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Forum picture Big 4's

Nice picture, some Big 4's with the Queen Victoria Rifles on inspection in GB.

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbike.net

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

Rear light as sidecar light?..If so is it 1940?..Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

The image shows an inspection prior to QVR departing for their last pre-war TA camp in August 1939.

Motor-Cycle-30-11-39

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

Ian Wright
Rear light as sidecar light?..If so is it 1940?..Ian
Ian the sidecar light is a Lucas 1130 which was a standard car sidelight through the 30's. The 1940 only tail lamp was an MT1130 with red lens and number plate illumination aperture.

Do you remember, young Nathan paid over £700 for one of these? :face_with_thermometer: Ron

DSCF1468

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

Ron,

Do you know if yours is made of solid brass?

Also, any recommendations for replacement of the number plate aperture plexiglass ?

What would be its thickness…

Henri

email (option): unpob@yahoo.com

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

I have a repo fag end taillamp
The clear lense fell apart so it got replaced with a strip of thick plastic cut then joined togeter to make a ring
It is not structural so no need to be strong
Mine was from the carton some blinds came in
Back in the day we used to call it shirt box plastic ,
About 0.010" thick so I use a lot of it for setting armature spacing on mower engines .

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

They are definitely brass Henri. The one in my post above which is the one on the left here is an original, the one on the right is one I made from a standard "brass" 1130 car lamp. I've seen them also made from pressed steel and cast monkey metal (depending on period I guess)

For the number plate window, I simply used the flexiglass panel from one of the cheap repro MT110 lamps that I had knocking around.

I think I might still have the details for making them which I found on an Ariel site....They were also fitted for one year only to Ariel's 1939 or 40? Ron

DSCF3029

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

5E3D49F0-5D95-4243-AA6D-B84B8A3D71A7

Thank you Ron,

Was trying to identify mine.

Good tip on using the repop plex. Got some of those and will get at it.

Last question, are those plate numbers current for road travel or are they vintage numbers used in WW2 recreations?

email (option): unpob@yahoo.com

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

Legal plates for road use in the UK, where vintage vehicles are allowed to use the 'old' format....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

As Ian said we can use period number plates and the old B&W format on "historic" vehicles. We can also claim an age related number when registering an Historic vehicle that has lost it's original number by being parked in a barn for 30-40-50 years. Also unlike a lot of other European countries, we can purchase/transfer what is called a "Cherished" number. Ron
DSCF1570
DSCF1485

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

Thank you Ian and Ron,

Those numbers look great.

Would use artistic liberty in configuring some.

email (option): unpob@yahoo.com

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

To be clear, the sidecar lights on the Big 4's are not the same as the BSA taillamps (MT1130) they are the normal car ones, with a white lense, no number plate aperature, and no red plastic Lucas badge, but a bigger plated brass one.

And then these lamps were only used on early bikes, later ones had a special one, that sits higher.




This is what happens as your sidecar falls over! not a happy camper here!

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbike.net

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

The 1130 side-lamps appear to have been used up to and including contract C5333 - June 1940 at S1561.

The style had certainly changed by early in contract V3849, delivered from July 1940. This will be S1567.

A-1940-C4185074-b-2

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

I remember that mt1130 rear light & the price it made

I saw it at a later date & it wasn’t correct at the time I saw it
-fitted with a white Lens painted red

At least that’s when I saw it !!

The correct red Lens for mt1130 are equally scarce - I picked up a few of these over the years & still have one I think

It’s a fine looking light & yes Ariel used it for 39 season - on their owners group there are detailed instructions on how to modify to motorcycle spec

I have seen steel, brass & cheaper metal alloy bodies on the go too

Br
Job

email (option): jonnyob1@googlemail.com

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

Yes, exactly, was trying to find more pictures, of the later lamp, but guess I have to go and make some! The make is Powell & Hanmer.



Maybe from this contract on, the Lucas diff lamp was also used? (never a Butler, that's postwar)



Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbike.net

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

My Big 4 is from a later contract and I hunted down one of those lamps. Ron
Big-4-036

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

Yes, that's it Ron, but it should have a big rubber grommet under the base, so the red bit at the rear is visible over the mudguard stay.

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbike.net

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

Something else to correct then Lex. My mudguard has the pressing for this lamp as you can see. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

The 1130 may well have been the standard Norton pre-war lamp. The appropriate page is included in some WD16H Spare Parts Lists...Odd really as there were almost no Army WD 16H sidecar outfits.

8

The RAF used them, of course.

RAF118-1

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

Alex Schmidt
Yes, exactly, was trying to find more pictures, of the later lamp, but guess I have to go and make some! The make is Powell & Hanmer.



Maybe from this contract on, the Lucas diff lamp was also used? (never a Butler, that's postwar)



Cheers,

Lex
The Butler Axle flood Lamp is shown in the 1943 Chilwell Catalogue so they are war time, but I agree the Norton Big4 spares lists only mention the Lucas version, there was also a Ruberlite version again present in 1943.

What early colour would the big4 outfits in the forum picture be and does it differ to the headlamp rims? I feel it does.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: Forum picture Big 4's

I'm pretty sure that they are in the early 1939 'Dull Green' referred to in the Norton records. It may well be that the headlamp rim is KG3....The rim on my December '39 16H had a more satin finish than the other parts. Lucas parts were clearly supplied in paint by them. I suspect that mixes of colour components occurred every time that there was a change of basic colour.

8-inch-schroef-rand-1

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