Any ideas?

[Hoek]

I picked this guy up for $25 this evening. I can find similar Meads and Roadmasters but none seem to have the correct dropouts. Even tried to convince myself it was a early DX with the straighht downtube but the headtube welds don't seem right.

Any help would be appreciated.

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[Fv2]

Very roadmaster-ish looking head badge stain.
Early CWC maybe, is the serial number visible?

 

[Hoek]

Serial number is: G47843 with a circled w at the end.

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[Fv2]

Serial number is: G47843 with a circled w at the end.

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That circled w is a big C with a w inside. Its a CWC built bike, probably roadmaster badged. I'd have to check the serial number to narrow down the year.

 

[Fv2]

I recently learned something new about these bikes. The one I'm using in the build off has a seat tube inner diameter of 5/8", for a lucky 7 seat post. That apparently makes it pre war.

Yours appears to have a bigger diameter post, which should put it somewhere between 45-55. I think 55 was the last year CWC built these. I could be wrong, these CWC bikes are hard to date. No database that I'm aware of, but if my guess is right I'd think it's a 47.

I'm still learning about the bikes.

 

[Hoek]

I'm having trouble finding anything as late as 47 with the straight downtube. The limited research I've done on serial numbers suggests that a letter followed by 5 numbers is likely a 35-40 I have found a matching style frame at 39.

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[Fv2]

Yea, I'm still pretty clueless on these. I'm surprised no one else has chimed in. The one I'm using in the build off only has the number 168 in the bottom bracket, so I cant learn anything about it.

 

[Hoek]

Last question that I'm sure belongs elsewhere. Should I pull out the oven cleaner to pull the top coat of orangish paint off to reveal what's left of the original red and white? Or leave it as is? (probably wipe of the 50 year old bird crap either way)

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[Fv2]

I don't know what oven cleaner would do, it brightened up the Columbia tank I tried for my build off bike.
I used 0000 steel wool and degreaser to clean my frame.

If you decide to try oven cleaner, I'd spray it under the bottom bracket to test.

 

[RustySprockets]

To me, straight downtube screams '39 or earlier.

 

[Flying Zombie]

Rear facing Dropouts are a good sign, however my 1950 has rear facing with Chain Adjuster Pins so.. [where with CWC, thats about all you can do to narrow it down is compare to other models and parts of the era that are correct to date by other brands] G***** without the Drop-stand Tangs I would place it right around 40-43.

There's a thread on the Cabe that has 16 pages to partially help guestimate and discern with some level of accuracy in places what the Serials are. I recommend the first seven or so pages of info and the last four or so pages for the best results to discern better. The thread is titled "Cleveland Welding Serial Number Project"

[The pages between those mentioned are so mixed up with inquiries coming in, some with pictures..some without..some with really hard to discern pictures of lesser quality and then being answered in no discernible order]

In any case, whatever the year, NICE BIKE!

FZ

 

[CrazyDave]

Id guess 48. In fact i got $1 thats says im right. lolol

 

[Hoek]

Here's a newer picture with most of the house paint removed. I'm still saying is a 1939....but possibly just because I want it to be.

 

[Wildcat]

When I was trying to ID my 46/47 CWC frame, there was an expert here named rms37 who said CWC went to a curved downtube sometime in 46, so a straight downtube like yours is before that. Yours has a straight chain stay which is earlier also, but I don't know when CWC went to a curved chain stay. Your dropouts also look earlier. I would guess that your guess of 39 is a pretty good guess. I'll see if I can find that paint and frame somewhere.

 

[Fv2]

When I was trying to ID my 46/47 CWC frame, there was an expert here named rms37 who said CWC went to a curved downtube sometime in 46, so a straight downtube like yours is before that. Yours has a straight chain stay which is earlier also, but I don't know when CWC went to a curved chain stay. Your dropouts also look earlier. I would guess that your guess of 39 is a pretty good guess. I'll see if I can find that paint and frame somewhere.

See, that's what I meant when I said I'm still learning.

 

[sludgeguy]

I have a 39 Roadmaster. If you go on to the CABE sight there is a CWC serial number list there somedwhere. Thats how I identified mine. Nice frame!

 

[Jeff54]

Here's a newer picture with most of the house paint removed. I'm still saying is a 1939....but possibly just because I want it to be.

The Cw after serial number has been evidenced to be post war. "
Serial number is: G47843 with a circled w at the end." The majority post war era drop out down tubes (chain stay, rear) are not straight like yours which puts it very close to 45-ish range. The citing's add that the letter designations for 45-6 only go to F yet they also establish these had curved stay tubes.

However, one thing all pre-war CWC's had up until around 1942 was ears on the drop-outs So, straight without ears seems to be an oddity, adding G letter more, adding CW strange enough to suspect that G letter is newer than A-F. Once CWC got past their sets with only the Cw stamp they added an A, B, C, etc. (ACw. BCw, etc.) in front of it which is believed to date into 49-51. By 1952 they're dated 52Cw, 53Cw etc. up too 1955, which should mean you're looking at a 46-48 bike.

 

[us56456712]

My post war CWC doesn't have ears on the drop outs. It has a 5/8 seat post. I have been told that it is a from right after WWII, but I can't verify that.