# Prewar Schwinn...just got it



## HARPO (Jan 19, 2019)

Just brought this little grouping of rust home. 

As far as I can tell, it's around 1941 or so. For those with much more knowledge on this than me, please let me know.

This had been sitting on Craigslist for over two months at $275 with no takers. Only two photos were shown, so the owner sent me a few closeups that I requested so I could see just what I was going to be getting myself into. More rust than I had hoped for, but with that head badge, head light, Miller kickstand, truss fork and rods and tank I figured I'd go take a look. 
Rims are complete toast as are the tires. And the handlebars are wrapped, he said, because it was losing chrome. He actually got it from the original owners house and had hung onto it for a few years...until today. I was actually able to get it for only $120, a great score in my book.

Let me know what you guys think...


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## HARPO (Jan 19, 2019)

And of course more photos. I guess you're right, @Sven , I'm doing OK here on Long Island with these...


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## HARPO (Jan 19, 2019)

I LOVE the head badge!!!


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## Dave K (Jan 19, 2019)

SCORE!!!


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## CURTIS L LINDGREN (Jan 19, 2019)

Planes , Trains and Automobiles !


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## ZE52414 (Jan 19, 2019)

What a score! I love the color combo. @Freqman1 has the mate to this lady!


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## rollfaster (Jan 19, 2019)

Killer find, beautiful paint scheme!


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## rusty.kirkpatrick (Jan 19, 2019)

Beautiful colors, I think you scored on that one buddy.


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## John G04 (Jan 19, 2019)

Wow thats nice, Really nice color combo too!


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Jan 19, 2019)

nice buy.


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## Hammerhead (Jan 19, 2019)

Excellent paint scheme and badge. Nice find.
Hammerhead


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## bobcycles (Jan 19, 2019)

Same color Combo as the legendary 1940 San Franciso Blue Beast....
with the gold pins...
very uncommon


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## barneyguey (Jan 19, 2019)

Beautiful!


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## catfish (Jan 19, 2019)

Nice


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## Rivnut (Jan 19, 2019)

Looks like the chome parts are good candidates for an Oxalic Acid soak.  Do you plan on lacing the rear fender?  All the goodies are there.The ring is on the rear axle and the fenders are drilled for it.  Great find.


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## Autocycleplane (Jan 19, 2019)

Wow cool bike at a great price. I would be proud to put that in my little collection - congrats!!


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## PlasticNerd (Jan 19, 2019)

Great score!!!!  



Mines a close match in color also


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## HARPO (Jan 19, 2019)

Rivnut said:


> Looks like the chome parts are good candidates for an Oxalic Acid soak.  Do you plan on lacing the rear fender?  All the goodies are there.The ring is on the rear axle and the fenders are drilled for it.  Great find.




I'm not quite sure as to how I'll handle the rust on the chrome, but in some parts, like the neck, it actually peeled off.

I'll eventually do  rear lacing, but one of the rings was _so_ rusty a piece rusted off.


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## HARPO (Jan 19, 2019)

Thanks for all the kind words, guys. To think I almost passed it up drives me nuts, but it was because of the initial price. It just shows that it never hurts to ask about the best price a person is willing to do. All they can do is say "NO"... 

Also, it's hard to believe that the Gold Stripes are still on it!

BTW...has anybody come with a definitive year on it??????


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## PlasticNerd (Jan 19, 2019)

Pretty sure it’s a 1941! That’s a one year only chainguard


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## HARPO (Jan 19, 2019)

Here's a Catalog page from 1941. With the exception of the color, this looks exactly like it.


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## HARPO (Jan 19, 2019)

PlasticNerd said:


> Pretty sure it’s a 1941! That’s a one year only chainguard




Is this also the same chain guard used on the Auto Cycle?


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## PlasticNerd (Jan 19, 2019)

Yep !


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## Autocycleplane (Jan 19, 2019)

HARPO said:


> Here's a Catalog page from 1941. With the exception of the color, this looks exactly like it.View attachment 935635




Yes lots of unique 1 year only features in 41 - the new frame with 6” head tube, the clamshell tank, prewar deluxe guard, and deeper fenders. Always easy to spot a 41 Hollywood, and I had one just like the catalog pic many years ago....


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## HARPO (Jan 19, 2019)

Autocycleplane said:


> Yes lots of unique 1 year only features in 41 - the new frame with 6” head tube, the clamshell tank, prewar deluxe guard, and deeper fenders. Always easy to spot a 41 Hollywood, and I had one just like the catalog pic many years ago....




Thanks for the info @Autocycleplane ! 

Man, I did even better than I thought I had.  But I need to finish working on the 1948 Schwinn I bought last Sunday (_it's in another Post on here_) before I begin to play with this one.


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## SJ_BIKER (Jan 19, 2019)

Great find. Rust can always be removed via various methods if it bothers you. Be careful with paint looks thin in parts but overall it still presents well. Be content...many dont survive in their original state....weve seen load of bikes slathered in house paint...missing this or that. Or beat up heaps...take care of it. You really scored!!


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## GTs58 (Jan 19, 2019)

Those rims!! I have never seen such beautiful patina! Please don't disturb one speck of that when replacing the tires.


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## HARPO (Jan 20, 2019)

GTs58 said:


> Those rims!! I have never seen such beautiful patina! Please don't disturb one speck of that when replacing the tires.




I was thinking that because they're not drop center rims that they aren't the original wheels anyway...but I did see the same flat rims on a few Autocycles. So who knows.
Mine look like if you stare at them to long they'll crumble right before your eyes.


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## Autocycleplane (Jan 20, 2019)

HARPO said:


> I was thinking that because they're not drop center rims that they aren't the original wheels anyway...but I did see the same flat rims on a few Autocycles. So who knows.
> Mine look like if you stare at them to long they'll crumble right before your eyes.




Those flat lobdell hoops are correct, another 41 feature.


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## HARPO (Jan 20, 2019)

SJ_BIKER said:


> Great find. Rust can always be removed via various methods if it bothers you. Be careful with paint looks thin in parts but overall it still presents well. Be content...many dont survive in their original state....weve seen load of bikes slathered in house paint...missing this or that. Or beat up heaps...take care of it. You really scored!!




I really have to contain myself as far as working on the bike. I like to bring back the original shine on my bikes, which of course as we all know involves a lot of heavy-duty work. But yes, I don't want to do damage that I can't undo because of being overzealous. I'll have to keep telling myself "be cool"...


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## HARPO (Jan 20, 2019)

METAL RESCUE. I just found this Video on YouTube, and they put in an extremely rusted bike wheel. I can't believe how it came out...without acid! The woman doing it even poured it onto her hand to show how safe it is. This is going to be a must try for me.


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## bobcycles (Jan 21, 2019)

HARPO said:


> METAL RESCUE. I just found this Video on YouTube, and they put in an extremely rusted bike wheel. I can't believe how it came out...without acid! The woman doing it even poured it onto her hand to show how safe it is. This is going to be a must try for me.





Look closely...her wheel was not that rusty at all....very superficial...
surface rust ...
when rust does what it did to the 41 wheels...there's no magic bring
back for gone chrome.


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## Sven (Jan 22, 2019)

Very Nice Score!!!
Glad to see hunting is still great in Long Island.


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## HARPO (Jan 22, 2019)

bobcycles said:


> Look closely...her wheel was not that rusty at all....very superficial...
> surface rust ...
> when rust does what it did to the 41 wheels...there's no magic bring
> back for gone chrome.




Agreed. But I'll give it a try when I find some just to get what I can off the rims. Any worse and it will be down to the tubes . I'm doubtful that there's anything left of the chrome on the rims anyway. I just hope I can get the tires off to try it.
Even the neck is missing most of it, and one of the lace rings has a piece missing (_see close-up of the rear drop out_) due to the rust eating right through it.

I'm also curious to see, or if anyone knows, if the rims were Stainless Steel. The rims AND fenders on my '46 Continental are, which I was very surprised to see.


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## Autocycleplane (Jan 22, 2019)

HARPO said:


> I'm also curious to see, or if anyone knows, if the rims were Stainless Steel. The rims AND fenders on my '46 Continental are, which I was very surprised to see.




If they were stainless they wouldn’t be rusty.


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## BFGforme (Jan 22, 2019)

Love the colors, couple hub shiners and off you go....


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## HARPO (Jan 22, 2019)

Autocycleplane said:


> If they were stainless they wouldn’t be rusty.




Oh duh...


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## HARPO (Jan 24, 2019)

And here is the serial number...


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## HARPO (Feb 2, 2019)

I just brought up Old Rusty to my bicycle hideaway to begin working on her.

I didn't notice this when I bought the bike, but check out the hand grips...Schwinn on one, and Goodrich on the other! They appear to have the same wear and tare on them, which to me indicates someone at Schwinn got the grips confused (they are identical in the making) when the assembly process was going on. Pretty cool, though...


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## HARPO (Feb 2, 2019)

Well, I'm now at a quandary. Like @SJ_BIKER  had said, don't do to much to it. And apparently the only really clean areas are going to be the hubs. 

I'm so use to detailing the paint and chrome on my bikes, this one will have to be left almost as is. I don't want to run the risk of ruining or breaking anything off because of deterioration, and it's killing me!  I'm afraid to take off the tank because it looks like its never been removed (and the button still works).

So...do I keep the bike as is and just place it where I can look at it every once in a while and smile knowing I own it...or do I put it up for sale for someone who would appreciate it even more than I?

Decisions, decisions...


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## sccruiser (Feb 2, 2019)

You can recoup most of your investment by selling that one Goodrich grip. ! If you had both you would make money . Check the wanted section.


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## gkeep (Feb 2, 2019)

That old girl will clean up beautifully. Don't give up on those rims, the 54 Monark my wife rides has a couple rust hole clear through but rides great.


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## HARPO (Feb 2, 2019)

sccruiser said:


> You can recoup most of your investment by selling that one Goodrich grip. ! If you had both you would make money . Check the wanted section.




Appartently, the Goodrich grips are as rare as hens teeth...

I wouldn't part the bike out. If I let it go, it goes as I purchased it to someone who would hopefully also keep it intact.


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## HARPO (Feb 18, 2019)

I'm _considering_ selling the bike...NOT parting it out. Mixed bag of emotions right now that's driving me crazy. 

I'm just trying to come up with number, if I do, that makes sense to even consider letting her go...:eek:


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## HARPO (Oct 17, 2019)

Has anyone else found one of these lately?...


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## HARPO (Nov 2, 2021)

Two years later from my last Post on the bike, and I still have it...but I think I'm going to list it For Sale, here and on Craigslist and Facebook. 

Anyone know a fair price for it? It's also going to be Pick-Up Only here on Long Island. 🧐


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## Freqman1 (Nov 2, 2021)

HARPO said:


> Two years later from my last Post on the bike, and I still have it...but I think I'm going to list it For Sale, here and on Craigslist and Facebook.
> 
> Anyone know a fair price for it? It's also going to be Pick-Up Only here on Long Island. 🧐



Like the seller before you it will probably have to be cheap to move locally. V/r Shawn


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## HARPO (Nov 2, 2021)

Freqman1 said:


> Like the seller before you it will probably have to be cheap to move locally. V/r Shawn




You're probably right. I really wouldn't want to have to part it out.


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## Schwinn1776 (Nov 2, 2021)

One of my favorite color combos 😎👍


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## onecatahula (Nov 2, 2021)

PM sent !


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## HARPO (Nov 3, 2021)

Bike is SOLD to @onecatahula . Thanks Pete!! 😎


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