# Need info on huffman/dayton



## sprocket man (Mar 24, 2014)

I purchased a bike at a local car parts meet that seemed to be a sleeper.
It was  Huffman/Dayton with the wrong fenders,chain guard, seat, handle-
bars,front fork (monark), and mis-matched wheels.  Now everything on
this bike was painted a dull black, even the badge.  People were passing 
this up as the guy sold several other bikes.  After a closer look at the
badge I could tell that it was a "bottle cap" with narry a screw in sight. 
The price was extremely right .
I know that the 39 Huffman had the single bend in the downtube  but
was that frame used in 38 also ?  And what was the last year for the
bottle cap badge. The badge had no damage and cleaned up great.
I'd appreciate any help that I can get.
Thanks


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## Oldnut (Mar 24, 2014)

Wow dropstand early bend,bottle cap badge phew  I thought was the last year they used that was 34-35


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## Freqman1 (Mar 24, 2014)

I have a '37 with a bottle cap Dayton badge and think these may have been used as late as '39. Let's see what the owner of the Huffman Southern California Rescue Mission has to say! V/r Shawn


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## John (Mar 24, 2014)

I have a 1940 with one.


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## hoofhearted (Mar 24, 2014)

*sprocket man ... there is another collector in Brookville, OH ... his name is Tom ... he collects the same-era stuff you do.

If anyone would know ... he might.*

..........  patric


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## sprocket man (Mar 24, 2014)

Patric---I are he !!!!


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## Flat Tire (Mar 24, 2014)

sprocket man said:


> Patric---I are he !!!!




Ha Ha!  I thought that background looked familiar! When are you comin down to the sticks of Blanchester??


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## hoofhearted (Mar 24, 2014)

TOM ... thought that may be you ... got an message from Oldnut in Dayton (Ron) .. said _rocket man_ is you .....

I have seen that thicker Dayton badge on Huffman's as late as 1940.  Believe the acid-etch variety came along in 
very-late 1940 or in 1941.  Acid-etch variety has nothing within top feather ... all info starts at the middle feather ... 
just like that stamped specimen you show in this thread.

The acid-etch variety .. as described .. was used on the '41 Huffman military bikes as well as the entire Dayton line .. 
most likely after the thicker Dayton badge stockpile was used up.  Very often .. one of the acid-etch Dayton badges .. 
as described .. will show up on a 1946 (and later) machine.

Hopefully see you at MLC .. Tom .......

...... patric


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## Freqman1 (Mar 24, 2014)

Hey Tom,
    The downtube on my '38 TF is similar to that one. Just curious what the serial # would be on yours. Also regarding the badges the later etched badges had different lettering on the sides. I have one on a girls '41 that I need to take a look at tonight and see if it is different than my '37 badge. V/r Shawn


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## 37fleetwood (Mar 24, 2014)

Hey,
I'm not the possessor of any rare or new information, but I've had a few of these. I've had bikes as new as 1939 with "bottle Cap" badges, and bikes as early as 1936 with screws. a more recent discovery has been several frames with both.
to the best of my ability to puzzle it out, much to Paul G's consternation those rear drop outs are used from 1938-1939. the curved downtube started in 1938 as can be demonstrated by the one surviving Death Bike example. probably the one indicator that may give you an idea what you are dealing with is the seat tube binder height. don't aske me why, or how reliable this is, but it seems that in 1937 Huffman used a fairly tall seat tube with the binder around 2" above the top bar. in 1938 they're very short, then in 1939 they move to the spot they seem to maintain until after the war when they went to a more conventional clamp. hope this helps you figure it out.
here are a few photo examples.

here is one of the double drilled 1937 frames.








Here's a 1938 with the really short seat post binder setup.








Here is a 1939 with a bottle cap badge


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## sprocket man (Mar 24, 2014)

I really appreciate all of the responses that I received. I'm bending 
towards this frame being a 1938 which is one that I don't have.
The seat post binder is 1" above the top bar. The serial no. is 
107400 with a 1 underneath.  I don't know if anyone out there
is tracking serial numbers and could tell me more.
Tom


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## 37fleetwood (Mar 24, 2014)

this is from the Huffman Serial Project here:
http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?1162-Huffman-serial-number-project

*Here are the rudimentary findings so far:*


*8888 - 88888*
(4-5 numbers) appears to have been used from 1934 to 1936. (there may be   various curious letters or numbers around the serial which I have no   idea of the meaning)
*
88888
   8*
(5 numbers with 1 number below the other numbers) appears to be used from 1937 to 1938.

*H8888
    8*
(a letter followed by 4 numbers with 1 number below the other numbers) appears to have been used from 1937 to 1941.

*8888FAH*
(4 numbers followed by FAH was used in 1939 by Firestone only)
*8888FBH*
(4 numbers followed by FBH was used in 1940 by Firestone only)
*8888FCH*
(4 numbers followed by FCH was used in 1941 by Firestone only)

*H888888*
(1 letter followed by 6 numbers) appears to be used from 1939 to 1944.

*88888
   H*
(5 numbers followed by 1 or more letter, or with 1 or more letters   under, or around the numbers) appears to be used from 1941 to around   1944.

*888888H*
(6 numbers followed by 1 letter) appears to be used during and right after WWII, maybe 1944 to 1947.

*8H888888*
  (1number followed by 1 letter, followed by 6 numbers) will be a bike   made between 1947 and somewhere in the early to mid '60's


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## 37fleetwood (Mar 24, 2014)

I should probably explain, I used 8's to represent numbers in general, not that any numbers actually start with 8's or not... if that makes sense.


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## Freqman1 (Mar 24, 2014)

My original '38 TF has a serial # of 108762  with 2 underneath. If your fork is original to the bike look at the back of the fork crown to see what # is stamped on it. Mine is 11 8 for Nov '38. Your serial seems to be pretty close to mine so it may be a '38. Hope this helps. V/r Shawn


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## Oldnut (Mar 24, 2014)

Oldnut said:


> Wow dropstand early bend,bottle cap badge phew  I thought was the last year they used that was 34-35




Well I was educated on these and I love it thanks guys


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## Freqman1 (Mar 24, 2014)

*Dayton Badges*

The first badge is on my original '37 Motorbike (Model D4). This is a bottle cap badge. The badge on my '37 Super Streamline is a screw on badge of the same design. The second badge is on a girls frame presumably 1941. Notice the lettering on the sides is changed. Serial of girls bike which would fall in line with Scott's observations. V/r Shawn


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