Auction find - 1937? Hawthorne w/ Zep light

[backpedaler]

My friend found this at a local farm auction. The paint under the red is dark blue and shiney. He's going to attempt to save it. It's all there and ridable as is, even the tires hold air.

8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

 

[oldrider]

Re: Auction find - 1937 Hawthorne w/ Zep light

Good heavens! What were these people thinking that painted these beauties? I mean seat springs, headbadge and all, sad to see that. I've dealt with housepaint bikes too and never had the perseverence to scrape it all off. I wish your friend all the best with that Hawthorne.

 

[Unchained]

Re: Auction find - 1937 Hawthorne w/ Zep light

Beautiful!

A trick I have found to safely remove old house paint is a "simple green" soak. I collect the used up simple green leftover from cleaning greasy parts and keep it in kitty litter containers... if you soak bike parts with caked old house paint for a few days time, in this leftover cleaner, the house paint comes off in a kind of sludge and the original paint is not harmed in any way. Simple green cleaner is eco friendly and totally safe (i.e., not super caustic or nasty!). As long as the house paint wasn't prepared, or wasn't well prepared, it comes off really nice. No scraping or effort needed. If it was prepared, it comes off a bit slower and the sanding is generally visible in the O.G. paint.

Never tried soaking painted stuff with clean simple green, but it probably works even better. My $.02. Great find, would like to see it cleaned up!

 

[harquahalas]

Re: Auction find - 1937 Hawthorne w/ Zep light

I bet that bike rides real fast with that headlight fin :lol: Very cool find.

 

[rms37]

Re: Auction find - 1937 Hawthorne w/ Zep light

This bike is probably earlier than 1937. The collet seat binders were introduced and used by H.P. Snyder/D.P Harris in 1936 and discontinued for 1937 models.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Re: Auction find - 1937 Hawthorne w/ Zep light

Nice project score, I've had good luck carefully wet sanding with gasoline and 000 steel wool or an sos pad to get old spray paint off of bikes. takes time but works. As far as house paint goes I've never done it other than sandblasting and starting with bare metal but I'll have to try that simple green idea.

 

[John c]

Re: Auction find - 1937 Hawthorne w/ Zep light

I'm gonna say it's a 36 because 35 had a headbadge of it's own and prior they were different yet. That's a mighty short 3.75" headtube!
Sweet score!

 

[thesuicideride]

Re: Auction find - 1937 Hawthorne w/ Zep light

Good heavens! What were these people thinking that painted these beauties? I mean seat springs, headbadge and all, sad to see that. I've dealt with housepaint bikes too and never had the perseverence to scrape it all off. I wish your friend all the best with that Hawthorne.

yard art. its cool tho. theyre just helpin prevent corrosion for us :mrgreen:

 

[DonQui]

oh man, i guess whoever painted this bike wanted a really red bike. i think they forgot to paint the grips. lol
its a nice find. good luck on getting that paint off,id like to see it cleaned up.