A friend of mine is seeking the C tank number for his Matchless G3L.He did have a number on it , but wasn't sure if it was correct.C2432536.
He has givin me his frame number which is 50272, and engine number is, 41-G3L83217.
He will be getting his numbers from Axholm signs, and I have looked on Classic Transfers for the M logo.
Any information would be great.
Cheers,
Dave

Dave, 50272 is the 2213th bike from 9000 under contract S1050 in 1942. The serial numbers were 5255460-5264459. Your friends bike should have census number C5257672. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Spot on Ron. Here are some "close numbers":






As you can see, the winged M is a transfer on the later G3/Ls, and Matchless had their own distinctive style for the stencilled census number. The picture that was taken in the Middle East obviously has a repainted census number (also in Arab).

Here are two other nice examples of the typical Matchless stencilled census numbers:

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Thank you very much Ron and Jan,
I will pass all the information on to my friend, i'm sure that he will be very pleased.
Thank you Jan for posting all the photo's, I have been searching the web trying to see how the numbers and winged M go.
Like you mentioned about the M , am I guessing that on his bike that it would be a transfer?Classic transfers do this transfer. Not too sure if Axholme do that style of C number though.
On a different not, in your last photo, the one with the DLI solider, I was wondering what the badge was that was positioned in his stripes?
Cheers,
Dave

Style number 1 is near enough. I believe it's called or is similar to "Times New Roman"
https://www.axholmesigns.co.uk/fonts
I have it on my Ariel.

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Great,
Thanks Ron, yeah looks very similar to the photo of the last bike. Style 1 it is :+1:

Cheers,
Dave

I think 1 1/4" is big enough. I'll be interested to hear how it goes with the new owners at Axholme. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ron,
Is that the size that they supply at Axholme, I haven't ordered them yet.
Didn't know that they had new owners.
Dave

Dave they laser cut to any size you want. Those on my Ariel are actually only 1". The taller the digits the longer it gets, which can look a bit Gawky. Here is the email I got from Tony on Saturday.

Hi Ron,

I wanted to reach out before it became public knowledge, I have taken the decision to sell Axholme Signs as a business including all of our designs and works we have done historically for customers. It really isn’t a decision I have taken lightly but I have a full time job outside of Axholme Signs, Dad is now retired and I now have a young family, so I can’t dedicate the time the business needs.

The people we have sold the business to are military vehicle collectors and restorers so we felt they were the best people to continue the business on and will have the passion for the hobby our customers, like you need, to be able to provide the same help my Dad and myself have done historically. They have officially taken over as of today.

I wanted to thank you for working with us for so long, and wanted to ensure you know this isn’t something we have rushed to do and that we hope you will continue to work with the new owners as you have with us.

Thank you again,

Tony Pearson

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Thanks Ron,

I have already ordered the numbers, so I don't know what size well we get.I think that my friend will be happy


That was very good of Tony emailing you telling what was going on with the business. Hopfully the new owners will make a good go of it, I know of people as far away as the States that by from them.

Cheers,
Dave

Tony's wife Sarah sent my four proofs of the silly little number on my MK1 welbike till I was happy that it was correct. That's dedication for you.

I've kept the final proof if anyone needs it. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Yes, for this contract it's easy, and Ron is right with the C number, as I have frame No. 50213 with C5257613 on file, so 59 digits lower, when you add that 59 to the frame number you get exactly as Ron says, C5257672.

Wish all contracts were that easy! sometimes there are 2-500 differences, and it's not possible to calculate, and I'm not even talking about early contracts, there it's nigh impossible.

Cheers,

Lex

PS, G3L's only had the loose wing metal M's, never a transfer, but sometimes it was painted directly on the tank.

email (option): welbike@welbi**.net

Thanks Lex, for the information on the winged M. I have no idea how the metal ones fixed one, thought that they may have been screwed on. I asked my friend, and he said that no metal one's were present. I did order him the transfers from Classic, and they arrived this morning, very quick service.
Cheers,
Dave

OK, Dave, I should have explained better about the badges, early tanks still had the little screw holes for the badges, later they did away with them, and nothing was used except the AMC tanktop transfer.

Some riders liked the big 's, and painted them on, but was not officially done by the factory.

Hope this helps,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbi**.net

Hi Lex,
Thanks for clearing that up for me, I know nothing about Matchless bikes. Interested to know what you mean abot the AMC tanktop transfer. Hope that I got him the right M transfer, I ordered no 6822LC on classic transfers, listed as 1939 to 1945. Looking at some of the photos that Jan posted, some look different.

Ron, the C numbers came from Axholme today, looks like I have stuffed up, they are 1 1/2'' tall. I hope that they look ok on the tank?

Thanks everbody that helped me out with this.

Dave

Most of the WD Matchless transfers are under "AMC" https://classictransfers.co.uk/product/amc-8452-33x55mm/ Ron



Here is Lex's original.

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Thanks Ron,l didn't know about that transfer, looks like my friend's bike should have one. Dave