Good morning I have to restore a Matcheless motorcycle model 41- g3l and 177 - engine number 62542. Frame number 52979. gearbox number 8 cpbl 2102. I want to know what kind of color he had during the war. What team or company the bike was headed for and what combat destination was destined for Africa or Italy. I thank.
If you need the photos I tell you how to post them.
email (option): friulaffilatura@libero.it
No-one else has answered, so although Matchlesses are not my speciality, I will try to give you some basic information from available sources.
Frame 52979 was despatched under the late 1942 contract S1050 which was delivered mid-1943. As such, it would most likely have formed part of the equipment of a unit re-equipping for the Italian Campaign or delivered there as a replacement machine. It would have been finished in the colour known as SCC No.2 Brown. WD serial number would have been in the range C5255460 to C5264459.
Although a higher number, engine 62542 was delivered earlier, late in the preceding contract C14499 so I would estimate still a 1943 delivery.
Unfortunately, there is no surviving record of unit allocations or end users of Brtish Army Motorcycles from the Second World war - Perhaps best to simply restore as belonging to a unit that passed close to your area ?
Frame 52979 was despatched under the late 1942 contract S1050 which was delivered mid-1943. As such, it would most likely have formed part of the equipment of a unit re-equipping for the Italian Campaign or delivered there as a replacement machine. It would have been finished in the colour known as SCC No.2 Brown. WD serial number would have been in the range C5255460 to C5264459.
Although a higher number, engine 62542 was delivered earlier, late in the preceding contract C14499 so I would estimate still a 1943 delivery.
Unfortunately, there is no surviving record of unit allocations or end users of Brtish Army Motorcycles from the Second World war - Perhaps best to simply restore as belonging to a unit that passed close to your area ?
email (option): friulaffilatura@libero.it
I think Rik is correct about the colour. Khaki Gas-proof N03 was used from 1939, but there was a shortage of something called 'Yellow Ochre' and Service or Earth Brown became the new service colour during 1942/3......Of course, old stocks of KG3 would have been used up. During 1944, British Olive Drab became the new service colour. Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
email (option): friulaffilatura@libero.it
'RAL' is the 'ReichsAusschuss für Lieferbedingungen'...Ideal for German vehicles but most certainly irrelevant to wartime Brtish production.
You have asked for colour advice on a specialist War Department motorcycle forum but prefer the option provided by a 'matchless forum'. Best to ask them what paint they prefer.
The original finish was a flat matt, most certainly not 'semi-glossy'. 'Opaque' is also a strange term in this context. Original paints were pigment-heavy.
The British Standard Number for Service Brown is (BS381C) 499
https://www.e-paint.co.uk/BS381%20Colourchart.asp
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
Here is a means to convert BS numbers to the nearest RAL numbers.
https://www.e-paint.co.uk/Colour_alternatives.asp
Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
https://www.e-paint.co.uk/Colour_alternatives.asp
Ron
email (option): friulaffilatura@libero.it
Some motorcycles that served in Italy came with units which had previously been in North Africa. Vehicles which had been repainted there are likely to have been in a colour known as 'Light Stone' but although this is sometimes seen in Sicily and Southern Italy, they tended to be overpainted.
As your Matchless is from 1943, it would not have been repainted in North Africa.
There is no BS number for "Khaki Gas proof Number 3". Debates about KG3 can be long and tedious. Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
Ok, only just seen this, have not much more info, 52885 is in the Key Cards, and had C5260285 as census number, and was still used by the British Army in 1956 with the M.E.L.F.
So 94 bikes different frame number 52979 would have had C5260379 on the petrol tank.
Hope this helps,
Lex
email (option): welbike@welbi**.net (think about this!)
So 94 bikes different frame number 52979 would have had C5260379 on the petrol tank.
Hope this helps,
Lex
email (option): friulaffilatura@libero.it
So 94 bikes different frame number 52979 would have had C5260379 on the petrol tank.
Hope this helps,
Lex
email (option): friulaffilatura@libero.it
email (option): friulaffilatura@libero.it