# Western Flyer age help, please



## mikedill (Oct 15, 2014)

I recently rescued an old Western Flyer from a barn, rusty as hell, but fixable, and everything still there save the fender mounted light. I'd like to know the year of the bike, if anyone can help me out, I'd greatly appreciate it. Its a Cleveland Welding Co. frame, serial J93084. Seems to have been red and white originally. Thanks!


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## mikedill (Oct 15, 2014)

Crap. Trying to load some more pics, but tapatalk keeps freezing. I'll add some more later


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## mikedill (Oct 15, 2014)

Here we go.


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## ratina (Oct 15, 2014)

Nice save! The "Cw" stamp was only used between 1947-49. I don't have my chart with me to give you the exact year right now.


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## rollfaster (Oct 15, 2014)

*Western flyer*

47-49 sounds about right. Has the cw goodies like sprocket and roadmaster  Chainguard. Cool bike.


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## mikedill (Oct 15, 2014)

Ratina, thanks! I wasn't sure pre or post war, so that narrows it down a bit for me.


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## mikedill (Oct 15, 2014)

Bump.


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## mikedill (Oct 16, 2014)

Still looking to nail down an exact year, if anyone can help. Thanks !


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## Jeff54 (Oct 16, 2014)

mikedill said:


> Still looking to nail down an exact year, if anyone can help. Thanks !




Yeah, that just aint gonna happen. 

I've got that bike too, cept a girls, same fenders cept mine has a flat triangle designed to host a light or thingy on front fender. red and white,  Both have the same curved fender brackets,  3 curve and 1 straight, same badge, girl vs boy seat, chain guard, need I go on? OK lets not leave out girls twisted heart sprocket. And mentionable no doubt. My rims are prob slightly newer, if original, Flat with a grove at side, claimed to be CWC rims,  verses the typical triangle drop center you've got. . 

There appears to be a transitional period which can be observed on the drop outs. Unless somebody has nailed down the time your badge appeared because it looks like there is a transition late 40's. Prewar having small letters where it says "western Auto stores" then the same badge post war but those letters are a little larger. To, Your, newly designed "Modern logo' Maybe happened 1946-8 or 9. 

What's known is during this drop-out transition, prewar has no holes for mounting brackets or fender guard.  and the flat metal drop out has a curved up ear which vanishes 'aprox 1942-4, Prewar was brazed on and lightly finished, and 42-47? has one side {top} electro spot welded and bottom side brazed.

Then there's all spot weld, and a hole for the chain guard is drilled through.  44-6-7? next we got the same spot weld and two holes, one for chain guard and another for accessory, likely fender bracket holes. 47-8-.9-0? Until finally by 1950 or so,, ya gets that new 2nd hole cut out, into a U shaped sliding accessory loop. 

The serial numbers post war have identified CWC with the stamp of C with a small W inside it.  but there's also letter sequences A though H or so, that appear in front, separated from the first set, For the drop outs, some have fit into similar time frames as its change, with no certiny of exact date. Yours reads J93084 Cw  and appears to have the exact same dropout as mine,, 2 holes predating the U shaped loop. While mine serial is C20453 ACw

So you can presume yours is maybe 1 year newer than mine, for the rims and No letter verses mine "ACw" but,, to say which year, ya gotta nail those 2 holes on the drop outs. The  transition date into the last U shaped loop,  to get it. 

as both could be made the same date too. Did the U hole appear 1949, 50, 51?  what's the date head badge was modernized? , what's the date when they'd only put 1 hole for the chain guard? and finally the whole frame, almost certainly in 1950, all of the bar joints were spot welded, where as during or post war, the top bar is spot welded, and some have 1 or the rest brazed.

Or ya can wittle on this too, maybe the type or number of holes on the drop-outs were dependent on the type of bike made, from lowest to highest verity?


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## mikedill (Oct 17, 2014)

Mind=blown. Lol! I'm picking up from here, and other forums, that there was much inconsistency, and a lot of Piecing together of post and pre war parts over the whole industry in the late 40s. I have seen it said that the seat post clamp changed for sure in 1948, to have a ridge around the center, instead of the flat clamp used before. My clamp has this ridge. I think I'm just gonna call it a 1949 and get on with fixing it up. It belonged to my grandpa before he passed, and no matter the year, it'll be something special to ride it once it's back on rolling order.


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## tripple3 (Oct 17, 2014)

*priceless*



mikedill said:


> Mind=blown. Lol! I'm picking up from here, and other forums, that there was much inconsistency, and a lot of Piecing together of post and pre war parts over the whole industry in the late 40s. I have seen it said that the seat post clamp changed for sure in 1948, to have a ridge around the center, instead of the flat clamp used before. My clamp has this ridge. I think I'm just gonna call it a 1949 and get on with fixing it up. It belonged to my grandpa before he passed, and no matter the year, it'll be something special to ride it once it's back on rolling order.




That is awesome to have a Family bike. Treasure it and ride it for the rest of us to share the love.


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## mikedill (Oct 17, 2014)

Tripple3, thanks! I'll post up some pics as I go along with fixing it up.


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## mikedill (Oct 18, 2014)

Pics of the main pieces before clean-up


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## mikedill (Nov 4, 2014)

Updates! Been told serial number dates it to 1949, and I'm skimming right along with fixing her up,,, almost rat rod, but not quite, kinda shooting for an in between. Just gonna be happy when it's operational again!


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## mikedill (Dec 31, 2014)

Well it's been a while, but I finally got the rear wheel re-laced and adjusted. Not had much time for anything else, our water heater died in a spectacular fashion and I've had to replace all the flooring in the house. Fun fun. Hopefully now that that's all done, and the holidays passed, I'll be able to get back on it.


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## mikedill (Jan 7, 2015)

Got a little work done over the last couple of days, rim strips finally showed up, so I finished the rear rim, and put the new grips on the bars


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## randallace (Jan 7, 2015)

ratina said:


> Nice save! The "Cw" stamp was only used between 1947-49. I don't have my chart with me to give you the exact year right now.




there is a chart ?   where can i get this chart you speak of ??


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