# Prewar Rollfast



## Jay81 (Mar 30, 2018)

Stopped by my local bike shop after work to grab a bike box and a couple wheel boxes.
Almost $#!t myself when I walked in and saw this beautiful bike.

I wasn't by any means planning on buying a bike today and don't really have the money for it right now, so I did what any normal bike nut would do, and handed over my credit card. There was no way I was leaving there without it.
Normally I'm drawn to the prewar tank bikes but I immediately fell in love with this bike and honestly it don't even need a tank (although that would have been an added bonus) and I don't think it ever had one.

Right away I noticed the aluminum delta front loader. Then the clipper speedo. While I was drooling over that stuff, the owner pointed out the aluminum truss rods.
At first I thought the fenders might be aluminum too, but they could be stainless. Definitely not chromed steel.

Look at that nice rack. Then there's a 1938 Detroit bike license hiding under the rack. It just happens to match the colors of the bike.

It's missing the taillight but the bracket it mounts to is there. Missing the drop stand but it's been replaced with a Miller stand.

It gets better. While I was looking at the bike, the owner mentioned he offered it to another collector earlier for $300 less than what it was marked at. I said if you'll sell it for (that amount) I'll take it.

There's more, it has a story behind it. I was commenting on the amazing original paint, and he told me the guy that brought it in was related to the original owner.
The original owner was a young man that had gotten it new in 1938, and a few years later went off to war. He never came home. The bike was then stashed away in the attic all these years.

My plans are to replace the incorrect grips, find a tail light and drop stand and replace the modern whitewalls that the shop owner installed. It will be getting a set of chain treads, when I figure out what color. I have a set of the whitewalls I could use, although the blue and cream would look great. Also considering red and cream tires, to make the bike red, white and blue, as a tribute to the young man that lost his life fighting for our country. Definitely needs a flag holder.
There's a few areas that have small spots of green paint that dripped onto the bike on the rack, rear fender and rear wheel. Going to carefully try to clean it off. 
Other than that, just going to clean up the chrome and service the hubs and bearings. 

If anyone can help confirm the year that would be great. Believe it to be a 1938.
If you happen to have any literature showing this bike in this configuration, please post it.


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## Jay81 (Mar 30, 2018)

Serial looks like F8 2856 with 4 below it. 
Looks like there's some small letters or numbers in the space between the first 8 and the 2 but I can't make them out.


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## fordmike65 (Mar 30, 2018)

Home Run!!! Congrats on a great find!!


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## Jay81 (Mar 30, 2018)

fordmike65 said:


> Home Run!!! Congrats on a great find!!




Thank you. I was like a kid in a candy store when I saw it.


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## Dan the bike man (Mar 30, 2018)

Nice rack!!!


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## JimRoy (Mar 30, 2018)

Nice everything. Love it!


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## bikiba (Mar 30, 2018)

any more pix? 

great bike congrats!


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## Krakatoa (Mar 31, 2018)

fordmike65 said:


> Home Run!!! Congrats on a great find!!




Home run is right! Great og paint and sweet high spec equipment... Literally everywhere you look!

Congrats!


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## catfish (Mar 31, 2018)

That is a great find!


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## Jay81 (Mar 31, 2018)

bikiba said:


> any more pix?
> 
> great bike congrats!




There will definitely be more pics after I take care of the things mentioned above, and get a nice sunny day.


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## Jay81 (Apr 29, 2018)

Added a set of John's chain treads with the cream sidewalls and a set of coke bottles from rideahiggins. Using a delta defender I found at Memory Lane as a placeholder for the elusive mouse light. Finished putting it back together today and rode it around the block.


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## Roadkill (Apr 29, 2018)

Beautiful bike, and a great story too. Congrats.
Ride on
Sean


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## ADVHOG (Apr 30, 2018)

Wow! Amazing find! I Wish my shop had stuff like that!


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## Santee (Aug 21, 2018)

What a treasure you found. I am putting together a 1941 Rollfast. Piece by Piece..


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## Beek (Aug 21, 2018)

Thanks for sharing your find. Great story as well. I'd like to think that Soldier is smiling.
 Good to know Im not the only one handing over the plastic to feed my addiction!


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## Kickstand3 (Aug 21, 2018)

Jay81 said:


> Stopped by my local bike shop after work to grab a bike box and a couple wheel boxes.
> Almost $#!t myself when I walked in and saw this beautiful bike.
> 
> I wasn't by any means planning on buying a bike today and don't really have the money for it right now, so I did what any normal bike nut would do, and handed over my credit card. There was no way I was leaving there without it.
> ...




Beautiful Bike 
Mine is not as nice as yours but same grips 




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## Jay81 (Sep 24, 2018)

So, as I posted in the Sunday Show n Tell, I managed to find an original paint tank for this bike. Needle in a haystack!!!

Something interesting, my favorite local bike shop, which is about 10 minutes away from home is where I found the bike.
Just over 5 and a half months later, I found the tank at a bike swap meet 20 minutes from home. 
The bike shop owner who I bought the bike from, was also set up at the same bike swap, a couple spaces over from the guy that had the tank. 
On top of that, it's a local bike that's been in the Detroit area all its life.
Coincidence? 
I think it was meant to be.

Today I polished it up a bit and put it on the bike. It's the icing on the cake!

It's raining, so these cramped basement pics will have to do until I get a chance to get it outside.


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## Robertriley (Sep 24, 2018)

That was the perfect pick up.  Congrats!


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## Robertriley (Sep 24, 2018)

Now you need this


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## fordmike65 (Sep 24, 2018)

Jay81 said:


> So, as I posted in the Sunday Show n Tell, I managed to find an original paint tank for this bike. Needle in a haystack!!!
> 
> Something interesting, my favorite local bike shop, which is about 10 minutes away from home is where I found the bike.
> Just over 5 and a half months later, I found the tank at a bike swap meet 20 minutes from home.
> ...


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## Adamtinkerer (Sep 28, 2018)

No known Snyder serial info before mid 1940, but I think that frame style came out in '37. 'F8' could mean '38, especially with that license plate.


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