# prewar american flyer find  { nice one }



## hotrod62 (Jan 8, 2012)

just bought another bike not seeing any numbers on bb it does have a morrow rear hub numbers are j4  if i'm right that makes it a 1940 so maybe the bike sold in 1941 not sure how to date it other than it looks to me like an old schwinn  
once i do a good cleaning and add some correct parts back on this bike it will be a nice one to add to my collection it came from a estate sale in louisville ky if any one has some info they could add on this nice old american flyer it would be appreciated thanks....... 








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## hotrod62 (Jan 8, 2012)




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## Adamtinkerer (Jan 8, 2012)

Wow, awesome find! Looks original besides the grips & tires. Schwinn built for sure!


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## Flat Tire (Jan 8, 2012)

Thats a nice one! Love that paint scheme on the frame. Cool that it came from the Louisville area and has the Louisville badge. I know of 3 Schwinns with the same badge that were found last year around the same area, makes ya wonder how many more there are in those hills!


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## ohdeebee (Jan 8, 2012)

If the paint on the fender braces is original it would make the bike a '41. The chainguard is also incorrect, but you've really got the vast majority of the bike. I'd swap out the tires and grips, clean it up and wait for a chainguard to come your way. Cool bike!


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## rustyspoke66 (Jan 8, 2012)

I think the date code is 39? A=30, B=31.......so J=39 and 4 is fourth quarter so late 39 for the rear hub. The next thing to check is to remove the cranks and see if they are date coded. I'm going to guess AS-39 or 40 will be embossed in the center of the crank. Can't wait to see what you find because I am just guessing.


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## hotrod62 (Jan 8, 2012)

thanks for the info on the bike when i go to tear it down for the clean up i'll check the crank and post what i find. i was always under the impression that most of the early bicycles did not come standard with a chain guard that was an option on some bicycles  so i thought any time period after market gaurd would have been right for the bike. what do you think should have been on it.  a schwinn guard if so what style ?????


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## Rust_Trader (Jan 8, 2012)

*Chainguard*

Here's a link of a prewar schwinn I was bidding On ebay, one of the photos show a chainguard similar to yours.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/330663090017?ssPageName=STRK:MEBDIX:IT#ht_796wt_922


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## Dave K (Jan 8, 2012)

If it is a 1940 it would have had a feather 1941 would normally have a deluxe guard but with the thin fenders (they don't look like the big deluxe fenders to me) it might have had a feather even if it is a 1941.   The picture shows a chrome feather but that might have had one in paint  

Really really cool bike and it is in wonderful shape


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## Dave K (Jan 8, 2012)

Can you post more pictures of the bike when you have a chance.  I can tell if it is just the photos or if there is something unusual about the fork


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## bobcycles (Jan 8, 2012)

*1941 bike*

Nice find!  I've seen similar bicycles in 40 and 41 that were Straightbar bikes but "non Catalog" bikes.  In otherwords, hard ID as a particular model.  And not all are Vendor bikes (Louisville, Chicyco, Columbus etc).  Saw an original Henderson badged bike that had the same equipment.  Left over C-model or 39/40 DX profile narrow fenders...Torpedo light and six hole rack.  Oddities for sure!  Sort of like Prewar "Hornets" ...Yours looks very clean!  Love that generic guard!  Could be how it was offered!  Nice score.


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## bobcycles (Jan 8, 2012)

*straight bar*

Ebay bike is a 40 DX and has the correct 1939 and 1940 style guard.  Different animal than the Louie.  Louie guard is aftermarket possibly Wald.  Could have even been sold with that guard, you never know.  Louieville cycle was a big distributor of many brands besides Schwinn.  You never know what might have got cobbled together there in in Kentucky!


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## hotrod62 (Jan 9, 2012)

i agree it's hard to belive that the owner had taken such good care of the bike all these years would have changed lost or replaced the guard i think  the bike  was probably sold with that guard and it stayed with the bike....


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## hotrod62 (Jan 15, 2012)

added a few correct parts and done a clean up the fender braces were painted original and after pulling the crank E 41  AS &CO  so looks i have a 1941 model  just removed the chain guard  for now have one comming from M L   going with the feather style guard thanks for all the help..........


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## brownster69 (Jan 15, 2012)

*clean up*

looks great much better with black tires


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## Dave K (Jan 15, 2012)

Cleaned up SO NICE!!!!  That bike is great.  Thanks for posting


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## derek4727 (Jan 16, 2012)

Man! that's a beauty!!!


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