# WWII Columbia on Ebay



## milbicycleman (Jun 9, 2015)

Have you all seen this WWII Columbia on Ebay? It seems a little sketchy to me. If it is correct, it is just the poor quality restoration that lets it down.



http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-WWI...248?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cfba83b78


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## jkent (Jun 9, 2015)

Frame, fork, & fenders look correct. I would really like to see what hubs are on it. wheels look a little funny to me.
The Delta light, grips, seat, tool pouch, and rear reflector is all wrong.
JKent


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## izee2 (Jun 9, 2015)

I was looking at that bike. Couple things have me worried. If you look at the pic of the bottom bracket you can see the welds . They do not even touch the bottom bracket. They run up the tubes. Although the military Columbias had really chunky and not well done welds everyone I have ever seen at least welded the down tube and rear frame to the bottom bracket. This is the worst weld job I have seen. 
  It is an early bike. I have two early 42' bikes. Mine are serial numbered earlier than this one but with in a thousand of it and the welds are much better. One of mine has only one of the heavy welds. Perhaps this one did too and who ever did the restore thought that all the joints need to be welded and did it then. If so a real Crappy job.
  Seat frame looks to be OK. But the restore on the saddle isn't well done. Wheel set from what I can see looks to be OK. 
  Im thinking it is an original military bike but one that was toyed with to try to make it "more" original. Taking away from the value.  
  My 2 cents...
  Tom


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## catfish (Jun 10, 2015)

Way too much stuff wrong with this bike. I think you could build a better one for less money. There are lots of NOS parts for these still around.


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## milbicycleman (Jun 10, 2015)

Yeah it does seem like a really high price for the condition of the bike. Also after talking to someone knowledgable on these bikes, i am wondering if the serial number stamping doesn't look deep enough and a little too straight, just my thought on it.


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## jkent (Jun 10, 2015)

from my understanding all military bike serial numbers are hand stamped so it's really hard to decifer one from the next. 
JKent


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## spoker (Jun 15, 2015)

my first bike was a military from the war surplus store,my dad bought bought 2 of em,10 ucks apiece,prolly arond 54,mine had big spokesand wooden pedal blocks,bottom brackect broke away from down tubes,both bikes long gone


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## johan willaert (Jun 15, 2015)

Sold for the starting price...


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## milbicycleman (Jun 15, 2015)

Cool, thanks for let us know Johan. It doesn't seem like a bad price if it is a genuine WW2 U.S military bike.


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