'40's - '50s Schwinns

[BlackJack]

I bought these bikes today. The one with the white chainguard and "Ace" head badge dated 7/14/49 by serial# might be an Autocycle (B6?). I would probably restore it as such.The 12 hole rack has me stumped. The other bike dated 11/01/55 by serial# looks to be a Phantom missing rack,tank, fenders, wrong crank sprocket and wrong front wheel. Any thoughts on these would be appreciated.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

My thoughts: awesome bikes!

 

[M.Martian]

Those appear to be some mixed up parts bikes to me. The crank sprocket on the one with no rack isn't Schwinn.

The one with the rack doesn't look like a Schwinn frame to me. The top tube where it meets the seat tube doesn't seem right to me. I could be wrong though.

 

[BlackJack]

I mentioned the crank sprocket on the '55 as being wrong. This '49 Schwinn has the same frame joint at top tube/seat post http://luxlow.com/bicycles/1949-schwinn ... oner-bike/

 

[Frankthetank]

Saweeet! 8)

 

[dougfisk]

The rack on your '49 is Murray built. Wrong maker and wrong vintage... would you like to sell it?

 

[B607]

Those frames could have been B607's or maybe B507's which are the unequiped models. You'll never know for sure so you could build either a B6 or a B17 Phantom around either frame. Gary

 

[BlackJack]

The rack on your '49 is Murray built. Wrong maker and wrong vintage... would you like to sell it?

Why yes I would.I see that it's c. 1941. PM me with offer. Evidently B6 racks are expensive!
I was thinking the '49 probably wasn't a Phantom just because of the Ace head badge. Interesting that all the Schwinns I see on the net with an Ace head badge are straight bar frames. I don't think an oval Schwinn badge will fit with the screw spacing. I already put a brass oval badge on the '55.

 

[M.Martian]

I guess I never noticed that the older Schwinn cantilever bikes had such a different alignment at the seat tube.

 

[1speedJam1982]

also if it dates back to 49 wouldnt it have to be schwinn as they had the patent on cantilever frames until 1958 then everyone started making them. right?

 

[BlackJack]

Updated pic of the '55.

 

[Spokeshave]

Looks great .

 

[BlackJack]

Thanks! It rides good!

 

[B607]

Check your '55 frame and see if it's a middleweight or a ballooner. You can do this by inserting 3 fingers into the triangle formed by the upper seat stays where they meet the seat tube. Compare it to the other older frame you have.
The rack on the older bike is exactly the same as the rack on my late 30's girls Elgin. Gary

 

[BlackJack]

They're both dirty - they take three fingers up to the knuckles. :shock: The original pic when I bought them shows the '55 with 26 X 1.75 tires but they're both the same size frames. Thanks for the tip on checking frame sizes!
I have the Elgin rack FS in the FS section.