Dear Graeme,
Please find the following link that will show images of G3WO in my Photobucket album. Any problems let me know. Best Regards Derick.

http://s1168.photobucket.com/user/Boadicea44/media/null_zps72d12355.jpg.html?sort=3&o=3

email (option): boadicea33tst@gmx.co.uk

Hi Derick, nice motorcycle. Just so that our members are aware, the head, rockerbox and pushrods cover as well as the front mudguard are all from a later G3L. However, I have a last contract G3WO which has these parts and a G3L exhaust. The late contract G3WO's came out of the factory as a mic of both bikes and the last few also had telescopic forks. I have no idea if my bike came out of the factory with these parts but I know they have been in the bike for a very long time so I have chosen to leave it as found. Cheers, John

Hello John,
I would have to check, but I think the bike went through a Base Repair Workshop in 1953 or 1954, so would guess many parts changed then. The petrol tank C number ties up with the frame on the key-cards. The metal badges at some point were removed and transfers fixed in place . The C number is situated lower down on the tank than is usual, and is very crudely done. Some effort has been made to protect the numbers using some type of varnish in the past when the bike was overpainted. This seems to have been done some considerable time ago , as the paint is very brittle and dry. Would the C number possibly be the one applied during wartime? Let me know your thoughts.
Regards
Derick.

email (option): boadicea33tst@gmx.co.uk

Derick, it is just possible that they are the original numbers but I would think unlikely. However, C numbers appear in all sorts of places, fonts and sizes on Matchless motorcycles. If it were mine I would try to carefully remove the over paint to get back to the same layer that the C numbers are painted on and see what you have. I would refurbish it rather than restore it as restored bikes are two a penny. I would then use it as it is and just wipe an oily rag over it from time to time. To my mind they are much nicer when they have a patina of age.

Would you mind letting me have the frame and engine numbers for my database please. I currently have 74 surviving G3WO's recorded. I suggest you send it to my home email rather than clog up the forum.

email (option): Tinley@btinternet.com