matchlesswdg3

So why have'nt you got a real one, then?

Skiprat reminded me re site safety, that I heard a reliable report that tracked vehicles were moving round the site without a marshal......on foot or on vehicle. Not sure that the folk concerned quite realise the liability they are incurring here! Same goes for kids on m'bikes and quads, I guess. Thats a worry, really because potentially we are one tragic accident away from a ban on any site movements at shows involving MV's. Akin to the air display saga.

That's a shame: when I went on Friday, the traders were saying Wed and Thursday were very quiet due to the heat but things were on the up when Friday's morning rain had cleared. There were still good stalls to poke around so its a pity they will likely have done badly over the week.

Only two dealers doing Landie stuff......not quite true as there were a good many stalls doing miscellaneous surplus gear, including Landie bits. Forget it if you run a WW2 Bedford/Chev/Tilly variant, etc. Wildenbergs were the only folk with major Dodge stuff, plus Jeeparts had some. Apparently, everyone runs a Jeep! Maybe they do?! And you can see why this is so.....this is where the money is, plainly. I am not knocking it; if you run a fully commercial show to make money, presumably this is what you need to do. As I noted, I am sure the undiscerning Public will be quite happy with such offerings. It all makes it more important historic MV enthusiasts support the local shows, and maybe one or two of them will get the backing and enthusiasm to become the War & Peace of yore?

I visited today and my overall impression......as last year......is that the Show is now firmly geared towards pleasing the Public and not MV owners. Fair enough if that is the direction the owner wants. This was the penultimate show day and there were gaps in both the MV and re-enactor areas. 80% ?postwar MV's, so if WW2 is your thing, overall quality is way down. As others have said, very little armour. Unless you own a Jeep or L/R, forget the stalls for parts, although this has been true for a while. I am sure the Public went away well pleased today (yesterday was quiet due to heat), but I heard many MV owners saying they would not bother again. As noted, for the first time, I saw spaces in the re-enactor areas, so maybe that side is withdrawing support? Dying on its feet?

Its a wonder you did not have your arm twisted to get out your Carrier!!

You pays your money and you makes your choice! Like Ron, I use Ethomix these days AND buy premium grade petrol which is supposed to have low/no ethanol. But I have a keen motorcyclist mate who does lots of miles on some real pukka veteran, vintage and classics bikes and does not use "snake oil" as he calls it! But there is no doubt that modern fuels do eat fibreglass and old recipe tank sealant and old recipe "rubber" fuel pipes. And ethanol IS hygroscopic so if left in a tank or carb, has the potential to attract water.

Yes, thats the one! Has the look, and as Ron says, a second mortgage is not required.

Re the rear fag end light, bear in mind that current road regs mean that you have to make some changes to the original WW2 military spec to display reg number and just be safe with a decently visible rear and brake light. There are some neat solutions to this you can check out. I have gone the route of using the standard round Lucas light which has the right look, but is beefier than a WD fag end. On the pillion seat you have, it looks similar to an original.....more than one type! Be wary before you discard! You could also swap out your rubber petrol feed pipes for the correct copper tubing........and put up with the greater likelihood of failure! Some mods just make the bike nicer to ride and easier to maintain.

Cornucopia has NOS parts for the Matchless from time to time......I think I bought my battery holder from them. Ron will correct me, but I think the side-stand is just a civvy pattern one with an oval foot welded on, so one could be made up. Keep an eye on eBay. Post a want entry on the BSA M20 site.

Tried to call you; phone number wrong? Ferg

PM'd you.

Looks pretty good. The battery box holder is wrong. The oil tank cap should be the pie crust type as on the petrol tank. Depends on how much rivet counting you want to indulge in as to getting it 100%. Best advice that will save you money is to get it running reliably and attend some events where you will meet fellow owners and their bikes and you can get first hand knowledge, comparing your bike side by side with theirs. And find out where to get decent bits. Dont forget that there were a LOT of variations in the parts used over the 3 years of volume production and in the field, parts would have been swapped around.......you can easily get bamboozled by conflicting advice on what is correct! You will not embarrass yourself with this G3L as it stands now. You might want to think about adding pannier frames and bags in due course. As to getting it running, I dont know how much knowledge you have. They are simple machines and generally, if you have fuel and a spark in the right place, at the right time, it will run. If you have problems, ask again. Unfortunately, the one disadvantage of the Matchless compared to an M20 is that it is a bit fiddly to work with and that petrol tank has to come off regularly! If the dynamo is not working, then its a major operation to get it out!

NOBS will be based at St Aubin, but they usually meet up with the Etreham contingent at some point. I cannot make it this year, but hope it all goes well and the Trump visit does not clog things up too much. I remember standing around in the rain in the outskirts of Arromanche, waiting for ages for the Obama motorcade to clear off!

Welcome, Jon! When you are in Normandy, you will likely come across the "NOBS" group of riders, based next to Juno Beach. John Tinley is one of the leading lights in that group and a long time Matchless enthusiast. I think he is still compiling a list of surviving WDG3Ls so will probably be interested in getting your bikes' details to add to that. He does not use this site, but does post on the BSA M20 site which is worth seeking out as it also includes all sorts on other WW2 bikes and their owners, events, buy and sell, etc. Ferg

Currently on Milweb there is a little Austin saloon up for sale. Clearly the owner REALLY hates it............"1939 Austin 8hp, solid little car will make a great staff car. Was restored in the 80s now needs decommissioning. "

Looks interesting! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Series-1-80inch-Land-Rover-armoured-1952-3/382859888688?

Checked timing?

Well of course you do have to make a sale at that price!

David, this may not be relevant or possibly overtaken by new regs, but in the past I have had an Armstrong motorcycle (ex BAOR) and a grey import m/c, both with continental dipping headlights, but passed the MoT as they had beam converters (black tape applied to the glass to cut off the wrongly angled dip beam). The MoT certificate made note of the converters.

It has got a price (listed over the photo; I sometimes miss that as well).....£21k!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Barn-Find-Original-Ww2-British-Army-Willis-Jeep-Dingo-Vehicle-Canvas-Door/303090310642?hash=item4691971df2:g:X-4AAOSwHu9cg6Ok

Nice!!!

Ron's advice off another forum! For an M20, but this advice helps..... If you go for the 350-19's which most guys seem too, including me. Have a look at this range from 'Vintage Tyres' https://www.vintagetyres.com/shop/tyres/?type=tyres&diameter=59&width=75&search=1 I've heard good reports from guys who have fitted the 'Ensign Universal' for a real block tread look. But I've used the 'Dunlop K70' and the 'Mitas H-02' lots of times with no problems. I am however a cautious rider in the wet! I've found that the K70 on the rear wears a bit to quickly for my liking, and prefer the 'Cheng Shin' which has exactly the same tread pattern. https://www.wheelhousetyres.co.uk/3-50-19-57n-cheng-shin-c180-universal.html Ron

FOUND! Happy ending........the rig was turned back as too heavy! Went back to its starting point. Lesson: stick to tried and tested carriers!