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1937 Cantilever Frame?

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cyclingday

I'm the Wiz, and nobody beats me!
Ok,
I am currently working on my next project which is an original paint blue and ivory Schwinn cantilever Autocycle.
I had figured that the bike was an early 39 since the serial number started with the letter A. The frame has a footed badge which I thought was a little strange, so I pulled off the badge to see if it had always had a footed badge. Well, it had. There was the very distinct outline of the footed badge. Not so unusual since the frame number seemed to be an early 39. Then it donned on me that the serial number is the very small closely spaced type which is more commonly associated with frames built between 1936 and 1938. If we were talking about a straightbar frame I would have no doubt that it was an early 37 based on the footed badge and the early small type serial number. But, since were talking about a cantilever frame, I am very puzzled. Did Schwinn actually start making the cantilever frame design at the begining of 1937?
 
Everything I have read and heard from the experts says that the first year for the cantilever frame was 1938 and the letter A was used in the 38 serial number.
 
Thanks,

I knew that small type O to Z was for sure 38 but then when the alphabet started over again in 39 that they switched to the large type format. I have seen the partial list of numbers that have been compiled and it puts small type A50000 to D20000 in 37 which is exactly where my cantilever frames number falls. Very strange? It really is too bad that they had a fire and all the records were lost, because this one is a real mystery. It just shows how much we still don't know about the dates and times of some of this stuff. The only thing that I can assume, is that they still used the small typeset for awhile in 1939. But, what about the footed badge? that was a 37 feature? Like I said, very strange!
 
i had an odd canti too, the frame serial said 40 but i was told that the double duty fork or the built in headlight fenders would not have come with the bike there for they were all miss matched, but when i received the 1940 catalog I found that both were available in the catalog in 1940
 
feet

Thanks,

I knew that small type O to Z was for sure 38 but then when the alphabet started over again in 39 that they switched to the large type format. I have seen the partial list of numbers that have been compiled and it puts small type A50000 to D20000 in 37 which is exactly where my cantilever frames number falls. Very strange? It really is too bad that they had a fire and all the records were lost, because this one is a real mystery. It just shows how much we still don't know about the dates and times of some of this stuff. The only thing that I can assume, is that they still used the small typeset for awhile in 1939. But, what about the footed badge? that was a 37 feature? Like I said, very strange!

I have had plenty of 39 DX with footed badges yet. And 39 frames could have still been produced in 38 for the 39 sales year. I have had 39 first year dx frames with 38 dated cranks and 38 motorbikes with 39 style tank strap locations. I have also seen Original dated 37 motorbikes with straight down tubes. Anything was possible with transitions between years.
 
The Myth buster.

I know, I love it when someone says, "They didn't do that then" The fact is, if it was still on the shelf then it wasn't making any money. They put everything and anything together to make the sale.

Patrick, your Autocycle was a real eyeopener, because I have no doubt after seeing it that the canti frame and double duty fork were original to each other. The serial number was absolutely from the 1940 year and the two tone red paint scheme on both the frame and fork was a 1940 feature. I will always tell people after seeing your bike, that the double duty fork was absolutely without a doubt available from 1938 thru 1940. The thing that really amazed me was that your frame number was so late 1940 that it could have actually been a 41.

I think that there have been some old entrenched views for a very long time, so when a guru tells you, " No, they didn't do that then", You just have to go BAM! check this little eyeopener out. Not only did they do that then, It came in two tone red. Thank you very much!
 
Yep! That's it. Pretty cool huh?
Patricks bike was painted in that scheme. It was a 1940 serial numbered 16 inch small frame 26 inch wheel bike with a locking double duty fork original to eachother in that two tone red paint.
Very unusual combination for sure. One, you don't see many 16 inch frames. Two, you almost never see boys locking double duty forks. And three, Two tone red is pretty scarce. To have all three combinations in one package is pretty damn rare, and may actually be the only such combination that anyone has ever seen. Like I said before, It was a real eye opener.
 
Soooo what about a serial number list for prewar Schwinns???

Why is it still a secret?

People mention letters and years and throw out all kinds of speculation BUT Why NO LIST???

I have quite a few numbers my self and I sure you all do as well so share?....why is it still a secret!!!

This hording of information kills the hobby!!!

Just like ol Chubby Checker
 
Ask and you shall recieve.

This is a simple and I'm sure very incomplete chart that will kind of get you in the ballpark. But, I have no doubt that it should be taken with a grain of salt.

1928 - 415000 - 424999
1929 - 425000 - 434999
1930 - 435000 - 444999
1931 - 445000 - 459846 Pre 1935 six regular digits, no alphabet
1932 - 459847 - 476999
1933 - 477000 - 522999
1934 - 523000 - 610000
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1935 - A0001 - K7227 Irregularly stamped large digits
1936 - K7228 - Z9999
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1936 - A01000 - A49999
1937 - A50000 - D20000 Linear, closely spaced small digits
1938 - O02000 - Z99899
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1939 - A00100 - C10999
1940 - C11000 - E53499 Large regular spaced digits,
1941 - E53500 - H99999
1942 - I00100 - I98189 same style as the post war numbers
--------------------------------------

There is a big gap between 37 and 38, so where are all of those bikes?
 
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