1954 CWC / Hawthorne... did they make a tank for this bike?

Hello Gang,

I'm new 'round these parts. I joined to try and gather more information on a bike I've had since college. I've always know it was a Hawthorne, I just never knew the year. I finally found the serial number. I'm pretty sure it's a 54 CWC built frame. I pulled the head badge off when I repainted it in the 90's. I've still got it lying around someplace. I need to put it back on.

Anyway - do you guys know if they ever made a tank for this model?



Thanks,
Ted

Looks like a CWC bike alright...I have a couple of bikes with the same frame and both are badged "Roadmaster" and the deluxe versions had tanks.
If do search on ebay for roadmaster tank I am sure one or two will pop up.

Hey Mark,

Thanks for the quick reply. Would you happen to have any pictures of the tank you suggest?

I purchased a tank which I thought would fit this bike. When I received the tank, I found that it's just almost too big. I would have to bend/squeeze the tank 'tabs' to get it to fit 'inside' the top bar and the straight bar. I'm guessing there were several close variants. Maybe this one just isn't the right size version.

Kind of a bummer as I paid (in hindsight) too much for this tank.

Oh well, live and learn.

Ted

Your bike was manufactured by AMF/Cleveland Welding and is the last frame pattern for what is referred to by collectors as the “3-Gill” model. In 1954 AMF redesigned their frames to feature the straight chain stays and forward dropout style toe plates, replacing the earlier design with rear exit toe plates and upswept chain stays.

Both frame styles were produced in 1954 but the earlier style was dropped before the end of that year. The 3-Gill frame pattern was also something of a slow casualty as it had been produced in large numbers through 1953 but the later style like your bike is somewhat uncommon. To date your bike accurately you should be able to look at the serial number suffix. It will likely read something like: A12345 54Cw, if your bike is a 1954 production frame, or 55Cw if it is from 1955. I believe this frame pattern may have soldiered on until perhaps even 1957 but I have not recorded any that late.


As for a tank; yes these bike generally came equipped with a tank and the one you are looking for is the very last version of the 3-Gill tank although any of the CWC 3-Gill tanks (The 3-Gill was first offered in 1938) will physically fit your frame. 3-Gill tanks turn up loose on eBay a couple times a year but it is often necessary to buy a semi-complete bike to score a tank…they are not rare but in high demand as the (1940-1953) frames are very common.


I will try to find a good link for you to illustrate what the tank should look like.

Here is my old 54 (sold it earlier this year)

Ahh yes! That makes some sense now. Thanks gents for the information. I see how the roadmaster above has the older style rear drop outs and how mine has the newer style. But the frames/fenders/etc are all pretty much the same. I can also see how the tank has a very slight curve to the lower bar, as to where the one I purchased (and possibly paid too much for...) does not. It's completely straight across the lower part of the tank and it has kind of a straight 'tail' (about an inch long) which sticks straight back on the rear of the tank. I will try to clean up the tank I purchased before listing it for sale. Hopefully I can recoup the what I paid.

Regarding my serial number, I can only barely make it out. The first letter is a C and the last two are most definitely 54. I do not see the Cw at the end, as the paint / primer I used at the time could have possibly filled that in. I may bite the bullet and sand that paint off to get to the serial number, although at this point, it may not be necessary as I think we've pretty much identified this bike as a 54 Hawthorne.

So, my next steps are to sell the tank I have now and start my quest for the illusive 3 gill tank.

Here is an example of what the tank I purchased looks like. Once I clean it up I'll list it for sale I suppose:


Oh, one more note:
I'm also nearly sure that's not the correct rack, but seeing how it fits and I got it for a song, I couldn't pass it up. It works great for a simple rider like me.

Thanks again!
Ted