# Hiawatha Silver Jet



## Evans200

Just purchased this middleweight, and it's on the way. I'm seeking any information other collectors may have on this model, mostly the year. I know the Hiawatha was sold by Gamble's Department Stores. A thorough google search turned up next to nothing. If anybody has some 1960's Gamble's catalogs to look through, I'd be very grateful. All my bikes have license plates, so determining the year of this oddball is important to me. I bought a 64 chrome plated Sears Spaceliner Deluxe a couple months ago, and so this chrome plated Silver Jet will look good next to it, and on rides. There can't be too many of these floating around, and I appreciate any thoughts and opinions from others!


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## jason morton

Nice!!!!


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## Big Moe

There is one of those rack's on eBay right now. Very cool looking rack. Nice bike too. Have fun with it.


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## Dave Stromberger

That is bad-ass!


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## partsguy

BEAUTIFUL!!!


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## partsguy

One of these action figures would look badass next to it! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Disney-Toy-...265116?hash=item567d3be69c:g:wWQAAOSw14xWJmqF


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## Evans200

partsguy said:


> One of these action figures would look badass next to it! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Disney-Toy-...265116?hash=item567d3be69c:g:wWQAAOSw14xWJmqF




I agree! Tons of chrome, sunglasses required!


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## partsguy

Evans200 said:


> I agree! Tons of chrome, sunglasses required!




AND the black trim on that action figure would definitely match your bike at a show!


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## HENRY FLYNRC@PEOPLEPC.COM

HEY HEY THIS IS HENRY FROM HENDERSON....I USED TO BUY MY SPORTING EQUIPMENT FROM A GAMBLES IN VILLA PARK ILL. BACK IN THE 50'S...THEY CARRIED A FEW BIKES THEN BUT NOTHING LIKE THIS ONE OF YOURS...THE PROBLEM THEN AND NOW IS TO KNOW WHO ACTUALY MANUFACTURED THE BIKE...I HAVE A NICE CRUISER WITH THE HIAWATHA EMBLEM ON THE FRONT OF A TRAIN FROM BACK IN THE DAY...FROM THE 1930'S TILL THE 60'S SOME BIKES WERE MADE BY   CHICAGO WELDING, SHELBY,MURRAY,HUFFMAN,  AND CLEVELAND WELDING.....GOOD LUCK AND LET THE WORLD KNOW WHICH  IS WHICH...


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## Evans200

Hi Henry. This bike came from Minnesota, which is also the state where Gambles was headquartered. It has a Gambles decal on the  seat tube, along with a model number starting with WG6. The serial number on the left dropout starts with "N". But I haven't been able to I.D. the manufacturer. Leon Dixon of the NBHAA says it's a 1962-63 top of the line Hiawatha. I haven't opted yet for his _* Official NBHAA Detailed Report yet, but probably will as a last resort.*_


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## jmastuff

WOW!


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## Kato

Holy Toledo !!!!     Great looking bike


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## stoney

Great bike. Late 50's early 60's is my favorite era in almost anything.


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## Evans200

stoney said:


> Great bike. Late 50's early 60's is my favorite era in almost anything.



Same here! My bikes range from 51-64. I like prewar as well but most are out of my price range. Owned many 50's and 60's cars as well over the years, at least 40 of them, when they were cheap!


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## partsguy

Evans200 said:


> Same here! My bikes range from 51-64. I like prewar as well but most are out of my price range. Owned many 50's and 60's cars as well over the years, at least 40 of them, when they were cheap!




I love the style also! I have a rare, one-year only style 1963 Huffy Silver Jet being re-chromed as I type. Full ground up restoration and nothing less. Chrome, with gold tank, chain guard, and rack. The painted parts have black and white graphics. The tail light lens resembles a late 50's Dodge or Desoto, or maybe a 1958-65 Impala. It has 3 red bullets on the lens.

The grips are white, seat is also white w/ silver seam and chrome crash rail. The rack has chrome wire fins like a '59 Cadillac or a '58 Plymouth. The tank has chrome metal graphics with the Huffman "H" stamped in them. The bike is equipped with chrome dual tank-lights and a chrome springer front rack.


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## Evans200

partsguy said:


> I love the style also! I have a rare, one-year only style 1963 Huffy Silver Jet being re-chromed as I type. Full ground up restoration and nothing less. Chrome, with gold tank, chain guard, and rack. The painted parts have black and white graphics. The tail light lens resembles a late 50's Dodge or Desoto, or maybe a 1958-65 Impala. It has 3 red bullets on the lens.
> 
> The grips are white, seat is also white w/ silver seam and chrome crash rail. The rack has chrome wire fins like a '59 Cadillac or a '58 Plymouth. The tank has chrome metal graphics with the Huffman "H" stamped in them. The bike is equipped with chrome dual tank-lights and a chrome springer front rack.



WOW! I'd love to see pics of it when you're finished. I'm sure I've never seen one before.


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## partsguy

Evans200 said:


> WOW! I'd love to see pics of it when you're finished. I'm sure I've never seen one before.




1963 was the only year that the Silver Jet came in those colors, with that rack/chaunguard/sprocket combo. A very rare combination. I've seen one other. Both that one and mine are women's bikes. No men's bikes have surfaced.

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## Evans200

Can you post a pic of one?


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## partsguy

Evans200 said:


> Can you post a pic of one?




I'll do better. I'll post a pic of my wreck, before I took it apart, and I'll scan the dealer catalog's photo of what it looked like when new. The sad part is, it sat for over 5 years before I got off my butt and decided to finally restore it. Money was an issue before, as it had to be completely re-chromed. It was peeling it was so bad.

I am restoring the hardware and front fender today.


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## Evans200

Chrome and moisture aren't the best of friends!


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## partsguy

Here's the wrecked, cobbled together bike. I got it for free about May, 2011 I think. It was missing the tank, but had the trim panel on it still from the original tank. I found a tank from a Galaxie, swapped out the mangled fork for a bent (but usable) one and swapped out the busted front rack and I rode it down the street.

It looked like the scene from Christine, when Arnie Cunningham drives his newly acquired, but dilapidated, 1958 Plymouth home.


















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## partsguy

The pedals are on another bike at the moment. The old girl will get her slippers back eventually. 






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## Evans200

Cool, can't wait to see the finished bike. You are to be commended for going all out on a girls middleweight. I'm glad you are. Someday, as balloon bike prices get higher and higher, these middleweights will get more air time and more money. Congrats!


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## partsguy

Evans200 said:


> Cool, can't wait to see the finished bike. You are to be commended for going all out on a girls middleweight. I'm glad you are. Someday, as balloon bike prices get higher and higher, these middleweights will get more air time and more money. Congrats!



Thank you. For me, it's a piece of local history, it's a rare and unique model, and I'll be the only one who has one. The bike is worth perhaps $200- $300 fully restored and I have twice that in the chrome work alone easily. I did the restoration for every reason EXCEPT to make money.

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## Evans200

That's the true spirit of the hobby.


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## rhenning

I am trying to figure out why the fork was replaced with a bent fork?  Roger


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## partsguy

rhenning said:


> I am trying to figure out why the fork was replaced with a bent fork?  Roger



It was more usable than the fork that was on it, it was the only other fork I had at the time, and I wanted to ride the bike just once.


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## partsguy

Evans200 said:


> Cool, can't wait to see the finished bike. You are to be commended for going all out on a girls middleweight. I'm glad you are. Someday, as balloon bike prices get higher and higher, these middleweights will get more air time and more money. Congrats!







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## Evans200

[QUOTE="partsguy, post: 647487, member: 2508" NICE! Who says the chrome won't get you home? LOL



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## Evans200

[QUOTE="partsguy, post: 647487, member: 2508" NICE! Who says the chrome won't get you home? LOL



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## partsguy

Evans200 said:


> NICE! Who says the chrome won't get you home? LOL
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk



[/QUOTE]

Thanks! I've began cleaning the other parts. The rear fender is being replaced, I'm on the hunt for a NICE one. It was used from 1962-1971, or thereabouts. Any Huffy middleweight with a rack from those years had it.


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## Scribble

That silver Jet is mint !!


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## bicyclebuff

Great looking bike,I love middle weights,do you have any idea where i could find a bike like that?


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## partsguy

bicyclebuff said:


> Great looking bike,I love middle weights,do you have any idea where i could find a bike like that?




The owner of the Hiawatha Silver Jet has since passed away. It may be for sale somewhere. If you want a Hiawatha Silver Jet, you need to be vigilant and check eBay, yard sales, swap meets and shows. Hiawatha bicycles are pretty obscure, but affordable. You will need a lot of patience.


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