AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Mikedearing wrote:ah.. interesting -its enormous - youd think it for a prewar v twin.. cant seem to upload anymore pics.. the fuel tap bosses are semi spherical and the tanke bolt holes like up with my 55nnn frame (the one with the odd ovoid polo airbox thingy on the seat tube

Pre war would have so many differences to post war. Any of the following to look for. Instrument panel in tank, AJS would have transfer not screw on badge . Filler cap to one side due to tank panel. Most just a single screw for tank rubber plate. Vee twin still had facility on tank for hand change gear lever until quite late pre war. So tanks quite different pre war. Only compt models had no tank panel but tanks were very slim, similar to post war shape.

yep I get that entirely - its just that it is positively the biggest AJS tank Ive ever seen and the thing that threw me was the Sprung saddle cut out with an extra plate on the inside screwed to bosses - must have been an expensive tank to make what with the additional tooling for the flairing around the knee grips.. interesting... the pics i have seen are of predominantly chrome plated versions - mine has been painted black with a 6 inch white stripe down the middle hahaha

Mikedearing wrote:yep I get that entirely - its just that it is positively the biggest AJS tank Ive ever seen and the thing that threw me was the Sprung saddle cut out with an extra plate on the inside screwed to bosses - must have been an expensive tank to make what with the additional tooling for the flairing around the knee grips.. interesting... the pics i have seen are of predominantly chrome plated versions - mine has been painted black with a 6 inch white stripe down the middle hahaha

Could it be this tank that seems to have been introduced in 1950 for the twin. It looks bigger than tanks on other models in the sales cat. Checking parts lists may give clues if this is so. ( Glass guide dating features states 4 gallon tank for the twin)

i reckon so..

The extra plate screwed inside is a gutter to stop your crutch getting wet when it rained and the water flies down the tank. Can't see it ever doing much good which is why I suspect they dropped it on the later tanks.

Sounds very similar to my tank, 1950 twin. I've been told the 49-50 had a 4 gallon tank and were only exported. I've also heard those sold in England were painted and those exported are chrome. Not sure if this is correct and would love to hear if someone can confirm.

Jon500 wrote:Sounds very similar to my tank, 1950 twin. I've been told the 49-50 had a 4 gallon tank and were only exported. I've also heard those sold in England were painted and those exported are chrome. Not sure if this is correct and would love to hear if someone can confirm.

In literate for GB the twin was chrome and paint for 1949, also clubman versions of 350 and 500 singles. So here some models were chrome paint others just painted. That may be what caused the import / export theory. In 1950 the twin tank became 4 gallon.