# -Farm fresh-1940 Dayton lit-tank!



## Nickinator (May 20, 2014)

We got this bike out of a West Virginia barn from a 93 year old widow. She believes it's her husbands dad's bike and he took extremely good care of it, as I am on our way home from this 2200m round trip I am extremely happy and can't wait to see it cleaned up.
Will be posting more soon
Thanks,nick


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## fordmike65 (May 20, 2014)

Seriously Nick! That is gonna clean up NICE! Congrats!!!


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## Oldnut (May 20, 2014)

*Huffman*

A home run damn kids......


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## Freqman1 (May 20, 2014)

Again, congrats Nick. I'd be interested to know what the fork# and serial# are and if there is evidence of the weld on stand. V/r Shawn


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## dfa242 (May 20, 2014)

Very cool - good for you.  2200 miles - now that's quite the road trip.


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## catfish (May 20, 2014)

Very nice! Have a safe trip.


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## bikiba (May 20, 2014)

i thought it was 2200 meters... i wld crawl on my belly tht long for that bike


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## 55tbird (May 20, 2014)

*Nice!!*

Great find Nick!! I knew if you had a little patience you would find your big tank. Congrats!!  Mike


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## stoney (May 20, 2014)

Nice find. Looking forward to seeing the cleanup progress. Gotta feeling it will look pretty good. Congrats.


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## Nickinator (May 20, 2014)

Thanks for all the complements guys and Shawn it does look like at one point it had a welded on kickstand and the fork reads 4-40


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## slick (May 20, 2014)

Great find Nick. Hope you have some "in the barn" pictures. Im surprised that stayed under the radar and wasn't discovered sooner?


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## rollfaster (May 20, 2014)

*Great find!!!!!!!!!!!!*

Nick you have some damn good luck finding super rare and desirable bikes. Can't wait to see process pics on it. Rob.


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## Balloontyre (May 20, 2014)

*Very Nice, dig the lines on it*

Sleek looking bike, 
Give some strong thought to NOT cleaning anything on the surface of the bike, let it set in with you months or years, take it in for a while, you can always get to it and clean it. It's got a look you can't duplicate, Just sayin...


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## bikesnbuses (May 20, 2014)

>>>>NIIIIIIIIICCCCCEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek:  <<<<<


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (May 20, 2014)

Lucky mofo...I like it all dirty like that

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


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## cyclingday (May 20, 2014)

Outstanding, Nick!
It looks to be an interesting color combination.
Let us know more about it and how you found it, when you get a chance.
I guess the prewar pipeline never quite made it to West Virginia.


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## Nickinator (May 20, 2014)

I was surprised it was under the radar myself, here are those barn pictures you wanted (no photo shopping)








slick said:


> Great find Nick. Hope you have some "in the barn" pictures. Im surprised that stayed under the radar and wasn't discovered sooner?


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (May 20, 2014)

How does the inside of the tank look?

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## slick (May 20, 2014)

WOW!!!!!!!!! That right there is incredible.  Question...what's that rotating dolly thing next to it? Looks pretty neat. Btw, once again, great find. Ride it crusty. Just rebuild the hubs and BB and ride it like that. Better yet bring it to the Shelby Invasion July 6th. You and Scott can be the counter attack on Huffmans.


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (May 20, 2014)

slick said:


> WOW!!!!!!!!! That right there is incredible.  Question...what's that rotating dolly thing next to it? Looks pretty neat. Btw, once again, great find. Ride it crusty. Just rebuild the hubs and BB and ride it like that. Better yet bring it to the Shelby Invasion July 6th. You and Scott can be the counter attack on Huffmans.




Old timey jack ...?

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## bikewhorder (May 20, 2014)

Wow biggest find of the year so far,  So how did you find it?


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## bicycle larry (May 20, 2014)

*bicycles and more bicycles*

real nice bike nick glade to see you got this bike its supper nice .like to see the bike when you get it cleaned up .thanks for putting on the pictures .  from bicycle larry


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## John (May 20, 2014)

Very nice, looks like a great color too.
Is the seat red?


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## Nickinator (May 20, 2014)

Yes sir, you win a cookie! The seat is red.
As for the inside of the tank we are still on the road in PA so it will have to wait 
Nick.



John said:


> Very nice, looks like a great color too.
> Is the seat red?


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## scrubbinrims (May 20, 2014)

With the amount of time you put into the hobby Nick, you were going to come across a score of this caliber.
Some folks sit back and cut 12k bike checks, others roll up their sleeves and get down to uncovering these artifacts and chasing them down.
Congrats, you earned it!
West Virginia has not been very fruitful with prewar bicycles...in my nearly 6 years in the hobby and cultivating this state, I have picked up only three and just one I have kept, my '39 Hawthorne Comet.
It is sparsely populated and for the most part, has below the poverty line, and I cannot think single speed bicycles were all that functional in much of its topography.
I am pretty surprised you found this gem there, but the bicycle gods reward the effort that I don't have as much anymore raising my family.

Chris


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## Oldbikes (May 20, 2014)

Wow!  A truly great find!  Congrats.  It's all about persistence!  Looking forward to more pics when your safely home...


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## THEGOLDENGREEK (May 20, 2014)

Wow killer find nick...cant wait to see it all cleaned up and congrats on an awesome find for sure, it just goes to show you there are alot of bicycle still out there waiting for someone to find them and give them a second life!!


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## ivrjhnsn (May 20, 2014)

I too would most enjoy the story behind finding that incredible bike . Very nice !! . The story completes the find . ..Please tell us .


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## chitown (May 20, 2014)

Epic find. Looking forward to more details. Safe travels!


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## bentwoody66 (May 20, 2014)

All I can do is quote Annie on this one..... "sweet dreams are made of this"!!!!!

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## stoney (May 20, 2014)

I'm lovin' the color combo.


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## hoofhearted (May 20, 2014)

*Oh, Nick ... i just know you is happy !!!  What a jewel that prize is !!

When you clean her, use a slow hand.  It's better to under-clean several 
times, than to overclean once.  

When too much paint debris vacates the only resting place known since 1940 ... 
there's never a good way to waltz it back onto the machine. 

Am very-proud of you for having the courage to go after this prize ... and the 
stick-to-it-iv-ness to close the deal.

Good Form, Nick !!!*


............  patric


EDIT with a post script ....

Nick, took a wee-bit of brightness out and added a gram or two of contrast to your foto of The Prize.
John had me all delirious with his talk of a red saddle. ( Good Eye, John !!! )













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## rickyd (May 20, 2014)

*sage advice*

On page 2,  look at it for a while as it is it shall never be the same. Ive Made the mistake of jumping on them with WD and so forth. Enjoy


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## DonChristie (May 20, 2014)

WOW! What can I say that hasn't already been said! Congrats young Man!!!


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## 41rollfast (May 20, 2014)

*Nice!!*

Congrats!!!
Can't wait up see the outcome!


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## OldRider (May 20, 2014)

Good job Nick! I want to hear the back story on this epic find.........


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## mike j (May 21, 2014)

hoofhearted said:


> *Oh, Nick ... i just know you is happy !!!  What a jewel that prize is !!
> 
> When you clean her, use a slow hand.  It's better to under-clean several
> times, than to overclean once.
> ...



What a beauty! best of luck with it, well worth the drive. That photo is intense.


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## Nickinator (May 21, 2014)

Thanks Patrick that photo editing really comes in handy! I have taken in everyone's thoughts on the bike and about what condition I should leave it in.

I have decided I'm going to clean it. I came to this conclusion based on the fact that the original owner cleaned it and took care of it. I thought the least I can do its show the bike the same respect.

Nick.


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## bikewhorder (May 21, 2014)

Of course you should clean it, That'd be like buying a winning lotto ticket and never bothering to scratch it off.  I'm sure its in good hands.


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## steve doan (May 21, 2014)

*Dayton*

Nick, I was going to bring a barn find to the Minn. meets next month but I don"t stand a chance of even placing.  Great bike.  I might as well stay home as you always win.  Steve Doan


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## jd56 (May 21, 2014)

*Amazing!!*

And a TANKLIGHT to boot. Hope you didn't drive by Norfolk and didn't wave. But, I'm sure you did wave if you did.
It's amazing that these highly collectible prewars are still hiding in barns, warehouses, basements and attics. Then there are those leaky sheds.

The tank is a gem all by itself and on my wish list. Of course with the complete bike would be better.
I'm amazed of you guys' talents for finding diamonds in the rough. And to do a 2200 mile round trip is just crazy.

I hope you give us a good story on this find and I hope this will warrant a Sunday's "Show and Tell" post this weekend.

Not much into these yet (and I want one)...... but, why is there an extra set of truss rods? Maybe for a basket? 
And is the hbars mounted truss rods supposed to have those bends?

But clearly a great pick up for both of you. And both of you are very proud of this one.

Drive safe guys. And I agree, don't rub too hard on that OG paint.

JD


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## bike (May 21, 2014)

*My*

bad

Still..
Great find!


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## fordmike65 (May 21, 2014)

bike said:


> that 40s had a welded kickstand? No?
> 
> Great find!




See post #10 Paul. Nick says he did find evidence that it did indeed have a weld-on stand at one time...

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showth...esh-1940-Dayton-lit-tank!&p=349029#post349029


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## Nickinator (May 21, 2014)

Home at last!!! I got to take the tank apart and it's MINT. And here is a few pictures of the lit rack and what I believe is the turn on switch, I have never seen one intact. I also took a picture of the kickstand


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## Nickinator (May 21, 2014)

More


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## cyclingday (May 21, 2014)

The weld on kick stands were pretty solid, so I wonder why some of these bikes are found without their fixed stands?
It seems very unlikely that they would have been broken off, and it would be a chore to remove one, so I can't imagine that it was a task that was casually done.
I know, that the fixed stands tended to get loose and rattle a bit, but that is an easy remedy, with a little persuasion in the right places, and maybe a spacer or two behind the spring.
Fortunatelly, the stands themselves are pretty common, at least I think they are, so that is something that could be repaired if so desired, or it could just be left the way it is, and chalk it up to the history of the bike.
Anyway, It makes for a good conversation starter, I can hear it now.   Didn't the 1940 bikes come with a weld on kickstand?

I love the color combo!
Super nice bike, Nick.
Congratulations on making such a fabulous acquisition.


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## Freqman1 (May 21, 2014)

I think that was the first question I asked Nick was why it had a bolt on stand and if there was any evidence of a weld on stand! The pic of the frame shows an interesting thing about the lit tank bikes. Unless the secondary color was white (head tube) they painted the head tube white to better reflect light--at least that's the theory. I have also seen one non lit tank '40 (girls) that had a painted head tube as well. This is missed by some when doing restorations-fortunately it is an easy fix. V/r Shawn


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## Crazybikelady (May 21, 2014)

Totally AMAZED at your find, Nick! What a fun trip it must have been!


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## Oldbikes (May 21, 2014)

Love, love the color combo on this!  Can't believe how nice the internals are.  Stunning bike!  Keep the pics comin'


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## rockabillyjay (May 22, 2014)

What a great find..I bet that cleans up great..congrats!


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## willswares1220 (May 22, 2014)

How was the scenery along the way? I'm sure you never noticed! Great find!!!


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## Nickinator (May 22, 2014)

like nothing I have ever seen, It was amazing. tons of cool little towns and things I thought were completely gone. I saw a working gas line where you pull up (run over the line) and the sounds rings and a kid comes out and fills up your tank.  amazing views of mountains.

You guys asked for more detail on the find?  the fun little back story behind this bike is the location, it was found in a completely surrounded area that was basically like a small town and county in a bowl with mountains at every direction. so it was safe to say the bike didn't get much use, in fact I don't even think the bike came out of a bike shop. I think it was most likely brought it with a load of tires to the Firestone dealer in town. the lady had a care taker and she was starting to let things go when i heard about the bike. she didn't remember much but said it was either her husbands or her husbands Dads bike.

Nick.


willswares1220 said:


> How was the scenery along the way? I'm sure you never noticed! Great find!!!


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## BB Rider (May 22, 2014)

*Congratulations!*

Love to hear the stories of former bicycle owners. My old Hawthorne was given to a neighbor of an 84 year old lady when he helped her to clean out her garage. She told him the bike had been given to her when she was twelve. It's in pretty good condition considering its 72 years old. I hope to refurbish it and send her a photo when I'm finished.

Your Dayton is a fabulous survivor...love the unique color scheme as well!! Can't wait to see it all cleaned-up!! Have fun!!


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## Nickinator (May 22, 2014)

*My "old" Dayton...*

FYI for those that have asked/offered, I've already passed along my original Dayton to a local buddy, I'm sure you'll see progress pics on that one eventually 

Nick


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## Buster1 (May 22, 2014)

Way cool find! Jealous!


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