Possible 1937 Hawthorne

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HerrOtto

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Hello, can anyone tell me what year this Hawthorne(I believe) bike is, and if there are any catalog pictures of it, and if you have any other information about the bike?
Any help is appreciated.
Thank you
 

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"F" is 1919, 1937, or 1950. Your bike looks to be a 1937 going by all the features it has. Made in Michigan City, Indiana by Snyder. If it is a Hawthorne, that chain guard was used on 30's Hawthornes. Here's a 34 Hawthorne:
1724366467972.jpeg


That bike would be a contender in the step thru build off coming up. It's all there and has some great looking parts.
 
I also found some info on Musselman hubs:






Musselman Hubs​












Musselman hubs are dated on the edge of the shell with a letter and a symbol. The letter represents the year and the symbol represents the quarter of the year. These hubs were probably made until at least the mid ‘50s. Musselman hubs can be found with a variety of brake arms on them. The standard Model M has the arm shown but they can have Airman, Elgin, J.C. Higgins, Western Flyer, or possibly others.
A-1935 B-1936 C-1937 D-1938 E-1939 F-1940 G-1941 H-1942 I-1943 J-1944 K-1945 L-1946 M-1947 N-1948
O-1949 P-1950 Q-1951 R-1952 S-1953
1st Quarter (Jan-Mar)-Circle
2nd Quarter (Apr-Jun)-Diamond
3rd Quarter (Jul-Sep)-Square
4th Quarter (Oct-Dec)-Triangle
 
Thank you for the replies and information. I will take a look at the Musselman hub tomorrow, though it is pretty rusty.
This is my first real old bike and a rusty one at that. I would like to bring back as much of the remaining paint as possible , and was thinking of doing my first time, Oxalic acid bath, but because of the red paint, I have read not to do it, as the remaining paint will turn pink. My other options were Evaporust , CLR or vinegar. I contacted both Evaporust and CLR and they stated not to use their products on painted surfaces , especially red paint. I have successfully used straight vinegar on rusty chrome, but never on a painted surface. I realize the bike is pretty far gone, but I'd like to clean it up a bit. Any suggestions are welcome. Thank you
 
Wildcat, thanks for the information. If this is the area you are referring to, it is pretty far gone, and I see no letters. I think I will have to be satisfied using the Serial number and the components, making it a 1937. Thank you
 

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Can you post some pics of that hub from the sides to get a full look at the area where the number would be? The metal was stamped so I think something will show if I enhance the image.

The seat and pedals don't show signs of much wear, so the hubs and everything may be in good shape. Women and girls always treated their bikes well while the boys used ramps and jumped curbs for fun. Just a clean and lube might be all it needs to be a decent rider. Is the horn electric or a push button? There may be batteries in the tank if it's electric. Old D cell batteries have a date code on them.

I don't know a lot about removing rust and saving the original paint, usually these old bikes are too far gone. A lot of info on the internet is bogus with people sounding like experts but have no idea. I would trust advice given here for the most part or go to the CABE website about restoring the original finish.
 
Wildcat, I will post more pictures of the hub tomorrow. Do you want only the brake arm side of the hub? Not sure if you noticed that the stem has been repaired, it almost looks like JB weld.(I hope not) . Unfortunately the original owners painted the rims while still on the bike with the tires also on. The horn is electric with a push button. There were no batteries in there, but I did get the horn to work.
I am also a member on the CABE and I am asking about removing rust and preserving the paint.
 
Pondo said:
Please go ahead and post the pics on the forum. Could help someone else with similar questions in the future. 👍
Click to expand...
Plenty of room here on the forum. Also, make them fullsize when you add them, there's always seems to be enough bandwidth for that. Thanks!
 
On this frame it looks like an upsidedown B and a square. It needs to be wirebrushed to be seen better.
278313-fb7ae9f0e6898aaed3253d8d3d8ddb4a.jpg
 
HerrOtto said:
I actually did wire brush it before the photos, but I will gladly do some more.
Click to expand...
Not really needed, a B with a Square would be a hub made 3rd quarter in 1936. That would probably be on a 37 bike as parts may have been stocked up before the bikes were made. I've now added Musselman hubs to my notes.
 
Is there a way I can use the skip tooth rear sprocket from the original wheel on a more modern Huffy cruiser rear wheel? If not, can I use the guts from the original rear wheel in a more modern Huffy cruiser rear wheel, so I can keep the bike a skip tooth? I did see a guy on eBay selling a skip tooth sprocket for a modern wheel but the $95 price tag is way more than I am willing to spend. The reason I ask is, the original wheels(rims spokes and hubs )are in pretty bad shape, so I was thinking of using a set from a newer Huffy. Thank you
 
If you're in the US you can get a skip tooth sprocket from Ichibike that will fit shimano, sturmey archer and most chicom hubs for $25
 

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