A friend owns this contract plate attached to this weird rear light plate...






The contract and catalogue numbers refer to WM20-25000 up until WM20-42000. Has anyone seen such a rear plate and has a picture?

email (option): ferrarakias@Hotmail.com

That's very nice Kostas

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

Thanks Rob! What about the rear light (mt110) plate, have you seen it again?

email (option): ferrarakias@Hotmail.com

Hello Kostas,

This triangular plate was used during the period when the rear numberplate had become obsolete, and before the WD style rear light was introduced. I've seen these brackets on BSAs and on Enfields. I guess other makes used them as well.

Jan

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

email (option): welbike@wish.net

Lex,
Contract C7287 dates from 1940 according to O&M book.
Kostas

email (option): Ferrarakias@hotmail.com

Yes, but last deliveries up to August 1941, so may have been a change in specs, there were 17.000 bikes, so is possible.

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@wish.net

Here you are :-





About 6000 into C7287. Delivery commenced August 1940 and should have been at 2000 per month so C4347367 should have been deliverd around November / December 1940.

Rik, I cannot see the rear number plate!!

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@wish.net

Here's another one.

Can you get some dimensions from this part please Kostas.

Rob

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

'Ere Rob! I have copy rights on that gun! Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

That's a nice picture Rob. Is it another one from the 1941 'Bumper' Exercise ?

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

Ron Pier

'Ere Rob! I have copy rights on that gun! Ron

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

They had to use something to tow it... ...Ian

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

Ian Wright

They had to use something to tow it... ...Ian

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

Not knowing anything about this subject Should all bikes have this plate? my m20 is from the same contract. Also, was the location the same as this one? Thanks, Dave

email (option): jeepfinger@blueyonder.co.uk

"All" WD contract motorcycles should have a contract plate. "Most" did but there was at least one early war Norton contract that didn't and there are examples of plates made with 'Demand' numbers.

Positioning depended upon the rear number plates / lights fitted and on some makes they were folded around a stay. They changed from brass to steel on later machines.

Basically, if you've ever seen an example of a plate from your contract then it should have one. You may have to be creative if you have a number plate on a later bike as the contract plates were fitted direct to the mudguard tailpiece in the vacated position.

I just received a photo of a KM20 contract plate located on the toolbox. Never saw that before but with an MT1130 fitted you can't put it on the number plate holder like on some Norton's 16H.

It seems that on the war time photo also a contract plate can be seen on the toolbox.

Henk

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

That's very interesting, Henk. The KMs all had the MT110 though, didn't they ? The bike in the photo certainly does. The MT1130 can't be the sole reason that the plate appeared on the toolbox.

I know that pre-war Nortons used the number plate bracket and although my original had an extra wing nut on the rear (for an AoS plate ?), it had never been drilled from above.

There is less space on a Norton toolbox as the CVC sits there but I have no clear pictures of a C5109 toolbox in service. Now I'm going to have to start looking harder again.

looks like the bike with German sitting on it has a rodded front brake

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

It certainly should have the rod. Float chamber is on the inside. What were the dates / numbers for that ?

Thanks all for the information. As I haven't got a plate, I have no need to worry where to put it, but if I ever do get one, I guess it should be on my new number plate that I got off of Jan?
Dave

email (option): jeepfinger@blueyonder.co.uk

email (option): warbikes@gmail.com

Thanks Rik, I had seen that plate. The 2 plates that Rob posted are of different designs, one like that's for sale and the other just plain, yet they are for the same contract number I notice in the listing that you can have it plain or stamped, if it's done in the right font, I may get one. Regards, Dave

email (option): jeepfinger@blueyonder.co.uk

The one that Kostas posted is the least 'got-at' and is the correct type. Rob's plain example looks to be engraved rather than stamped and I'd suspect was a post-rebuild replacement of a lost original.

I don't know if the chap in Spain has the correct stamps...nor in fact if the whole contract was stamped in the same way.

The alternative might be lazer work to replicate.

I have just emailed him with the same questions. Thanks again Rik for the info. Will let you know what he comes up with, he also does the Volks dataplate.
Dave

email (option): jeepfinger@blueyonder.co.uk

Hi All
I've just received one of those contract plates from the guy in Spain. I had him stamp the numbers for me and I must say I'm very pleased with the result. It looks even better than the photo on ebay, sort of "weathered". I can't find a fault with the font used either, seems close to the photos of genuine ones I've seen. I suppose the rivet counters could find something though.

Hi Keith,

Have you got a photo of the plate? I emailed Eduardo and he sent a photo of one that he had stamped, I would post the photo but don't know how It didn't look that good he had stamped a 5 upside down, and it really put me off buying one, but if your looks OK, I might get one.
Dave

email (option): jeepfinger@blueyonder.co.uk

I'd be interested in seeing that photo...unless Rob can supply one of his repros....Ian

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

OK, no problem I'll take a piccy but I cant post it till some time tomorrow.

Hi All
Photos of contract plate as promised, sorry about the poor quality I've only got a camera phone.
Before anybody mentions it I know the screws are too big. Its only temporary until I can rivet it on with the supplied brass rivets.

Hi Keith,

Your plate looks better than the photo I was sent.

email (option): jeepfinger@blueyonder.co.uk

Oh dear!
Best to get one and stamp it yourself.

Keith H

Oh dear!
Best to get one and stamp it yourself.

email (option): jeepfinger@blueyonder.co.uk

If it was sent as a sample it may be that the backwards 5 was deliberate to stop it being sold on or used in some way. I bought one and all the letters and numbers ar the correct way round.

I bought one of these plates and had it engraved so it wouldn't bend it out of shape as it's quite thin brass. As far as I can tell the stamps should be the same size as the lettering above it, about 2mm. So it looks like he's stamping them with larger stamps.

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Originals never seem to be distorted and if two from the same contract turn up the spacing is usually identical so if they were stamped it was probably done with all the numbers in a block by a large press.

However the wartime Chilwell parts catalogue shows the plate as a spare part presumably in case the original is lost or perhaps for impressed vehicles?



I assume this would be an excuse for fitting a brass plate to a machine that should have a late was steel one?

Rob

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

The numbers on this M20 plate could even be etched in, they are very finely done.



This plate is from a Fordson contract supplied to the RAF note the lack of catalogue reference number, it has the vehicle model instead, but we don't know if this was also done for RAF contract motorcycles? Note the "1" is out of line with "WOT"?

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

Those last two plates use different sized fonts so we know that at least there was some variation between plates.