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BoLiles

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So, this is a bike that my fiance got. I decided to rebuild it for her as a pre-weding gift. I can't identify the make or model from the badge, other than it was made in New Orleans? It kinda looks like a Flightliner? But my education on vintage bikes is still limited.

It was in fairly bad shape, paint-wise. The handlebars are somewhat rusted, along with the fenders. The wheels are pretty bad off, as well. I think I might have to rebuild the hubs, and worst case is get new ones and completey respoke both to the rims. The crank assembly is decent, but I am rebuilding it as well. Everything pretty much is being redone.

In the end, the bike will be a black frame/fenders/chainguard/kickstand, white pinstriping on the badge and fenders, black rims/spokes w/whitewall tires, brown leather seat & grips, touches of chrome here and there, and for her - a wicker basket for both of her bikes.

Here is a photo of the primed frame and some of the other parts that she took. I'll upload pics from when I was stripping the frame when i can get them off my old phone...

3466660285_ea7e4272bc.jpg
 
Re: My first build...ever.

It is a late model Huffy or Hawthorne and is a slightly different design than the Hawthorne I have as yours has the twin tubes continuing to the head tube while mine converges behind the seatpost into a thick top tube in front of theseat tube. Either way it waill make a ncie ride and is a cool design from the 60's.
Joe
 
Re: My first build...ever.

yeshoney said:
It is a late model Huffy or Hawthorne and is a slightly different design than the Hawthorne I have as yours has the twin tubes continuing to the head tube while mine converges behind the seatpost into a thick top tube in front of theseat tube. Either way it waill make a ncie ride and is a cool design from the 60's.
Joe
Click to expand...

Thanks...that narrows my search. Maybe its a Huffy?
 
Re: My first build...ever.

Can we see a pic of the sprocket? That might narrow it down.
 
Re: My first build...ever.

As far as I know, Huffy and Hawthorne bicycles were never made by the same manufacturer. The lines of this and comparable Huffy bicycles are similar, however. Your particular frame has the same fork crown as my Hawthorne, and the dropouts with the elongated drilled holes are identical to the dropouts on my '52(?) Hawthorne. If I am correct, I think that your bicycle was the successor to or one of the more space-race influenced type models following my Hawthorne cruiser, and that your bicycle was made by a company called "H.P. Snyder". If this frame was made by H.P. Snyder, then it could have been badged as Hawthorne or Rollfast.

My Hawthorne (note the dropouts):
1117ar8.jpg
21l0awk.jpg


A muscle bike I made from the same frame (except it was a 20 inch):
28tup9l.jpg
 
Re: My first build...ever.

Wildcat said:
Can we see a pic of the sprocket? That might narrow it down.
Click to expand...

I'll post a pic when I get home tomorrow...thanks guys. Unchained, it does look close to your Hawthorne, I want to compare the sproket and the chainguard to see how close they are. I'll post a lot of pics tomorrow afternoon!
 
Re: My first build...ever.

BoLiles said:
I'll post a pic when I get home tomorrow...thanks guys. Unchained, it does look close to your Hawthorne, I want to compare the sproket and the chainguard to see how close they are. I'll post a lot of pics tomorrow afternoon!
Click to expand...

Hi again,

I am glad this helped then, even a little bit. Well, the chainring on either of those bikes is NOT original, so that would not be a good thing to compare. The chainguard on the black cruiser is original, and the guard on the silver bicycle is not. The chainguards on these Hawthonre models seem to have been varied quite often (the styles and particular guards were short lived) and it may be slightly or majorly different from that on my black cruiser. If you could post a picture of both I or others should be able to identify them as correct or not.
 
Re: My first build...ever.

yeah, unchained said it all, def a hawthorne/rollfast of HP snyder orgin. i have a ladies hawthorne im building for my wife with the same chainring picted on unchained's hawthorne (not oem, right?) and a rather flat stlyed, long chainguard and the same frame with twin top tubes. wish i knew around what year hawthorne used that particular chainring style or when mw stopped badging them as hawthornes (hint, hint unchained).

anyways, nice bike and will keep look out for more picts. :D
 
Re: My first build...ever.

roadmaster said:
yeah, unchained said it all, def a hawthorne/rollfast of HP snyder orgin. i have a ladies hawthorne im building for my wife with the same chainring picted on unchained's hawthorne (not oem, right?) and a rather flat stlyed, long chainguard and the same frame with twin top tubes. wish i knew around what year hawthorne used that particular chainring style or when mw stopped badging them as hawthornes (hint, hint unchained).

anyways, nice bike and will keep look out for more picts. :D
Click to expand...

The chainring on my black Hawthorne cruiser is a Murray/Sears part, not factory equipment. I didn't know that Montgomery Wards ever sold their bikes without a name, thanks for that information. :D It is possible, then, that this bike was never badged...?
 
Re: My first build...ever.

Just to add my two cents, here's my (stock) mid 60s Rollfast:
adamtinkererscollection2003.jpg
-Note that the chainring on earlier models looks similar to the Murray ring, but the first row around the crank hole are triangular shaped. The Murray has oval shapes. ALSO, early 60's Columbia frames used a very similar looking frame. ~Adam
 
Re: My first build...ever.

If you got the New Orleans off the head badge...It could have read New Orleans, as a place the bike waqs sold. A lot of old bike shops had their own headbadges made and installed on the bikes. That could be where the NO is coming from...I don't know where you saw the New Orleans on the bike though...Good luck!
 
Re: My first build...ever.

More pics of my "mystery" bike...

IMG_2694.jpg

The sprocket

IMG_2695.jpg

The chain guard

and the coaster brake reads Bendix 76.

I have been busy getting ready to move out to Dallas so I haven't had time to work on the bike but I am about to paint it once the humidty around here drops off. Who knew Texas was more like Oregon?
 
Re: My first build...ever.

That sprocket is definitely the same as used on Rollfasts of the time. The chainguard looks to be an aftermarket Wald replacement.
 
Re: My first build...ever.

Unchained said:
That sprocket is definitely the same as used on Rollfasts of the time. The chainguard looks to be an aftermarket Wald replacement.
Click to expand...
I am sure it is a Rollfast...this weekend I am rebuilding the hubs, priming the wheels/fenders/chainguard/various small parts, sanding the primed frame and fork, doing rust removal on the sprocket and handlebars...it's going to be a busy one.
 
Re: My first build...ever (oh the humanity)

Well, worked on the bike more yesterday. Frame, fork and (temporary) Wald fenders and chainguard that came with the bike are primed, sanded and prepped for paint. All rattle can, all the time. My paint stripped skills sucked but whatever, I've gotten the frame pretty even and smooth. Next time, I'm getting that $40 4.5" angle grinder over at Harbor Freight Tools and going to town with a stripping wheel. Finally got the front hub apart and and prepped for rebuild and it seems like it should be good.

HOWEVER, the rear Bendix 76 hub is giving me fits. Every piece seems to be stuck, glued together with rust and the thickest baked on 40 year old grease. I'm not sure it is salvagable, as the axle is binding on one half the brake assembly. All the other parts are in decent shape. Gotta get the black basecoat on before I move so I can get it over to my pinstriper. All in all, the build isn't too bad with the exception of the hubs being a pain.
 

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