# 1945 Snyder (Hawthorne?) boys 26" - looking for info



## PLERR (Jul 11, 2021)

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to get as much info as I can on my 1945 Snyder-built bike. I have a few questions, but please volunteer anything you may know.

First off, the seat, stem, and bars are just temporary so I can ride it. You can ignore them.

S/N on the seat tube: *A059054* (stamped upside down)
S/N on the bottom bracket: *54SN

The most pressing question, for me, is the color*. I'm assuming it was house painted but the S/Ns are surprisingly crisp. The paint is thin. You can see red under the purple on the frame and the edges of the yellow darts and diamonds are pretty coarse. But...the color of the fenders matches perfectly with no evidence of any color underneath. But...the fender struts are all held in place with screws, but old screws. Possibly replaced? Maybe the fenders were stripped and the frame painted over? The wheels are purple too and flaking where the pins would have been.

Wondering if this had curved fender struts originally or if the straight ones are correct? I'm also questioning the fender lengths - how long the front is vs. hoe short the rear is.

The fork is a very slightly different shade of purple (and, yes, bent outward a bit).

I'm assuming this is a *Hawthorne* because of the chain ring and the head badge (missing) screw locations. *If so, what would be the correct badge?

Any idea what model this would have been?* I'd like to know if it had a tank and rack or came just as it is now.

ND front hub, Eclipse rear stamped K3 with a Morrow brake. Rear tire is a Luna Life with a Motor Bike overstamp.

Also note the three small holes in the guard. Factory?

It's a very twitchy ride. Maybe because of the bent fork, maybe it's the ladies bars that I have on it. I don't know, but I'd hate to have to make an emergency maneuver with it. It's a slooow stopper too. Lots of force required there.

Thanks in advance,
E=-)

Big storms here now and the light is weird, so the color reads a little off. But it is really dark, like black cherry. S/N pic taken in the garage under fluorescent lighting.


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## Rattman13 (Jul 11, 2021)

PLERR said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I'm looking to get as much info as I can on my 1945 Snyder-built bike. I have a few questions, but please volunteer anything you may know.
> 
> ...



This is also a 1945 Hawthorne, and this is original paint. Yours should have peaked fenders like this one does.


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## Archie Sturmer (Jul 12, 2021)

Maybe a West Chester (WCU) PA bicycle; or a James Madison (JMU) VA bicycle?


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## bloo (Jul 12, 2021)

How about UW? Was this bike by any chance found in Seattle or Western Washington?


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## PLERR (Jul 13, 2021)

Thanks @Rattman13. I couldn't find a pic of a '45 anywhere.

So you're saying the fenders are replacements? I have another pair of post-war Hawthorne fenders, but they're round top just like the ones that are on my bike now. I have no idea what year they are though. Any thoughts on whether this bike originally had a tank and rack? If yours is complete and original then it tells me what I'm looking for - probably more money in missing parts then the bike is worth, sadly.

I'm surprised by how irregular the darts are on your bike. If I didn't know it was original I would have guessed repaint. No offense, of course, just an observation. Was that typical of Snyder bikes of this era?



Archie Sturmer said:


> Maybe a West Chester (WCU) PA bicycle; or a James Madison (JMU) VA bicycle?






bloo said:


> How about UW? Was this bike by any chance found in Seattle or Western Washington?




Bike was found in Erie, PA. Other side of the state, but WCU could work. If it was repainted it was done a long time ago. the yellow is cracking and you can still see where the badge was.


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## PLERR (Jul 18, 2021)

Doin' the Bumpty Bump

I'd really appreciate hearing more voices as to whether my conclusions are correct and put a close to the still open questions.

I'm sure it's Snyder-built, but Is it definitely a Hawthorne? I'd like to find a badge for it and want to be sure I get the right one.
What model is it? Any brochures out there?
I assume I'm missing truss rods, but would this bike have had a tank or rack?
If the fenders are indeed incorrect, any idea what bike the ones I have might be from?
Any guesses on the holes in the chain guard?
Is the Motor Bike stamped tire interesting at all? I couldn't find 'nylon' on it anywhere, wondering if it's prewar.
I'm planning to post a wanted ad for parts but I simply don't know what to look for.

Thanks,
E=-)


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## Boris (Jul 18, 2021)

With that chainring, a Hawthorne badge would be appropriate.


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## Ernbar (Jul 18, 2021)

Looks like my 46 Rollfast.


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## skiptooth (Sep 27, 2021)

one thing i saw was the fender rivets are now screws ! i don't know alot about rollfast snyder built, except diff. from cwc... Richard....


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## Rattman13 (Sep 27, 2021)

skiptooth said:


> one thing i saw was the fender rivets are now screws ! i don't know alot about rollfast snyder built, except diff. from cwc... Richard....



Original fenders are peaked, these are late Wald fenders which is why they have screws.


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