House paint pride

[Hoek]

So I picked up these 2 this past Sunday from a guy on CL. $40 plus he threw in a couple of nice white schwinn wheels.
First the mens:

Yes someone cut the top tube off and has hit it with a couple coats of house paint. It's my first Springer and I have another straight bar frame to transfer the parts to so I'm pumped. Serial# suggests it a 53, but checking the catalog it doesn't add up; white wheels, non skip tooth with the Springer does not seemed to be offered that year. Any help identifying would be appreciated. #H27729

Second is the women's with a couple more coats of housepaint.

This one is also supposedly a schwinn, serial # suggests it's a 52. Which I'm not buying. Rear dropouts are what I consider track ends with adjusters. Skip tooth, non painted or chromed for that matter wheelset. Looks like a set of wheels like my Hiawatha Seminole has. Most puzzling is the lack of a built in kickstand. #F15696.
I figure the Springer is worth better than $40 so the rest is bonus.

 

[Nightrider]

second bike might be prewar. nice score!

 

[Wildcat]

The serial number look up tool is only for numbers from the dropout. Your women's bike's number is on the bottom bracket I'll guess. F suggests 1949 if there is one more number on there. But it does look earlier than even that.

http://www.angelfire.com/rant/allday101/SchwinnCodes2.html

 

[RustySprockets]

Check out the '39 catalog at the link below. I think you will find your bike is very close to the blue/cream one identified as "girls popular priced." Pre-war used a swing-down center stand, so no permanent provision on the frame.

http://schwinncruisers.com/catalogs/1939.html#girls

 

[Hoek]

Thanks!
That makes sense. Some of my initial research pointed to it being a Hollywood but the age I was looking at wasn't old enough. That's why the kick stand was throwing me. Now to get through a couple layers of house paint to really figure out what it looked like. I know it's the wrong forum but heat gun or oven cleaner to remove the old paint?

 

[RustySprockets]

I notice that the inside of the fork blade appears unpainted, so I'm predicting that it was originally red/cream, which was an available combination.

 

[Wildcat]

Hopefully they just painted right over the original without sanding or anything. As for removal, I'm not sure what is best for that. Referring back to the green boy's straight bar bike, is the serial number on the dropout or bottom bracket? The sprocket isn't original, so there may be other things changed out and all painted green. I would bet the bike is mostly original other than the sprocket though. On the chain guard, on the smooth part, the model name may show through the paint, as the decals back then had a little thickness to them. If it is a 53, it could only be a Panther because it has a springer and is straight bar frame.

 

[B607]

If it's a Panther it would have chrome fenders under the paint. It could also be a BA-107, the deluxe straight bar bike which was the painted version of the Panther before it came out. Springer was an option on the BA-107. A Panther or a BA-107 would not have painted rims, they would be chrome.

The girls Schwinn is a '39 or '40. It takes the huge tank. The Wald #5 nutcracker goose neck started showing up in '40 and most non-deluxe bikes in '41 had it too. I'd guess your girls bike is a late '39 or '40.

Nice finds. Transfer your parts to the good frame and you'll have a decent heavy cruiser. Gary

 

[Hoek]

So I initially thought the women's bike was the puzzler but you guys made short work of it, your knowledge is shocking and greatly appreciated. But now the chopped boys bike has got me curious, mostly because I know a welder who can make it good as new. The S# is on the drop out so my original thought was like many of yours 53 Panther. Here's the problem wrong crank.. I know it's not the correct to crank, but its not even the right style. The 53 was skip tooth I thought, also it has painted wheels not chrome and the same is true for the fenders. It was my first thought that someone was just piecing together a period correct cruiser and these were the wheels he could find but the painted non skip wheels have green house paint on them because the kid who painted couldn't be bothered with taken the parts of to paint the frame. Which sounds like me ranting, but I think it proves the wheels are original and never a skip tooth and therefore not a Panther or a BA-107.

 

[schwinn boy]

What type of sprocket is that on the boys bike?

 

[Wildcat]

schwinn boy, Wald makes a sprocket that has the same pattern, I bought a new one a few years back. I'm not sure what bikes came new with them.

Hoek, it's a good mystery, 1953 was a long time ago, and parts may have been changed out years ago. I don't see any holes for a headlight on the front fender. The front hub looks like a Schwinn, so maybe those wheels are S-2s. I'm not sure if they have identification on S2s.

I think the next step would be to see if the original paint matches up on all the parts. The inside of the chain guard may not have been completely painted and the underside of the fenders may show the color also. The inside of the fork tube will show the color, almost in new condition maybe. Then the frame will also show the color inside the head tube and inside the bottom bracket when you remove the cranks. That might zero in on the actual model.

 

[Rustinkerer]

Chain ring on the green bike was typical on later 50s Huffys. -Adam

 

[bigharley]

i could use that chainguard on the ladies bike for my western flyer one that is broken. let me know if you part it out

 

[American Vintage Bicycle Supply]

The girls Schwinn is a '39 or '40. It takes the huge tank. The Wald #5 nutcracker goose neck started showing up in '40 and most non-deluxe bikes in '41 had it too. I'd guess your girls bike is a late '39 or '40.

Nice finds. Transfer your parts to the good frame and you'll have a decent heavy cruiser. Gary

With serial number being "F", it could also be early '41. I've seen '41 only model Schwinns with an "F" serial number.