75$ score on prewar and others!!!

[Xcruiser]

Went too look at a schwinn frame and a Gambles not knowing what the guy had,he was asking 75.00 for all of it.Was near shaking when I laid eyes on what appeared to be a prewar schwinn frame and a Gambles Hiawatha springer.Anyway I handed him his 75.00 for everything-frames,parts etc. without negotiation.Got some fenders,cool chrome rack(yet to be identified).
Also stopped on the way and picked up a free girls tank bike in rough shape.
IM A PREWAR NEWBIE,ANY CLUES TO ITS YEAR OR MODEL IS APPRECIATED,HAVENT RESEARCHED THE GAMBLES YET EITHER,JUST GOT THESE MINUTES AGO.
Mom back home got me the Coppertone Schwinn Pixie today-GO MOM!Shes in her 70's and I have her creeping for bikes!

 

[Xcruiser]

pretty sure the Hiawatha had a motor.I can see mount marks and it has a Fast-Slow lever???

 

[Xcruiser]

here is the serial number on the BB

It wont be a major let down if its not prewar.Im going by the type of dropouts it has.

 

[Terry66]

I am not an expert, but I think it is like a 1952 frame based on what I found.

 

[Xcruiser]

my understanding is that rear facing dropouts didnt exist after 1948 and kickstand is welded on after 48
I can see how the serial number can be misdated 1952 (I own a 1953) but this frame design didnt exist as far as I know.
Yeah just looked at the 1952 catalog,dropouts face forward(fishhooks)

The cranks that came off of it appears to be dated 33,but I cant find this type of frame in 1933 so they were certainly put on by somebody.

 

[Terry66]

Well, trust me...I am far from an authority. I just did a search on the DB I used to identify my Schwinn. I have no idea how accurate it is. Total Schwinn newbie here.

Interesting that the chart said the serial number was found under the Bottom bracket up through and including 1951. In 1952, they supposedly started putting them on the left rear dropout. By code, the chart says yours was build in 1952, but clearly your serial is under the BB housing.

Further proof that I have no idea what I am talking about, so I'll defer to someone who has a clue on things Schwinn

 

[Xcruiser]

totally cool ,I sure do appreciate it man.Im looking all this up as I go so we can learn together LOl

 

[badlandkustoms]

8) Nice finds, I think that Chrome Rack is an aftermarket item But I could be wrong

 

[Xcruiser]

8) Nice finds, I think that Chrome Rack is an aftermarket item But I could be wrong

Id imagine it is,looks like they bolted old rods to
it.

 

[Xcruiser]

These fenders came with it,they were sanded down alot.The guy said that the person he purchased it from had began to (restore) it but lost interest.Until further research I will assume these fenders are just random fenders.The remains of the striping resemble spitfire.who knows

 

[Jpromo]

Schwinn lost all of their records before 1948 in a fire sometime in that year. So any internet search will only give you numbers after that. So prewar numbers have been lost and were likely repeated after '48. That looks like about a '40 frame. Also, I've seen somewhere that E and F code Schwinns can be dated as 1941 so D would make sense as '40.

 

[Jpromo]

I'm no Schwinn expert so wait on someone else to chime in! Also, it's hard to tell from the somewhat overhead view of the frame as the depth of the curve in the bottom bar is a big factor in dating these early 40s bikes as it was constantly changing from straight to shallow to a strong curve over a few years.

 

[Xcruiser]

 

[Wildcat]

Someone somewhere was putting together a database to decipher serial numbers on Schwinns built before the fire in 48 that burned them all up. I haven't seen anything yet.

Going by the charts, you would have to back up the sequence before the beginning of the numbers in 1948, estimating that they made a couple thousand bikes a day, it would put your bike in early 47 or late 46. Just a guess.

Except the catalog that says they changed to forward facing dropouts on all bikes after the war.

 

[Xcruiser]

i posted 1948 oops, actually starting in 1946 the dropouts faced forward.Thats what all the websites say at least.
appears to be from 1939 (when the DX frame was introduced) to possibly 1945with 1946 starting new frame designs including removable seat post clamp,bolt on chainguard flanges,forward facing dropouts.
Im just learning and posting what Im learning folks,bare with me.
No offense or YOUR WRONG type attitude intended from me just so ya know!

 

[Xcruiser]

everything I can come up with says its a 40/41 frame.
Soon enough the prewar afficianado will show up here and clear it up once and for all LOL
thank you soo much folks.Ill keep ya posted

 

[ohdeebee]

It's a '41 DX frame. '39 was the first year of the Dx but had a straight downtube and dropstand ears. '40 had a curved downtube and no dropstand ears. '41 is the same frame as 1940 EXCEPT it was the first year for the notched seatpost clamp. Prewar DX models are easy! Only 3 years to choose from and each one is different! 8)

 

[46powerwagon]

Looks to be a 1940-41 Schwinn DX

Gary

 

[ohdeebee]

Oh, and it's not a Gambles or Hiawatha springer. Neither was a manufacturer. That's a Shelby Shockease springer. Shelby built bikes for Gambles.

 

[Xcruiser]

Oh, and it's not a Gambles or Hiawatha springer. Neither was a manufacturer. That's a Shelby Shockease springer. Shelby built bikes for Gambles.

thanks for the cleanup on the schwinn-REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
but--the Gambles headbadge says-gambles hiawatha with the train logo that we see on them once in a while