# Prewar fender bomb



## rockpile (Dec 10, 2019)

Does anyone know how to tell the difference between an original and a repro fender bomb ornament?


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## bricycle (Dec 10, 2019)

yea, about $600.00


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## bricycle (Dec 10, 2019)

something about the underside of the bases, and the vasilene glass reflects different I believe.


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## Freqman1 (Dec 10, 2019)

Is it hollow? These have been reproduced more than a few times to varying degrees of accuracy. There are also more than one variety of the original so your best bet is to post it up and let us have a look. V/r Shawn


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## bobcycles (Dec 10, 2019)

the last version made was nearly impossible to tell (great right?  soooo many people I know got burned
on these stupid things)
One sure thing is patina...and the originals were hollow in the body..
remove the base...shine a flash light in the hole on the body the base mounts to.

These days it's almost better to buy these from a Non bike collector who just "found"
the ornament at an estate sale, antique store etc.

There's a whole lotta "shruggin" going on with sellers moving these along..."I dunno!"  
lame buyer beware scenarios.

Like little land mines dropped in our hobby to blow up in peoples faces...love it.

NOT!


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## rockpile (Dec 10, 2019)

bobcycles said:


> the last version made was nearly impossible to tell (great right?  soooo many people I know got burned
> on these stupid things)
> One sure thing is patina...and the originals were hollow in the body..
> remove the base...shine a flash light in the hole on the body the base mounts to.
> ...



Thanks Bobcycles. I’ll do more research on it. By the way i’m Bicyclespook


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## rockpile (Dec 10, 2019)

Freqman1 said:


> Is it hollow? These have been reproduced more than a few times to varying degrees of accuracy. There are also more than one variety of the original so your best bet is to post it up and let us have a look. V/r Shawn



Thanks for the information.


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## Cooper S. (Dec 10, 2019)

Just pay repop price and if it’s real you just made them more accessible by bringing the prices down


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## sarmisluters (Dec 10, 2019)

So the originals are hollow, that means these will be lighter in weight than a solid repop “witch” bomb. 
Therefore someone COULD weigh an original and a repop and get an idea of the weight differences for comparison ?

Nah, it’ll never happen


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## Cooper S. (Dec 10, 2019)

sarmisluters said:


> So the originals are hollow, that means these will be lighter in weight than a solid repop “witch” bomb.
> Therefore someone COULD weigh an original and a repop and get an idea of the weight differences for comparison ?
> 
> Nah, it’ll never happen
> ...



I’ve got an original that I need to pull off to rewire, maybe if I don’t forget before I go back home I’ll weigh it


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## bobcycles (Dec 10, 2019)

sarmisluters said:


> So the originals are hollow, that means these will be lighter in weight than a solid repop “witch” bomb.
> Therefore someone COULD weigh an original and a repop and get an idea of the weight differences for comparison ?
> 
> Nah, it’ll never happen
> ...




Super easy to just drill through the body when the repos were made before the reflector install to make em' hollow..
who knows....that could have been done too.
: (
Even the Patina isn't a sure bet....I've seen these things distressed pretty believable.

oh the slippery slope of collecting this stuff...


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## sarmisluters (Dec 10, 2019)

With these portable iphone attachment bore scopes, anyone could inspect the cavity of an original and compare it to a “super easy” drilled out repop cavity. 
You CAN see how the hollow cavity profile of an original bomb in this BLUEPRINT of a Fender Bomb was part of the casting process and NOT a drilled out “super easy” profile. 

So yeah, a “super easy” drilled out repop will never be as light as an original as you can see a perfect taper and wall thickness that would not be duplicated by a “super easy” drill bit.


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## rockpile (Dec 10, 2019)

bobcycles said:


> the last version made was nearly impossible to tell (great right?  soooo many people I know got burned
> on these stupid things)
> One sure thing is patina...and the originals were hollow in the body..
> remove the base...shine a flash light in the hole on the body the base mounts to.
> ...


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## rockpile (Dec 10, 2019)

Still studying this thing


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## rockpile (Dec 10, 2019)

bobcycles said:


> the last version made was nearly impossible to tell (great right?  soooo many people I know got burned
> on these stupid things)
> One sure thing is patina...and the originals were hollow in the body..
> remove the base...shine a flash light in the hole on the body the base mounts to.
> ...


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## bobcycles (Dec 10, 2019)

remove the base.....shiny a light maybe with magnifying glass assist in the hole....see 
if you can determine the cavity...

just checked with a basic flashlight...  pretty easy to see the cavity...


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## bobcycles (Dec 10, 2019)

pretty sure your body at least is a repop....tail detail looks funky plus the hole flaws in the body
and super smooth.


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## jacob9795 (Dec 10, 2019)

Is the script supposed to be that deep? I remember mine being lightly etched
When they made the mold for the originals, how did they slip it off once the metal cooled if it has that lip for the mounting screw?
If you know the mass of an original, a new one can have mass removed to have equal weights. The shape and the density is something else that should be considered.


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## jacob9795 (Dec 10, 2019)

Well, the density should be the same. Unless there’s a significant change to the composition of the alloy. What are these made out of?


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## detroitbike (Dec 10, 2019)

The 'pock' marks on all the repops are in the same place!

BTW it was #3


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## Cooper S. (Dec 11, 2019)

detroitbike said:


> The 'pock' marks on all the repops are in the same place!
> 
> BTW it was #3
> 
> ...



Why you hoarding all of them smh at least put some on some bikes


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## John G04 (Dec 11, 2019)

detroitbike said:


> The 'pock' marks on all the repops are in the same place!
> 
> BTW it was #3
> 
> ...




Care to share lol?! Great collection!


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## detroitbike (Dec 12, 2019)

I noticed the color was off on the repo (right one) also...


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## then8j (Dec 12, 2019)

How do they light up?


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## Freqman1 (Dec 13, 2019)

then8j said:


> How do they light up?




That's the reflection from light--they are not internally lit. V/r Shawn


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## bikejunk (Dec 13, 2019)

The originals are radioactive and light up by themselves


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## cyclonecoaster.com (Dec 13, 2019)

*Detroitbike .....That display IS the bomb .... just sayin *


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## Pedals Past (Dec 14, 2019)

I got a question for the general
purpose of the standing in the hobby.... first if you got an original bike missing the bomb doesnt it qualify under your microscope as not original anymore if you add the bomb original one or repop? then if your restoring a bike your already in it more than your going to get for it after the experts pick it apart so tell me exactly what is the differance as long as it was done correctly? You are actually just building the bike to look at ride or just say in your mind I got one. so the next time you jump in bed or even look at with pleasure with that wife gf or whatever is your thing includingbthe chic in front of you at the grocery store you see that nite while using ypur patined original and its had botox a set of upgrade rebuilts but your bitchng because someone made that rare bike part so our egos can compete with our hypocritical fantasy standards make all this pretty petty? 

I dont know about u but i have had the pleasure of a fox with one side bigger than the other and she had em done by the Hollywood boob repop king. Now the reflection and holly body etc I can live with on my autocycle deluxe ...... you get alot closer to that balloon than that reflector! 

Better yet i bought a 2007 Honda civic with 48k miles on it advertised as all original low miles ...... after I got it home i saw it had cosco tires on it...... I am going back today and putting flyers in all the sellers neighbors mailboxes letting them know they live by a crook!


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## Pedals Past (Dec 14, 2019)

I wore out more thsn three sets of tires too..... no wonder i jumped ship swam to shore and got back on this hobby ship just to prove to myself i really didnt miss much more than looking at all the rare bikes i been accused of making ...... originals again! 

She was only original once the day before she went for the first ride ....... after 3 pm or 13 years old these days there isnt anything fresh or original.....


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## cyclingday (Dec 14, 2019)




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## aasmitty757 (Dec 14, 2019)

@rockpile Yours is a repop. The "pock marks" are only the same on the repops that were made from each version of repop, so there are different ones. I'm sure someone could drill the center of a repop to try and replicate an original but I have not seen one yet.
There was a run of originals made out of steel and or pot metal also. They are sort of textured and chromed.


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## Pedals Past (Dec 14, 2019)

I never looked directly at the reflector but i sold it for the same money i paid but both tires were the same size ........


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## cyclingday (Dec 14, 2019)

aasmitty757 said:


> @rockpile
> There was a run of originals made out of steel and or pot metal also. They are sort of textured and chromed.




This is one of the steel/pot metal ones.











The script on this type, is so ugly, that I don’t think anyone in their right mind would ever reproduce it.
So, if you’ve got the steel one, you’ve got the real one.


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## sarmisluters (Jan 20, 2020)

cyclingday said:


> This is one of the steel/pot metal ones.View attachment 1110180
> View attachment 1110181
> View attachment 1110182
> View attachment 1110183
> ...




The Steelies are the best !
Many people have no idea they exist !

Marty ! Let me know how much you want for the ugly bomb [emoji378] !


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## bobcycles (Jan 20, 2020)

Steeley Dan was the best too! Until about 81' when Fagen and Baxter bailed for the most part only making occasional appearances.

Steel bombs are also the best!


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