# ~~ Call for Photos & Catalog Scans '37 - '41 Huffman Balloners for Western Flyer! ~~



## Krakatoa (Jan 20, 2018)

Okay so this is an interesting but obscure request. I'm looking to gather in one spot pictures of Western Flyer men's ballon tire tank bikes from the period of 1937 to 1941. Some but not many WF badged Huffman made bikes from 1940 and 1941 have been found with the second version "Zephyr" tank and five gill "windowshade tank". Available period scans of catalog ad material from this period show a preponderance of Shelby and CWC products. Those bikes are not what this this thread is aiming to discuss. The primary aim of this thread is to determine if there were also bikes produced during the period of 1937-1939 that used the first version tank and what the paint scheme and equipment was. So what I am hoping is someone has either an original WF badged original paint bike with early version tank '37-39, or someone has a Western Auto catalog '37-'39, that shows a Huffman Built bike of at this point hypothetical type. Here are some of the few pics I currently have found here on the Cabe to illustrate the question.

Here is 1940 model with the second version tank (metal tank bumps hold tank not brackets like the 1st version).






Additionally while not the main focus of this thread, please feel free to post images/ad copy of the windowshade tank bikes as they don't get the attention they deserve.

Here is a 1941 bike with "windowshade" tank @oldfart36 had a while back...


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## fordmike65 (Jan 20, 2018)

1940 Western Auto ad


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## Krakatoa (Jan 20, 2018)

Nice! Right there in the front of the line, interesting equipment, color scheme and no chainguard...

Okay folks lets see some more of the years!


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## fordmike65 (Jan 20, 2018)

Gotta give credit to the Great @Dave Stromberger and his amazing wealth of knowledge. His page is always my first stop when looking for any bike related info. The Cabe is a close second

http://www.nostalgic.net/bicycle291


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## Freqman1 (Jan 20, 2018)

Keep in mind the '40 Zephyr tank looks the same but is different than the '37-9 tanks. Notice the 'bumps' on top to hold the tank. The earlier ones use the straps. V/r Shawn


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## Krakatoa (Jan 20, 2018)

Scott this is the tank I am asking about.


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## Freqman1 (Jan 20, 2018)

Krakatoa said:


> Is this a Zephyr tank? And what years was it on? Do you have a pic of the '37-'39 tank attachment? Are these the only differences between the tanks?
> 
> View attachment 740633



This is a ‘37-9 tank. The restored bike has a ‘40 tank. V/r Shawn


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## Krakatoa (Jan 20, 2018)

I see they are like small sheetmetal bumps. The cost cutters must have been psyched when some engineer figured that one out! i'd rather have the straps...

The '40 catalog scan @fordmike posted is not sharp enough for me to tell which tank attaching method is used.

Is that a '40 only tank or did the model continue in '41? Any other differences in the two tanks you know of other than this?


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## Freqman1 (Jan 20, 2018)

Krakatoa said:


> I see they are like small sheetmetal bumps. The cost cutters must have been psyched when some engineer figured that one out! i'd rather have the straps...
> 
> The '40 catalog scan @fordmike posted is not sharp enough for me to tell which tank attaching method is used.
> 
> Is that a '40 only tank or did the model continue in '41? Any other differences in the two tanks you know of other than this?




'40 only for the bump Zephyr. The other tanks Huffman used in '40-'41 were the 'window shade' '40-'41, big lit tank '40, big tank unlit '40-'41. V/r Shawn


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## Krakatoa (Jan 20, 2018)

Thanks so much Shawn awesome info!

Okay so we are looking for '37, '38, or '39 Western Auto catalog ad scans showing any WF badged Huffman tank bikes or photos of original paint bikes!


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## cds2323 (Jan 20, 2018)

Here's a 1941 Western Auto catalog page. Shows a long tank that doesn't appear to be a 5-gill window shade version.





I have this complete page and more in an album of pre war Western Auto catalogs. Including 37-39, but don't see the long tank Huffmans in those.https://thecabe.com/forum/media/albums/prewar-western-auto-catalog-pages.1558/


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## Freqman1 (Jan 20, 2018)

cds2323 said:


> Here's a 1941 Western Auto catalog page. Shows a long tank that doesn't appear to be a 5-gill window shade version.View attachment 740672
> 
> 
> I have this complete page and more in an album of pre war Western Auto catalogs. Including 37-39, but don't see the long tank Huffmans in those.https://thecabe.com/forum/media/albums/prewar-western-auto-catalog-pages.1558/



Looks like some of the '40 tanks may have been carried into '41 for non-Huffman brands. The thing I always wonder about these illustrations is if they were taken from a actual photo or artists renditions? V/r Shawn


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## sam (Jan 20, 2018)

On Daves site under catalogs you'll find a 37 National catalog (Huffman brand)---you gotta read all the fine print but they offered a reverse paint---black head and red body.


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## Krakatoa (Jan 20, 2018)

Thanks so much for the contributions @cds2323. Agree with you Shawn about the carryover. I believe the af cuts are artist's renditions from a photograph. Looking at the tank it cannot be surmised how it's held in but the small "bumps" of the '40 Zephyr tank carryover may have been lost in the artist's translation.

@sam thanks going to go look at the National catalog... Super interesting bike model with a great color scheme and equipment. But the topic here is trying to establish or disprove that Western Flyer offered a Huffman made tank bike in the period btw '37-'39 and using the early style attachment gill tank..


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## sam (Jan 20, 2018)

Krakatoa said:


> Thanks so much for the contributions @cds2323. Agree with you Shawn about the carryover. I believe the af cuts are artist's renditions from a photograph. Looking at the tank it cannot be surmised how it's held in but the small "bumps" of the '40 Zephyr tank carryover may have been lost in the artist's translation.
> 
> @sam thanks going to go look at the National catalog... Super interesting bike model with a great color scheme and equipment. But the topic here is trying to establish or disprove that Western Flyer offered a Huffman made tank bike in the period btw '37-'39 and using the early style attachment gill tank..



Talk to the military bike guys---I'm told some Huffman military bikes had tanks and were painted green over their original paint


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## Krakatoa (Jan 20, 2018)

sam said:


> Talk to the military bike guys---I'm told some Huffman military bikes had tanks and were painted green over their original paint




Sam thanks for your input, however the topic here is specifically tank bikes possibly made by Huffman for Western Flyer during the period of '37-'39.

Btw here is an ongoing project of mine...

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/1943-huffman-dayton-military-bike-found.108382/


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## stezell (Jan 24, 2018)

Here's my 40 Huffman built WF badged bicycle original paint underneath house paint on tank and frame, creme and dark red. I'll get to it before to long, cool post Nate. 
Thanks, Sean


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## All bikes (Feb 25, 2018)

I see you've narrowed down your post, I think this is a 41 figured I'd post it anyway....just picked it up an HOUR ago. I went to look at another bike and he had this, it's what I left with. 








Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Krakatoa (Nov 17, 2018)

Just came across a recent post, the very latest....Thanks to @Pedals Past for posting~

The green bike.

Yes it is a streamline frame but the era Western Flyer paint and graphics are of interest. "Restored" and I'm wondering what it was based on.

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/huffman-super-streamlines.22538/page-9#post-954435


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## bluetoronado (Jun 16, 2020)

I know it’s an old topic, but I recently picked up a 1940 WF badged Huffman. The forks are stamped 240 and the tank uses straps to secure it to the frame. Serial # is 18233 with a 3 below, and HAW to the right of the numbers.


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## Krakatoa (Jun 16, 2020)

bluetoronado said:


> I know it’s an old topic, but I recently picked up a 1940 WF badged Huffman. The forks are stamped 240 and the tank uses straps to secure it to the frame. Serial # is 18233 with a 3 below, and HAW to the right of the numbers.View attachment 1212577




Nice find! Please add more pictures here. Did you also post on fb recently think I saw it there too?


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## Kickstand3 (Jun 17, 2020)

Here’s one I’m working on


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## Kickstand3 (Jun 17, 2020)

..


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## bluetoronado (Jun 17, 2020)

here are some more pictures, i added the double drop rims as they match the finish of the bike better than the non original single drops that came with it. Sadly, there is little original paint as the former owner intended to do a full repaint, it is quite a shame as i have seen pictures of this bike covered in red house paint from a few years ago that showed great promise of bringing back considerably more OG paint, oh well, it is what it is...


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