Westfield Built Camelback (1934, maybe 1921)

[Flying Zombie]

I think that looks great!
Where'd you get a NOS one?!

 

[MazdaFlyer]

I think that looks great!
Where'd you get a NOS one?!

Thanks!
@1938airflow on the CABE, he had found a carton of NOS. Might still have a few.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MazdaFlyer]

Replaced a missing spoke today in front wheel. The spokes were really loose in front. I don’t have a truing stand but eyeballed it and tightened things up. The front has a couple different gauge spokes. The back is in better shape.
I took off the front Wards tire and tube. It had been holding air for over a week. The tube had one old school patch and no rim strip. I temporarily put on a 2.125 knobby tire to access how it looked. Fills up the fenders pretty well. I’ll need to get some rim strips and I’ll do the back wheel.
I need to fine tune the tank trimming and get a coat of primer on it before it rusts any more. I did some form tweaking on the tank hanging straps for a better fit, they are 1” copper plumbing hangers.
One side of the fork end must have had the an axle hole with a slot on the other side. (That’s another clue to a 1921 model)
Someone had apparently tried to cut out the hole and make a slot. Thus a portion of the front slot is missing. They had used a couple of thick washers on each side to make it a little safer. So I need to do a repair or find a replacement fork if this is going to be a rider.

Think I’m finally leaning towards 1921 frame set with a mix of parts.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Phil Fink]

Too often I could not get to the Mr. Columbia site, now I understand it is down forever (at the old link). I simplified the list that may have origins there, and was kind disturbed that the same site stated there was no info prior to 1934 (paraphrasing).

My guess is that your bike is a 1934; nice condition, no odd (old) features.
Also attached is a catalog drawing of an earlier (20's) M-bike; it shows an odd two-piece crank, with odd bottom bracket, (not a camel drop bar).

My 28" Westfield frames and forks won't fit 26" balloon tires.

 

[RustyGold]

FYI...

The most recent archive of the Mr Columbia site...

https://web.archive.org/web/20180806211645/http://vintagecolumbiabikes.com/

Jason

 

[MazdaFlyer]

Too often I could not get to the Mr. Columbia site, now I understand it is down forever (at the old link). I simplified the list that may have origins there, and was kind disturbed that the same site stated there was no info prior to 1934 (paraphrasing).
View attachment 85342
My guess is that your bike is a 1934; nice condition, no odd (old) features.
Also attached is a catalog drawing of an earlier (20's) M-bike; it shows an odd two-piece crank, with odd bottom bracket, (not a camel drop bar).
View attachment 85343
My 28" Westfield frames and forks won't fit 26" balloon tires.

To muddy the water some more, I sent an inquiry to the current Columbia Bicycle Company website. I received the following responses:

Hi Ed,
I just checked my information about Westfield serial numbers and it looks like the bike was made in 1921, info below.

1921 starts with letters to designate year.

1921.……M
1922.……N
1923.……A
1924.……B
1925.……C
1926.……D

After this “Model No.” still appears on badge but there is nothing stamped next to it continuing until 1935.

Hope this helps,
Michael

And...

Hello again,

Just found a little more info for you.

1921.……M

Model M2...Men’s Superb

Model M1...Men’s Chainless
Model M5...Women’s Roadster
Model M4...Men’s Roadster

Model M8...Motobike (this would be yours)

Model M7...Junior Roadster
Model MB…Military
Model M6...Arch Bar
Model M3...Racer
—————————————————————
MazdaFlyer comments:
But the motobike designation doesn’t seem to fit.

There is a previous post that shows the camelbacks available as a 28” or 26” wheeled bike in 1934.
Still not definitive.
The M8 coding shows up in the 1921 listing but M8 coding is absent from the 1934 lists. ???

 

[MazdaFlyer]

I put a headbadge on today, it’s in the age ballpark I think. The headtube holes didn’t match so I added a couple to the headbadge. Sacrilegious I know but it’s just an old bike.
A while back I put the other knobby tire on the rear. I have a 3 step rim that think I’ll use on the front in order to have somewhat matching wheels. At which time I’ll take it all apart and check bearings and lube it all. If it rides OK it might get basic paint otherwise it’s just a found old treasure as is.

The tank still needs final fit trimming, primer and some paint to preserve it.

 

[Phil Fink]

Cool, nice to know that the current Columbia company can verify such things.
I understand that Westfield bikes with the wider badge holes might not have been sold as "Columbia" products; fitting badges to unknown bikes is often by trial and error or drill and hammer. I wonder why the M-8 badge of 1921 did not fit. Further investigation might look into the laminated fork crown, with wide fork that fits balloon tires; another area might be the crank with a drive pin versus the Westfield double-D drive.

 

[MazdaFlyer]

Cool, nice to know that the current Columbia company can verify such things.
I understand that Westfield bikes with the wider badge holes might not have been sold as "Columbia" products; fitting badges to unknown bikes is often by trial and error or drill and hammer. I wonder why the M-8 badge of 1921 did not fit. Further investigation might look into the laminated fork crown, with wide fork that fits balloon tires; another area might be the crank with a drive pin versus the Westfield double-D drive.

I sourced a couple of 28” forks to use as a replacement. As you’ve stated they won’t work with 2.125” tires.
I have a 1910-15ish Peerless bike with a laminated fork crown.
From the pictures I’ve seen the 20’s bikes appear to have forged crown on the fork. So my fork may have been added or it may be a ‘34 model. I’ll probably never know for sure.
The head badge I used is stamped B6. I’m assuming it was from a 1924 bike.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Phil Fink]

Teen's era Peerless bikes sold by Sears Roebuck may have been built by Davis Sewing Machine company; they are often pictured with a Davis-Made Sprocket No. 2. A later Peerless was produced by Snyder and sold by D.P. Harris.
I believe that Westfield serial numbers in the 8x,xxx sequence (with an eight), only means that the bike is at least one later than number 79,999.
I like the industrial color of the bike; I have purchased some Rust-Oleum School Bus Yellow and yellow primer for a 1934 (est.) Snyder rat rod project which I am planning.

 

[MazdaFlyer]

I picked up an old motorcycle accessory light at one of our monthly outdoor flea markets. Stamped with 1917 patent date. It’s heavy duty with lots of adjustment, and a LED conversion candidate. Glass lens is good, reflector should polish up.
I spread the mounting bracket open to allow it to fit the handlebar stem.

I mounted the light to look at the possibilities. It would give motivation to clean up the hanging tank mounting notch, primer and paint.
I think there is a little nickel playing left on the bracket.

 

[MazdaFlyer]

A few more photos of the mock-up.

 

[MazdaFlyer]

I did some rust removal on the tank, cleaned up the notch and gave it a primer seal coat.
I like the triple step wheel on the back inferior as it may be. I had a New Departure “W” hub and an extra triple step rim so I had a spare front wheel built up. The wheels will somewhat match now. These old bikes are money pits but fun. Beats playing golf or drinking.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MazdaFlyer]

Found a long spring saddle carcass at an auto swap meet. Probably need to flip the seatpost 180 degrees. The notches on the clamp pieces must be worn as it wouldn’t stay level.

 

[mickeyc]

Think you are dead on with the Columbia badge. Here's my 1930 Columbia Camel back rider with 28" wheels. I also have a 1926 Columbia motobike full fendered 28" rider.

Mike

 

[MazdaFlyer]

I tried mounting a 26” x 1.750” brick tread tire on the rebuilt triple step wheel. This was an experiment to use the wheel set with an old 28” narrow width fork. The first effort resulted in the tire loosing its seat and blowing the tube. I tried another tube and again noticed the tire bead moving so I let the air out an put the CST 26” x 2.125” knobby tire on. No problem holding fine, rode OK.
Now I’d like to find a 28” fork that will run a 2.125” tire otherwise the left fork end needs a repair.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MazdaFlyer]

Rainy/snowy day here, so I experimented with cleaning up tank notch. Probably too narrow now. It’s a start.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[A.S.BOLTNUT]

Should start a build thread ?
Not such a fresh find anymore

 

[MazdaFlyer]

Should start a build thread ?
Not such a fresh find anymore

OK
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MazdaFlyer]

31 degrees this morning. I put the tank back on without the edge trim.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk