Crash's Ariel

[crash]

Thought I would put up a build of my Ariel, have been lurking on here for a while and have really enjoyed reading the builds posted, both cars and bikes. 
I've always been interested in motor bikes and had a few in my earlier years, mostly Yamahas, and had always wanted an older bike. 
Many moons ago where I worked in Ch-Ch there were quite a few guys in the VCC. A couple of them went to Wellington and bought up a heap of bikes from an
estate (Brook or Brock Motorcycles?) One guy got a bunch of AJS/Matchless stuff, and the other guy a bunch of Ariels. I had a look through the Ariels and chose
a bit of stuff that would be the grounding of a 1937 Ariel Red Hunter. Engine was 1937 and not too bad, frame is about 1946 from memory. Pretty much enough for a complete bike plus extras, but everything needing work. Back then I got a few bits done, girders straightened, oil pump over hauled and most importantly got the engine done. 
Had it re-bored to suit a wiseco piston from a 350 Chev and new chev valves to suit.
Didn't get much more done due to moving towns, young family, seperating from wife etc. etc. Usual shit. So recently life has settled down a bit and I have come into possession of another Ariel. This is a pretty much complete, bit rough, ex farm/hoons bike that has been hidden in the back of a shed for at least 40 years. It's a 1939 500cc Red Hunter. Frame and engine numbers show it as a 1939. It had been used on a farm for a bit here in Ashburton and thrashed, blown up, piston shattered! Then sold, engine removed and stripped, stashed in the back of a shed until a few weeks ago when I got it. Most parts from 1937 & 1939 are all the same. Will post a couple of pictures of the 1939 bike as I got it, 1937 is in bits and all over the place in my workshop.
 

 

 

[crash]

Got a little bit done on this, removed tank seat and oil tank.

which made it easier to see this bend in rear frame, RHS. Will have to get creative with steel beam, hyd jack etc and see if I can straighten. Otherwise off to old mate engineer with decent hydraulic press that I checked out for him a couple of weeks back.

Other side nice and straight.

Nice bit of wear on rear sprocket, bloody country boys getting their money's worth.

 

 

 

[Positive Ape]

pic troubles?

[crash]

Not too sure about pic troubles?

Thanks to Liz having a birthday and weather being too poos for work outside I got a bit of time to get into this again. Want to completely strip it down to figure out what bits to buy to save on postage. No doubt I'll forget a few bits but want to get on and get stuff.

So got the frame naked.

 

Bubble wrap underneath to catch the big lumps of grease/old dirt etc. Was not too bad to strip down, only used cut off disc once on a shitty bolt holding front mudguard. Front mud guard had been cut and overlapped to shorten, with hand beaten rivets.

Girders had a shit load of play in the top pin, once apart found that bushes were unsurprisingly well worn, one crumbled to sweet f all.

 

 

Luckily there had been a heap of grease pumped into the nipples so it all came apart fairly well.

 

This is the bit at top of the headset, small hole on right is mounting for main spring, large hole is where the centre of headset comes up through. Strange crack through it. No big drama as I have another one.

Handle bar has been welded to the mounts, behind this is a rubber bush. Probably welded to stop bar spinning, then got the ugly gutter bolts when welds failed. Yuk.

 

Headset bearings pretty good, lower race not perfect but once again I have another which looks better, new replacements available too, ex UK.

 

 

 

 

[Raizer]

3 hours ago, crash said:

Not too sure about pic troubles?

Looks like you've linked to Google images in the first post, you can't hyperlink to Google, you can see them but pretty much everyone can't.

 

[crash]

5 hours ago, Raizer said:

Looks like you've linked to Google images in the first post, you can't hyperlink to Google, you can see them but pretty much everyone can't.

 

Thanks for letting me know, will repost pictures later.

[Lord Gruntfuttock]

Cool. Love an old girder fork bike...