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Matchbox back on the road

1684 Views 11 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  bon
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I bought a "rolling basket case" Before Ya say that don't look too bad why don't ya restore it? I have to say what dosen't show in the first photo is that it was in a TX flood then left set. Lots a rust not many parts hahahaha

So my decision to go post war bobber-chopper-whatever.
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pretty nice as it sits ... have some fun
Yeah that's nice!
cool bike, what year is it?

I think a more 50s color on tank and oiltank would suit the bike a bit better
Looks good. Isn't the rear tire gonna rub the fender, or is that just a mock-up?
Have those jampots collapsed ? The bike is sitting very low at the back , do you have a .416 rigby ?
She is a 1960 G80.

A bit more on the "build". The color and the decals were applied to make the sale "show" better I imagine, I believe some sort of red is a Matchless/ AJS color of the era. Before the compleat frame, sans engine, was left in a TX flood to rust away it appears the last episode in her life was to satisfy the dream of some tonto Evil Knivel wantabe. Both axels were bent, front bearings were trashed, front fork legs were badly bent, the rear (jampots) shock shafts were even bent! If you are famillar with this era Brit construction Ya can imagine it was quite a jump. The forks had been left full of water and the damping parts were rusted away, on top of that they had frozen at some time and cracked both sliders down the outside (look close at the photo)

So--------I straightened the forks and shortened them 4" to put the bend area above the trees, cut the springs and left the unuseable damper parts out. Straightened the front axel and put it back together with the crap bearings awaiting my machineing a new axel that will take new bearings at less than $50 each, another story only "bon" & AJS/ M folks may understand. Put a very tight fit shaft collar on the top of the sliders to prevent catristrofic failure untill I can modify the trees for a pair of jap tubes and sliders.

The Jampots were bent so bad I couldn't even attempt to straighten the shafts so I hammered them down to the stance I wanted, cut the rusty old springs and put 'em on. Swingarm hardtail hahahah, alowing for the drastically modified rear fender mounts.

The engine trans, not flooded, turned out on dissembly to be "useable" for this level of "restoration" hahaha Had to "time sert" the spark plug hole as the helicoil was about to pull out. Did the valves and left the big hole and piston alone, they aren't pretty but compression is good enough to break a leg as they say.

As I say the first photo dosen't tell the real story but it has been a fun ride so far. I had done similar projects on basket Brit thumpers in the early 60s so it has been a trip back in time for me.

Oh, and, yea I regulary shoot 2 different .416 Rigbys as well as a .375 H&H that spent 15 years in Africa as a loner rifle for clients of a PH
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I actually chopped one of those in 1971. I used a modified hardtail section from a triumph, extended 45 springer, hummer tank, bates cocktail shaker on the stock scrambler pipe, cobra seat, aee tall sissybar, bates headlight and short apes. I rode the livin shite out of that thing :)
If i remember right mine was a '63 G80CS. 600cc scrambler
I am amazed with the level of abuse it took the frame was not bent, even the swingarm appears straight , seems like a nice enough bike to hack about on. I have an interest in rigby rifles as rigby was originally a dublin firm , being listed at 19 suffolk street,dublin in 1794.
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