AJS & Matchless Owners Club

I'm in trouble with 'er indoors. I want to get my 1957 18S looking "Right" even if not spot on for the purists. On the right hand side I have the earlier oil tank and a home made small tool box where the "kidney tool box would be on a earlier model. On the left there is a really ugly home made battery box.
So I thought I'd get a proper battery box and have it painted at the same time as me nice new mudguards.

Therefore I bought an Indian made battery box off Ebay after all the mudguards from the same source are very nice.

But it don't fit! The angle made by the two frame tubes that meet near the top shock mounting is different to the new battery box.

So! is my rear frame from an earlier bike and if so would the kidney type boxes fit or is it all wrong so that somebody found it easier to make his own boxes ?

Thanks Harry

what did the dating certificate say for the year of the frame

I think that the 1957? rear loop on the singles is different from the twins and so are the oil tank and tool box,but i may be wrong.

alanengineer wrote:what did the dating certificate say for the year of the frame

I've never had a dating certificate. I'm going by the V5 which says '57.

56 and 57 onward toolboxes have different mounting points to each other where they fit to the frame, so its important.

This is what I bought http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AJS-LEFT-HAND ... 0507.m3226

The toolbox you have is from 1960s as it has a hinged lid although to be honest I don't know if the fitting is any different to 1957.

The saga continues. Sent the battery/toolbox back and got a refund and ordered two kidney type toolboxes and a separate battery carrier with that old style Lucas rubber battery box.
These all match the oil tank that I have but are wrong for the year of the bike.

However I'm not bothered as, one they fit, two they match the oil tank, which has an oil filter built into it not found in the later tanks.

Just got to drill 'oles for the kidney boxes which I assume just bolt to the rear mudguard. Weld a brace to the battery carrier as it just aint strong enough to hold the weight of the battery. Also I have to sort out the two bolts that go through the battery carrier and the frame that screw into the oil tank. The old ones are studs with nuts welded on the ends giving the appearance of domed nuts. These stick out too far and stop the battery fitting properly and will knock holes in it given time. I'm trying to identify the thread I'd assume them to be BSF or cycle thread. However I can't find BSF or cycle thread bolts long enough for the job. So the plan is to get a pair of M8 bolts that are too long cut them to the correct length and cut new threads on them to match those in the oil tank.

Then take it all back off again and get all of it including the mudguards painted a fetching shade of black and bolt it all back on again.

If it was easy everyone could do it.

Well that was an exercise in futility.

The threads in the oil tank are..................M8

I can only assume that some bodger has wound a couple of metric bolts into the tank.

So both new mudguards are on and I'm happy with the fit. Both tool boxes are on and ditto oil tank bolts are sorted. I just need to weld a bracket to the battery carrier to strengthen it and that'll be fine, its high enough to not get in the way of taking the band off the primary case and not too high to stop me getting at the bolt holding the front of the seat.

So the dry build is finished ? I guess I'd better make sure the chain guard fits.

Nope it don't. So I have to take the rear mudguard off and cut a bit off the left side to give more room for the chain guard.

I also need to replace the brake lamp switch as it was in the way of the left hand tool box.