# Hiawatha Arrow Colors



## Dave Stromberger (Feb 27, 2016)

I'm thinking about building an Arrow, and was wondering what color variations have been found on original bikes. Anybody have photos of original bikes, or know of colors that were available? What's colors do you think look the best?


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## Velocipedist Co. (Feb 27, 2016)

I've been wondering the same thing.  I also have an Arrow, and the only original paint examples I can find are black/red.


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## Velocipedist Co. (Feb 27, 2016)

http://thecabe.com/forum/threads/shelby-airflow-paint-scheme.34898/

Found this old thread a while back, but most of these examples are Speedline Airflo


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## Freqman1 (Feb 27, 2016)

I've seen straw/blue and straw/red. V/r Shawn


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## fordmike65 (Feb 27, 2016)

Tho girl's bikes, here are a couple OG paint Hiawathas in Straw/Blue
















Black/Red as mentioned above.


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## JAF/CO (Feb 27, 2016)




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## JAF/CO (Feb 27, 2016)




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## detroitbike (Feb 27, 2016)

bike


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## fordmike65 (Feb 27, 2016)

While searching, I found several restored bikes. Figured original paint bikes would be the best reference tho.


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## Dave Stromberger (Feb 27, 2016)

Thanks for the pics guys.  

@fordmike65, the second girls Arrow you posted, the one in front of the grey steps, used to be mine.  I snapped those pics back in 2004.  

@JAF/CO, do you think that brick red and straw restoration is a factory scheme? I really dig that!

I'm going to have to do some archaeology on my bike, see if I can reveal any o.g. paint colors under the house paint.  The tank I have is original red/white.... never seen a complete orig bike in those colors.  The red looks muted though.... maybe its just faded.

Here's what I'm working with.....


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## Joe Buffardi (Feb 28, 2016)

Nice project! Im looking forward to the process. Joe Potts has a killer Western Flyer that has a rare color scheme. Let me see if he has pics.


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## cyclingday (Feb 28, 2016)

Your tank looks like the 1940 color scheme which was a little different from the straw or wheat color of the earlier bikes.
Both of the Arrow type and Speedline type bikes were painted in that off white/bone color.
It is my personal favorite of the color choices.







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## Dave Stromberger (Feb 28, 2016)

@cyclingday, do you have any reference material to illustrate how these bikes were equipped during their production run? Aren't Gambles store catalogs to show these bikes nearly no-existent? And I'm assuming that this tank design was exclusive to the Hiawatha brand, right?

Just ran across this pic showing an orig paint Arrow with a white/red tank, like mine....


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## cyclingday (Feb 28, 2016)

I have not seen any retail literature for the 1940+ models at all.
They seemed to be surplus issue with no rhyme or reason as to whether they were equipped with a Arrow type tank or the Speedline type tank.
The down tube configuration was also mixed, being either curved or straight with either tank fitted. They all seemed to be painted the same, Off/Bone White and Brick Red. They almost always were badged, Shelby Supreme.
The 1938/39 models adhered  to a more strict convention. Straight downtube meant Shelby issue and curved downtube meant Gambles Hiawatha issue.
The individual tank styles of both didnt cross over between the two frame styles.
I'm not sure if the Bone White was used on the earlier models. It can look similar in pictures to the Straw color, but was actually quite different. The Straw color had more of a Butter Yellow hue.

PS. For some reason, the surplus bikes were not equipped with a horn. The lack of a horn button is also an indicator that your tank came from a 1940 model.


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## detroitbike (Feb 28, 2016)

Badged Shelby Supreme ...no Horn


detroitbike said:


> View attachment 290095 bike



  Badged Shelby Supreme ...no Horn


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## JAF/CO (Feb 28, 2016)

Dave
The frame and parts on the frame are earlier 38 and early 39
Check out the seat post clamp


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## Dave Stromberger (Feb 28, 2016)

Did some digging.... my frame and fenders were both red originally. Accent color appears to have been white.

Here's my seat post clamp... narrow pinched type. My no-nose has a wider clamp. What does this mean?   And serial number shown too.


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## JAF/CO (Feb 28, 2016)

I think That seat Clamp means it is early 39 or older Shelby built and the curved down tube is Hiawatha arrow 


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## JAF/CO (Feb 28, 2016)

I think Your no nose is a mid 39 or newer


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## thatonejohn (Feb 28, 2016)

Dave Stromberger said:


> The tank I have is original red/white.... never seen a complete orig bike in those colors.  The red looks muted though.... maybe its just faded.
> 
> Here's what I'm working with.....
> 
> ...




So you're the guy who got the tank... I had it in my hands, but they wouldn't sell it to me because they didn't know what it was for (or what it was worth), Lady kept mumbling on about it being for the first ever electric bicycle.  Oh well, just another greedy antique shop wringing every last dollar out of something.


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## Dave Stromberger (Feb 28, 2016)

thatonejohn said:


> So you're the guy who got the tank... I had it in my hands, but they wouldn't sell it to me because they didn't know what it was for (or what it was worth), Lady kept mumbling on about it being for the first ever electric bicycle.  Oh well, just another greedy antique shop wringing every last dollar out of something.




Nah, she was reasonable enough.  Found me through nostalgic.net.  I had no idea who I was "bidding" against.


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## poolboy1 (Feb 28, 2016)

Looks like a good one Dave


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## Dave Stromberger (Mar 2, 2016)

Tank arrived today, so I mocked it up.  I kinda dig the red, but not sure about the white. In this pic, its dirtied down and looks cool, but if it was clean bright white.... meh, I dunno.  Would it be legit to go red and wheat? Or Wheat and red? I actually have some of the wheat colored paint from an Airflo I painted several years go.


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## fordmike65 (Mar 2, 2016)

Another OG paint Arrow(Courtesy of Cabe member "Ace")




I would've added to my previous post, but unable to edit.


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## Dave Stromberger (Mar 2, 2016)

Sweet girly bike @fordmike65 ! Hmm, maybe that color scheme ain't so bad? Since these were the original colors of my bike, AND of my tank, perhaps this is history and destiny trying to come back together?


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## JAF/CO (Mar 2, 2016)

It's only paint you can alway do it over
Go for it


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## cyclingday (Mar 3, 2016)

I like the reverse color. You always see the light color on the frame, so it's nice to see it the other way around. I also like the look of having the rack the same color as the fenders. Anything you can do to make that rack blend in, is a plus in my humble opinion. 
You can never go wrong with the wheat/straw and red. It's just a great color combination. Especially on an Indian themed bike.


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## Freqman1 (Mar 3, 2016)

I'm with Marty on the reverse scheme. It appears the later bikes (or maybe just Arrows?) used the red/white vice straw color. Either way I think it looks good. V/r Shawn


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## carlalotta (Mar 4, 2016)

I have an original two-toned green and red & black. I am pretty sure both are badged Shelby though.


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## Freqman1 (Mar 4, 2016)

carlalotta said:


> I have an original two-toned green and red & black. I am pretty sure both are badged Shelby though.





I love that two tone green bike. I had seen that in other pics but didn't know who owned it! V/r Shawn


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## scrubbinrims (Mar 4, 2016)

Love the 2-tone paint schemes!
I've got a '41 ladies light blue/blue and a boys speedline brown/tan...but I would stick with bona fide color scheme you have seen on a gambles Hiawatha.
I'd also paint my bullnose before this please, it's been a while. 
Chris


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## thatonejohn (Mar 4, 2016)

If the white paint was in better shape I'd say it would clean up fairly well, but the white paint is kinda rough.  It was sitting on one of their "project" tables, along with paint, tools, plastic, etc, so I definitely asked about it, in fear that it was destined to become something else.  

Although with the condition of those bars, it might look okay just cleaned up.


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## slick (Mar 6, 2016)

Here you go. Photo courtesy of Tim Newmeyer. I say leave the tank alone, add the white darts to the rest of the bike to match and ride it. Or sell it to me.


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## spoker (Mar 6, 2016)

here is a pic of the hiawatha limited that thebike was named after,gambles hdwe was in mpls,the train ran from mpls to wisconsin and chicago,there were 4 colors,orange,grey,maroon and black


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## spoker (Mar 6, 2016)




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## Dave Stromberger (Mar 6, 2016)

slick said:


> View attachment 292582
> Here you go. Photo courtesy of Tim Newmeyer. I say leave the tank alone, add the white darts to the rest of the bike to match and ride it. Or sell it to me.




Thanks Chris, I think I'll do just that. It's a cheap easy way to get this on the road, and it'll look bitchin! Eventually though, it'll get the full treatment. I have a lot of other projects ahead of this one that are more important, so the full resto will have to wait.


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## Phattiremike (Mar 21, 2017)

Dave - it's been a year have you completed the Arrow, I'd love to see how it came out.

Mike


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## Dave Stromberger (Mar 21, 2017)

Phattiremike said:


> Dave - it's been a year have you completed the Arrow, I'd love to see how it came out.
> 
> Mike




Yes, the bike is "done"... for now anyway. I posted pics in another thread, but here's a side shot...


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## Phattiremike (Mar 21, 2017)

Looks great!  Thanks for posting.


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## keith kodish (Mar 22, 2017)

Dave,here's pix of one of mine from a long time ago.

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## Dave Stromberger (Mar 22, 2017)

keith kodish said:


> Dave,here's pix of one of mine from a long time ago.




Thanks Keith! Looks mighty fine in those colors!


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## keith kodish (Mar 22, 2017)

No problem, my brother. Loved your work for a couple of decades now! 

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## Phattiremike (Mar 22, 2017)

Keith I love those colors.  I have a girls with the same colors.


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## scrubbinrims (Mar 22, 2017)

I'm Sorry Dave.
I'm afraid I can't do that.
-HAL


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## mfhemi1969 (Mar 23, 2017)

spoker said:


>



Very cool photo, That bike was meant to be in the back of that old truck!


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## mfhemi1969 (Mar 23, 2017)

keith kodish said:


> Dave,here's pix of one of mine from a long time ago.
> 
> Sent from my SM-J700P using Tapatalk



This is probably my favorite color combo on this arrow!


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## Phattiremike (Mar 24, 2017)

Oops.... I did it again Hiawatha Arrow #3!
Picked up this red and white boys today.  Bars, grips, tank inserts are repo the rest OG.


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## mfhemi1969 (Mar 28, 2017)

Phattiremike said:


> Keith I love those colors.  I have a girls with the same colors.
> 
> View attachment 439843



Very nice looking girls bike!


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## Nashman (Apr 9, 2017)

Larmo63 said:


> STOP!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> That's like bicycle pornography.
> 
> Jeez, enough already.


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