Rescuing my WD WW2 Norton 16H

Yay shes loaded up!!!! Today a Dream came true!

Know I've been quiet latley been working on pulling this off after the sale of my tz here's my Norton WD 16h ignore the paint off on the head stock they were looking for the number in the wrong place I phoned them on the Thursday night before viewing day when I asked them to look in the correct place an there it was revealing history! She was from a Contract for RAF Sidecar combinations which was a late 44' Contract.
Most amazingly thanks to the help of everyone on the WD scene an in particular Richard Nick Ron Sven an Rob an the gang we found out the engine was from a Contract that went to North Africa where my grandpa served. This has got army rebuild stamps on the belly to which is all part of the bikes story. At the moment although most of her is wd parts. Shes in civilian paint and in need of me doing a restoration on her.
Initially I thought the engine was a 41' but thanks to the lads I found out it was 42 an may have saw action in africa 43' thanks to an amazing picture of a bike from the same contract with very close numbers and hand written underneath with North Africa 43'
My initial plan was one of the green shades either the 44' colour then raf logos or the earlier green but now knowing the engine is 42' I'm leaning towards service brown and doing it with maybe a 7th armoured logo and the engines contract number on the tank (raf contract numbers were all lost). As my Grandpa was in the Royal Artillery in the 8th army in 1942 an raoc from 44'
8th army again so it makes sense to me with the engines history to lean towards that! Got a lil idea to pay homage to the raf connection once I've drawn what I've got in my head.
What do you guys think

Nice one !

I was only wondering today as to how you were getting on with your hunt!

I say paint it whichever choice of period correct colour you like. The forces would have moved bikes around into different theatre's all the time, and they’d have simply got a quick re-paint, probably with a brush!

Cheers mate so happy with her very humbled to own her as well. Actually considering a second one once I've sold the Daytona an maybe my rd250c so dad can come to the events with me first things first though is to get mine running an correct. An back in military paint. Was saying to dad I can always change the colour if I get bored with what I pick the first time least the split history gives me options

Nice one indeed. As you know, my Uncle Sam had one in the desert too.

Nice ! Now you have to search out full dispatch rider kit ! ( unless you have your grandfather’s ! ) would love to have a WD 16h myself - cheers- RT

lucky boy!

Thanks everyone!! Itching to get stuck in making a list of what needs swapping an doing.

Feel very humbled to own her.

Gonna pop the head off tomorrow or day after an see how she is inside. She turns over valves move etc. That should give me an indication to what I'm dealing with whatever it takes though I'll get her sorted.

Gonna go with the service brown SCC No.2 getting excited now I've decided on the colour been driving me crazy all day!

An yeah gonna need all the wd kit at some point as well

https://www.staffordclassicbikeshows.com/april/

Possibly of interest as there's going to be a 1940s theme to it this year?

Well done... If it runs why not ride it first............ and remember in this case, seen action and action are two things.

Oh yep totally get that Time Warp. Closest thing I can get to honour my gramps which was always my intention. No one really knows what the bikes have been through as excluding some contract records that's it after that its just a case of constantly looking for old pictures who knows what may turn up The army rebuild stamps on the belly are a clue though as at some point in service the engine was rebuilt

An yeah can't wait for Stafford definitely going.

She needs going through before I attempt to start her inspect oil pump head off etc as I have no idea what I'm dealing with yet. Then get the paint out decided I'm going to go for SCC N.02 Service Brown for sure just got to find where to get the best match from.

First plan though is cylinder head off that should give me an idea of what shes like inside.

Shes gonna be seeing plenty of use though! Like my 650ss does.

Dommie Nator said:

https://www.staffordclassicbikeshows.com/april/

Possibly of interest as there's going to be a 1940s theme to it this year?

Click to expand...

You mean Dads Army?

Got stuck in today

Got a nice suprise in the tool kit not the kit alas but some spares.

First step was to get the tank off an check that out, then I pulled the cylinder head. Actually looks really nice bore seems good no scores or lips the camera flash makes it look a load worse than what it is.

One thing I've noticed is everything seems to have been done with care for storage even the klg plug had grease on it.

Noticed the tyre inflator is stamped with Norton Motorcycles.

Took the headlight off the bike an shes stamped up type du42 (edit du142 I think checking when I get in)on the shell. Captured that just about in the video.

Got a slight issue with the mag to sort so having a think on that one

So all in all a really productive day.

First few bits came today correct wd bend bars in 1" so I've gotta source a set of 1" bar clamps next my chassis has 7/8" which was a late war change going with 1" an gotta source all the stuff to go on them next. Few pictures of my new battery box

Over the moon with the bits.

Decided on SCC.2 now for the colour on her.

20200222_131302-04 by norton.rider, on Flickr

20200222_132718-04 by norton.rider, on Flickr

20200222_132834-01 by norton.rider, on Flickr

Had another workshop day today

Hope you all enjoy the short video.

Sorted on the magdyno front now,

Got a throttle grip on the way an decided on the paint colour.



The exhaust came an I gave it a test fit all seems ok just working out the clamps thanks to Ron for some pictures of how they should be.

Next things to sus out are fuel lines, bar end caps, cables, tyres, (got old firestone one's at the mo) horn button an dipper switch do they have a kill switch on them? (looking at an old picture)
Exhaust paint, field stand and a skid plate. Then looks like she's mostly there! Really excited at how fast she's coming together.

Bit of great progress today my throttle grip came yay! An the canvas grips.





Got the other clamp on the way as well so I'm gonna be able to fit the bars!

Hoping the weather gets a bit better towards the end of next week so I can start to paint gonna order it on Monday in the hope's the weather picks up over the next week or so.

Next jobs I'm gonna tackle are taking the timing cover off to double check the oil pump seal etc out.

Need to research where to get a fuel line from an get some control cables ordered.

Eventually a field stand, bash plate, carrier an racks.



Picked the Magneto an dynamo up before from Tony Cooper absolutely over the moon with it.

Short 1 minute video from today's mini road trip.



Ordered the paint from War Paint as well so that should be here early next week! Itching to get started gonna hold off fitting the mag till I've got her painted up which should give me a chance to sort some of the other little bits out that I'm still hunting for.

Made some progress today working on a set of very used Wd Norton 16h 1" clamps. One was much better than the other an I've got another top an bottom on the way but managed to save all of these to!



Paint should be here next week so gonna start working on getting all the paint removed from the wd16h over the next couple of days ready for priming an her first lick of paint back in wd colours!





Made some progress for an hour today got 90% of the paint from the petrol tank all seems solid an no filler which is good layers of different colour primer and underneath was some traces of what looks like scc.2 brown or some brown paint around some of the seams camera didnt capture it to well as there was a bit of paint stripper on it at that point on the petrol tank, footrests.


Speaking of scc2 my red oxide an scc2 paint should be here early next week so looking forward to that.

An some decent patches of brown on the toolbox although my darn phone was flat at that point.



The tanks looking in much better condition than I initially thought with the majority of the paint of the sides an the top gonna start on the bottom of it in the morning.

Looking forward to stripping the old paint of the frame and primary ready for prime an paint next week an seeing what it reveals gonna do everything then deal with the wheels last.

Took the outer primary cover off an was nice to see that all in decent condition.

Working on the bike I feel a bit like an archaeologist uncovering history!
Found remnants of the original paint under all the layers an layers of paint.

Scc.2 Brown with the red oxide underneath it thanks to the great advice of you all. I've actually ordered this colour already got scc2 an red oxide which arrived today nice to confirm it!







Also spotted the return oil line had a split in it on the rubber right near one of the clamps!! That could have been very nasty so gotta get some new rubber hose an repair that to.

So far so good got the tank, oil tank, tool box, rear mudguard, footrest, battery carrier, outer primary an bar clamps all down to metal ready for paint all looking really good, seat is going to be a pain lol.

done about 80% of the chassis just gotta get the last of the rubbish primer he's used off, gonna do the entire bike then do the wheels as I can move it in an out at the moment while the wheels are still on.

Big day today in ww2 Norton land! Frame, forks, Oil tank, fuel tank footrests, primary outer, frame plates, tool box, rear mudguard all ready for red oxide priming all in amazing condition as well.






Latest progress on my Ww2 Norton 16H raf/army bike ready for red oxide now on quite a bit of her. Soon be going back together few bits left to get soon. Stuck all the videos in a playlist as well on my Channel.

Few more bits came as well!




Sorry about the image size guys was trying a new hosting system

Made some more progress today ended up removing some brush on primer I'd tried an then ordering some Simoniz Red Oxide Primer which seems really nice to use.

Got quite a bit done today all the chassis etc,

Been stripping a few more smaller components an dads been helping me to flat the brush on primer on the tank almost back to the metal ready for the spray on stuff.

Really exciting to think the first nice day we get where next door arnt causing dust clouds I'll be getting to see the scc.2 on a few bits!

Got one nos bar end 1" plug so just gotta find the other one now.

What about the frame ends abutting the case?

Plenty of good paint on everything just getting it back to the original colour. Gonna be using it this year then doing it again when I have a better place to work other than the garden lol.

Today was a massively productive day got all the painting done on the chassis and the tool box and a few other bits including the tank. Shame of it is the tank got a tiny bit of orange peel on it so considering leaving it for a week or so then trying some 2500 grit wet and dry? Anyone ever done that with Matt paint it's got 15% or so eggshell in it.

Colour is SCC.2 Brown (Farrant brown from war paint)

Hope everyone enjoys the video about 8 mins long this one.

Made quite a lot of progress today checked the tank out an happy with how the paint job is now its dried back a bit. Found an interesting thing on the actual seat as well missed it when I removed the cover.

Been busy paint stripping the last of the stuff.

Huge progress today got the matt lacquer applied to most of the bike redid all the paintwork earlier in the week wasn't happy with it was really hot out with low humidity an the forecast looks really bad for next week so decided to go for it! Seems like it was the right choice. From where she was the other week to where she is now learnt loads on my painting technique with aerosol cans.

Just gotta decide on which way I'm going with the tank markings now.