# WWII Schwinn New World VW1M with Factory Options



## HUFFMANBILL (Apr 7, 2020)

I decided to post some pictures of one of my WWII Schwinn lightweight '' Victory'' bikes.  This one is a 1942 Schwinn VW1M , which was most likely manufactured between April - Sept., 1942.  The serial number appears to be  I14584 .  The bike appears to be mostly original except for a small amount of touch up paint on the frame, fenders and black-out parts due to chips and paint loss.  The rims were repainted Ivory due to a previous paint job where someone had used the wrong color.  The frame and fender touch-up was done useing Schwinn Maroon color rattle - can to perfectly match the original paint.  The interesting points on this particular bike are the original Schwinn factory options included.  This bike came with the A S & CO 1/2'' pitch chain-ring with the 3 piece crank all in black finish as well as the AS goose-neck stem, also in black.  The saddle is the optional Mesinger leather sliding rail seat.  I have included pictures of a March 1942 American Bicyclist magazine Ad. for the War-Time Schwinn New World Model VW1M, which includes the options available at that time.  After cleaning and re-lubricating all the internal components and adding a new set of tires and tubes she is a fine riding bike.

Regards,
Bill


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## 3-speeder (Apr 7, 2020)

Beautiful machine. If you haven't got it onto @Miq 's database thread I'm sure he would appreciate it. Do you have a photo of the sn?








						Wartime Schwinn New World Bikes - We Know You Have Them - Tell Us About Them!! | Lightweight Schwinn Bicycles
					

Please help us gather some more info on wartime Schwinn New Worlds (or other lightweights).  We know many of you have these unique bikes and they all have an interesting story to tell.  We are already starting to get an idea of what serial number New Worlds have the transition from brazing to...




					thecabe.com


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## Miq (Apr 7, 2020)

@HUFFMANBILL This is a great victory bike!  @Jim Barnard had posted pics of it about a year ago.  This is the earliest serial New World we have seen blackout parts on and has a single rear wire mudguard stay.  



Thank you for posting the war time advertisements for these victory New Worlds.  I have never seen those before.  Very good proof that more than just cycle trucks were produced during the war.  "Parking Stands, Chain Guards, and Chrome Finish...Have been Eliminated"   

3 piece crank and hand stamp serial on this war time beauty.  @GTs58 will notice that its one of the last brazed bottom brackets before the electro-forging started later that year.





Thanks for looping me in @3-speeder !


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## HARPO (Apr 8, 2020)

Besides a beautiful bike, it's great having that ad!! It's the first time I've seen a Schwinn ad from during that time period stating that this would be the only available model. Nice piece of history.


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## HARPO (Apr 8, 2020)

I have the girls Columbia version. 100% original, right down to the tires marked "WAR TIRE".


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## 1motime (Apr 8, 2020)

Nice!  Looks like the wheelbase might be shorter than a Schwinn


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## Miq (Apr 8, 2020)

Rear fork ends are neat too!  Great victory bike @HARPO !


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## bikerbluz (Apr 9, 2020)

Fantastic! Love the war era bikes.


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## rennfaron (Apr 12, 2020)

I noticed this doesn't have the peaked fenders all the NWs had and has the pointed front fender you would find on the paramount and superior tourist of the same year. It also has the razor stem you found on the superior tourist.


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## Oilit (Apr 12, 2020)

Miq said:


> @HUFFMANBILL This is a great victory bike!  @Jim Barnard had posted pics of it about a year ago.  This is the earliest serial New World we have seen blackout parts on and has a single rear wire mudguard stay.
> View attachment 1169801
> Thank you for posting the war time advertisements for these victory New Worlds.  I have never seen those before.  Very good proof that more than just cycle trucks were produced during the war.  "Parking Stands, Chain Guards, and Chrome Finish...Have been Eliminated"
> 
> ...



Is it just me or does anybody else see E14584? It COULD be an "I", but it looks like a poorly stamped "E" to me. And what's the decal on the seat post between the "Hat in the Ring" and the "Schwinn Quality" decals? Killer bike in any case!


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## GTs58 (Apr 12, 2020)

Oilit said:


> Is it just me or does anybody else see E14584? It COULD be an "I", but it looks like a poorly stamped "E" to me. And what's the decal on the seat post between the "Hat in the Ring" and the "Schwinn Quality" decals? Killer bike in any case!




I see an E. Hand stampings are usually a mess!


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## Miq (Apr 12, 2020)

E doesn’t make sense for a wartime bike... 

Agreed hand stamps are a mess. Only Huffmanbill can get a better look someday and maybe say for sure.


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## GTs58 (Apr 12, 2020)

Check it out right side up. Definitely an E looking F'd up stamping. But we've been down this road once before, right?  lol


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## Miq (Apr 13, 2020)

At least once.


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 5, 2022)

I realize this is an old thread, but I have a question as to the headsets used on the 1942 New World bikes. What is the normal gap between the knurled cone and the cup? I am working on a 1942 New World project, and the headset looks original. When tightened down the fork turns smoothly and there's no play in the fork. However, I'm left with a larger than expected gap in the headset. I pulled it all apart and greased it, and I noticed that the bearing sets for the top and bottom are the same. I wish I had measured the head set on the last war era New World I had, but I didn't. Does this look right?


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## rennfaron (Aug 5, 2022)

I don't know if this helps but this was in my archive. Wartime NW with same headset setup. I don't have better pics of it (found online).


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 5, 2022)

Interesting - looks pretty similar to what I'm seeing.


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## 1motime (Aug 5, 2022)

I don't think there should be a gap.  Open to dirt.  Photo is of my 1940.  Bearing size?


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 5, 2022)

1motime said:


> I don't think there should be a gap.  Open to dirt.  Photo is of my 1940.  Bearing size?
> 
> View attachment 1675164




I think you have a different, earlier headset there. That is a plated one where the knurled portion overlaps. The one I have is apparently a simpler version where the knurled ring is the cone and doesn't overlap.


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## rennfaron (Aug 5, 2022)

SirMike1983 said:


> I think you have a different, earlier headset there. That is a plated one where the knurled portion overlaps. The one I have is apparently a simpler version where the knurled ring is the cone and doesn't overlap.



You’re correct. They are different. The ones before were different than the wartime ones. They were specific to that time period. My 39 and 41 were different than the wartime.


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## rennfaron (Aug 5, 2022)

Also look here - https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/1...large-frame-w-lots-of-black-out-parts.185792/

The bike is in storage but from the pics it looks the same too (on phone right now but will look for more pics later)


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 5, 2022)

Ah I missed that thread in my search. Good catch. That tall one in the link looks like it also has a gap in the fitting between the cone and cup. I'm thinking maybe it was a case of those being the parts available by 1942.


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## 3-speeder (Aug 5, 2022)

My wartime machine.  Can you tell what color grease I used? 😁








						War Time Schwinn New World with '42 coded Morrow Hub | Lightweight Schwinn Bicycles
					

Just completed overhauling my Schwinn New World.  Pretty happy with it.  Thanks to @Autocycleplane  for the saddle and @badbob for the plate. Both pieces really finished this project off right. I'm planning to change the tires but wanted to get some photos with the old Good Years. They're...




					thecabe.com


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## rennfaron (Aug 5, 2022)

@3-speeder I don't see a gap there at all... 😂
Better pic of my wartime. Can't see the gap that well, but it is there.


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 5, 2022)

3-speeder said:


> My wartime machine.  Can you tell what color grease I used? 😁
> 
> 
> 
> ...




That's what got me started on the question. I was looking at it and I could see the green Lucas grease in the headset. And I figured, "I know I didn't change any parts, but that still doesn't look quite right." I guess it's OK.  It's definitely a kind of cruder headset than the pre-war and after-war items. It works but it's not as smoothed out and close-fitting as the earlier stuff. The war time level of finishing and parts are a unique feature of these bikes.


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 22, 2022)

I'm starting to think Schwinn completed at least some of these bikes using parts bought from whatever suppliers had spares left at the time.

This Western Flyer lightweight frame is an eBay item for sale, and appears to have the same rather rudimentary headset with knurled cone and large gap at the top. It is advertised as a pre-war frame, but it certainly looks to me like the same headset as the 1942 Schwinn, but with plating instead of paint. (Edit: frame below is alleged to be a Huffman product, which it might well be).





I also worked some more on the 1942 Schwinn New World project, and found that the bottom bracket cups were installed while the paint was still somewhat wet, and that the cups were not of any Schwinn type known to me. I tried the regular type, the odd square shoulder type, etc. and found that none of the bottom bracket parts I have on hand would even come close to fitting. The cups are very similar to the very deep, round cups I once came across on a 1940s Manton & Smith lightweight. I wound up replacing the weird, deep cups with those from a 1941 New World.  But, at least for me, I am thinking that Schwinn had run out of some parts by the time my frame was made, and was sourcing them from wherever they could acquire them to complete the last bikes of 1942.


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## Miq (Aug 22, 2022)

My 41


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 23, 2022)

That one has the gap as well. I put mine together and immediately thought, "I've done something wrong here...", but apparently they were more of a budget thing and the details reflected that. I have to admit the more deluxe headsets Schwinn used were more polished and streamlined.


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## Miq (Aug 27, 2022)

Here’s one from an I serial balloon tire schwinn.


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