Not enough time in the day...

Just an update to say things are going slowly with the ariel. I've started work on the blast cabinet, which is being made out of scrap wood, however I've ran out, so its time for skip watch to kick in.

Works really busy as the teaching term has just begun...and to pile the pressure on I've got my ( and three collegues) first Art exhibtion opening on the 20th October at the Museum of Science and Industry. Half excittement half fear... just like what I expect riding the Ariel will be like.

Just to tide you over here is a moped Safety film off youtube...

Sandblasting starts

The Sandblaster bought from eBay has just arrived and I've had a quick go on the cylinder head. I'm using a Clarke Sb3 blast gun and 120 aluminium oxide grit as its supposedly not as harsh as the cast iron grit. My compressor is a Clarke 8cfm 50 litre unit and although the gun does work fairly well you do have to shake the gun regularly to ensure even grit (although reading the manual , I now find i should be blipping the gun as opposed to continual trigger usage....RTFM !!!). It's a a shame I didn't take a pictures of the head before the blasting, but was to eager to start. The Head has come up a treat..

The Shed now has a nice 1mm covering everywhere of aluminium oxide grit ....so the next job is to fabricate a small blast cabinet to save on oxide grit and cleaning.

The first post

I'm writing this blog, for several reasons, some egotistical, some not.  I really want to document for the future the progress of pimping my Ariel 3 moped which was so kindly donated free by Paul fro Earl Shilton (near Leicester, thanks paul).

I also want this log to be a source of information for fellow Ariel 3 riders/restorers, and a place to share tips, problems etc.

The photos  are when I first got it home, prior to any stripping down. As you can see its in really good nic given its a 1969/70 model.

Some of the ideas I have are as follows....

before the purest out start crying foul of classic motors, lets put the  BSA Ariel 3 in some context...

Hated by BSA owners cause its a  naff 3 wheeler moped.

Hated by Ariel owners beacuse  it was a bastard son of BSA born illigitalty under the Ariel name.

When reviewed by the press when it was release (late 1960's) they all hated it and dubbed it the "Granny killer."

In concourse condition you'll be lucky to get £300. So spending £700 it bring it upto concourse is not really an option.

So nobody liked it then , we few  people like it now.

So I think it needs a bit of a face lift....so here's what I'm thinking:

1. I've had a compressor with spray guns and airbrushes for around 2 years now and this is the perfect time to test my spraying skills. I'm going to go with the autoair colours and try my hand at some hotrod sparkle, candies or something like that . I'm still going to keep the green and white but use trick paint.

2. Nitrous bottle fitted to rear carrier (used as a covert petrol tank).
3. Fit new handlebars - probabley with some form of swept back Harley style.
4. Stainless bolts throughout.
5. Already been given some trick BMX pedals in alloy (will spray with candy flip).
6. Custom bike chrome bullet head lamp or led front light built into the front fairing.
7. spray matching open face helmet.
8. Maybe fit wheelie bars off the back.

Who knows....any suggestions greatly ignored....