see the final result.

regards,

Bjorn

I've posted on the WD motorcycles forum recently, and the frame of my james could well be a military spare frame, but with some later on added parts to make it into a motorcycle after the war.

No way of ever knowing this for certain tough.

Now I'll get into the rebuild of the motorcycle.

kind regards,

Bjorn

If you are looking for a colour sample of the SSC No 2 brown I have some !

 

Guy

Hi Guy,

Could you take the sample to W&W this weekend? I will be attending the show as a visitor this year.

regards,

Bjorn

By early 1943, when ML production started, the standard WD base colour was by then SCC No.2 brown..........so ALL first contract / early ML's were finished in this shade rather than green.................after April 1944, olive drab was specified as the new service base colour for vehicles, but older stocks of paint had to be used up first before the new colour.............

 

So, late-contract ML's were finished in olive drab.............

 

The colour on the bike shown is indeed the remains of SCC No.2 brown...............

 

I consider the numbering on the saddle-stem lug on wartime ML's to be a factory build/identification number, separate from the frame number.......the former may have been what the works identified the bike by, rather than the frame number.........Ariel used a similar system, issuing each W/NG with a "tab" number (works identication number) although in Ariel's case this was never applied to the frames................post-war, this practice ceased, as I have a 1947 ML frame that bears a frame number but no stamping on the saddle-stem lug..............

 

I have a list I have compiled of surviving WD-ML's...........some of this info has come from photos without double-checking the "C" Serial number against the frame number, but it's a start................

 

No record survives of Villier's engine number allocations to James and others (eg - Excelsior)............:-)

Thanks for the info!

I'm really puzzled on the motorcycle right now. pre-war engine, no framenumber, post war handlebar assembly, but aside quite some watime parts. Traces of wartime paint on the engine's manifold and the seat lug might indicate that at least some parts of the motorcycle were made during the war (mid '43 I guess).

Hi Ron,

I will have a look into that color if it actually matches.

Appriciate all the help you've given so far.

regards,

Bjorn

Thanks Ron. I will try to make the list a bit longer and then share it with everyone.

I have another question, as I spotted yesterday that there are some remains of a brown/yellow-ish paint on both manifolds of my engine. Does anyone recognize this color?

Thanks in advance,

Bjorn

Hi Ron,

most helpfull! My list is getting longer and you can start getting an image of the lug numbers as the framenumbers go up;

framenumber-seat lug number-engine number

ML27-38- ?

ML515-558- ?

ML648-884- AAA20739A

---my james' lug number (1135) goes here

ML1313-1670-AAA21495

ML1689-1807- ?

ML1811-2301 - ?

ML3401-3520 - ?

ML6716- ? -AAA25428A

ML7619-6138- ?

Thanks Ron . I doubt it to that I can find a 'system' in these numbers, but whilst waiting for parts to come in, it kept playing in my mind.

About the engine numbers, I think Villiers continued the numbering from the pre-war 9D engines. Could be wrong but tough. I have a pre-war engine fitted to the motorcycle with number AAA11258 on it. I asume that most ML engines are around or within the 20 000+ range, so 5 digits for sure.

Out of interest I have been looking for some ML framenumbers and their related seat lug numbers.

So far I have come up with the following list:

ML515-558

ML648-884

ML1689-1807

ML3401-3520

ML7619-6138

Any other ML owner's numbers to add to the list would be very helpfull.

kind regards,

Bjorn

I went throught the topic and must say you're doing a great job with the restoration Guy! :bow:

regards,

Bjorn

As you can see, the front head stem has only the marking 'ML' and '6416'.

to update this thread a bit, I've replaced some of the wrong parts with correct ones. The fuel tank cap, handlebars & spindle have been replaced. Found a DU42 headlamp with correct switch.

But still a long way to go. picture to follow.

I also found this picture, note the number below the saddle. 1807 being ML1689.

http://cybermotorcycle.com/gallery/james/James-ML125-No1689-2.htm

regards,

Bjorn

Ah, that explains it all. Thanks for the reply Ron!