Newsboy Special

[miinfluence]

A friend just brought over his old bike that he says he bought new from Western Auto, he thinks he bought it in 1957. Can anyone tell me any details about this bike. Everything I have found online looks a little different than this one. Everything on it is original but we want to return it to rideable condition.

 

[Wildcat]

The serial number makes it a 1967 model, a 57 would begin with a "C". Here's a 66 model for reference:

 

[miinfluence]

Were the serial numbers different depending on the manufacturer and badging? This bike has chrome fenders which I have not seen on any other newsboy that I can find. I talked to my friend and he actually delivered papers with this bike in upstate NY. He told me it has to be from the fifties since in 1967 he was in Vietnam.

 

[Wildcat]

There are a couple websites I go to that have the Columbia serial numbers listed by year. They agree on this list. I thought maybe it was a "B" instead of an "R" but they didn't use a "B" around the years 57 or 67.

Columbia Serial Numbers
1936 A-5429 through A-266083
1937 B-5000 through B195407
1938 C-5000 through C-130896
1939 D-5000 through D-156044
1940 E-5000 through E-168879
1941 F-5000 through F-213132 and G-5000 through G-17433
1942 G-17434 through G-112858
1943 G-112859 through G-195135
1944 G-195136 through G200000 and W-5001A through W-85244A
1945 J-5000 through J-114781
1946 K-5000 through K-256116
1947 L-5001 through L-313474
1948 M-5001 through M-345445
1949 M-345446 through M525640
1950 N-5000 through N-59606 and R-5000 through R-182877
1951 R-200000 through R-539588
1952 R-659514 through R-804246
1953 R-804247 through R-855423 and W-5000 through W-217999(?)
1954 W-21800 through W-376443
1955 A-5000 through A-197956
1956 C-5001 through C-105020
1957 C-105021 through C-288230
1958 D-5125 through D-199613
1959 E-5000 through E-273125
1960 H-5000 through H-259120
1961 K-5000 through K-205465
1962 L-205466 through L-425743
1963 M-425744 thru M-617828 and N-617829 thru N-624001 and N-5000 thru N-26183
1964 N-26184 through N-370693
1965 N-375000 through N-817898
1966 R-100000 through R-464982
1967 R-464982 through R-842814
1968 R-842814 through R987209 and S-5000 through S-331191
1969 S-331193 through S-767191
1970 S-767191 through S-950093 and W-5000 through W-242733
1971 W-242733 through W-752146
1972 W-752146 through W-803303

 

[Wildcat]

I found some more good info that cements it as a 67 model. here's a 57 Newsboy:

and here's a 67 model. Same chain guard and seat and forks as yours. Looking at your chrome fenders, they might be replacement fenders. They looked peaked, and Columbia didn't have peaked fenders. They kept the twin reflector though. The shop that sold it new may have fitted it with chrome fenders, or the Western Flyer version came with chrome fenders.

 

[miinfluence]

Thanks for the additional info . Would a full resto or a clean and ride be better?

 

[Wildcat]

Either way is good. The paint looks good enough to shine up. The chrome on the fenders and rims looks like it's pretty well gone. I would clean it, lube it, and ride it. I would put new tires on and save those old ones. I'm surprised the seat isn't worn out from delivering papers.