# 1939 Schwinn Delux Autocycle



## jkent (Mar 14, 2013)

Need Your Thoughts on This 1939 Schwinn Delux Autocycle
http://www.ebay.com/itm/350740421365?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
I know the price is high but DAMN this machine is CLEAN!
So tell me what you think.
Thanks, JKent


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## Larmo63 (Mar 14, 2013)

I've looked at (dreamed about) it a few times today. I'm not a huge 

expert, but it looks legit. The Schwinn Gods need to chime in here....


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## Djshakes (Mar 14, 2013)

Price isn't horrible. That is Quas selling it.  I emailed him to tell him that is an EARLY Cantilever frame.  Serial number dates 37. The earliest canti serial I have on record.  Probably made on the first runs.  Seat is funky with the white stitching and bomb appears to be repop or missing the lens.  Seiss lights are later model screw in bezels.  Shouldn't have the double drums that early but that is an easy fix.  Weider did decent paint jobs that far back when people didn't really have all the data they have now.  Although the tank paint is not exact to the decal imagine the work that took!  I had a motorbike done by him where he hand painted the decal.  Blows your mind and would be a shame to remove it although it isn't correct.  Rear fender should also be a high tail being that old of a frame.  Although not 100% correct it is almost a relic to the early days of collecting.  




jkent said:


> Need Your Thoughts on This 1939 Schwinn Delux Autocycle
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/350740421365?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
> I know the price is high but DAMN this machine is CLEAN!
> So tell me what you think.
> Thanks, JKent


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## ohdeebee (Mar 15, 2013)

*Tank*

I can't imagine the effort it would take to paint that tank by hand. And patience for that matter.


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## bobcycles (Mar 16, 2013)

*autocycle*

That bike was restored by one of the earliest 'restorers' here in California who did work for Gertrude and the 'clan' Charlie, Kenny etc at Pedal Pushers.  John did exceptional QUALITY work, however he was guilty of if anything, Over-restoring.  I can remember back in the late 80s at one of our old Hungtington beach swaps, John came over to my space and camped out for about an hour rendering by hand and taking measurements etc of a "Liberty" down tube decal from a 41 Hollywood I was selling, which he faithfully reproduced by brush.  He painted it on paper, later to be copied on restorations he had in progress.   It was all unchartered territory back then...and although Johns restos weren't always 'dead on' accurate, as they tended to be over restored, they were certainly works of art. Quas bike ....as was common on prewar restos back then, was probably an assemblage of parts.  The most glaring thing I see are the Deep (41') mudguards.  Big 'no no' on restoring an early Autoycle, especially one with such a low alpha serial.  The bomb is a horrible fake as well, a really really bad one, odd that he doesn't disclose that.  Still a cool bike from a long gone era of So Cal Prewar Schwinn CULT following prior to pretty much of the rest of the countries relative awareness of this stuff.  The Color Combo is an odd one but mostly correct, however every wheat and tan 2-tone I've ever seen had black pinstripes...  Not to say there couldn't have been red, anythings possible.  personally I think black would have looked a bit better on that layout.  Nice bike.  You should all be bidding against each other, taking out 2nds and doing whatever it takes to own a very early Autocycle restoration from Newport Beach/OC by one of the God Fathers and who was a Schwinn Dealer for many many years,  and straight from the region where this whole hobby started long ago.
PS..........if yaz really wanna nit pick that bike, the fork is a 41' fork ....not the early profile, check all the pix and all the angles.  Not the 40' and earlier spring fork but the 41 and up.  Not the rarest item to find...but just goes to show ya, back then,  it was UNchartered territory.  No one was certain of the stuff that today we all take for granted.


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## ohdeebee (Mar 16, 2013)

*Seat*

Bob, 
What do you make of that seat? I know he mentions that there may be some repop parts that make up the seat, but that front spring looks way out of place! Were entire saddles repopped back then? Or perhaps just that spring was home made? Also, do you have pics comparing the early forks to the '41 and later forks?


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## rockabillyjay (Mar 16, 2013)

I worked for Quas back in the mid 80's at his shop "Village Schwinn" and I remember this bike from back then! Quas is the reason I collect bikes. Jerk.


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## bobcycles (Mar 16, 2013)

*autocycle*

Yah!  that spring looks way outtawack!  Sarm and I were chuckling over that LOOP the other night at "DUDES" beer opening here in Hermosa...Killer Beer, always more important that bikes!  LOFL!  There was a guy in Santa Cruz and another gentleman who passed away in Washington state who repopped the Pogo seats.... guys made a 'version' of that seat to my knowledge, but both a long time ago...like 1980s or very early 90s.  The repops I've seen always looked a bit 'weighty' or like they were Milscos on Roids!  Pans were bulkier, chassis components less refined.  You would always be able to tell a repop from an orig... or if you were unfamiliar of the subtleties by memory, you would see the glaring differences if you placed a repop side by side with an orig upside down.  From the camera angles on Quas bike it's pretty hard to tell.  You'd have to go and look underneath the seat to see the differences clearly. 
<P>
As for the forks...I'd have to go and take some pix and upload.  But if you check online for 1938 springer...Schwinn.... you should be able to see that more pronounced "arch" in the fork.
<P>
As far as Quas Ebay bike, it sucks picking it apart on here because Quas is a good friend in this hobby, known him for a long time, rode together hung out, etc... don't wanna steer bidders away from his bike, which in reality is a cool piece, just needs some issues rectified to be top end legit.


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## aasmitty757 (Sep 18, 2016)

Anyone save any pictures of this bike? I would like to see it.


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## Handle Bar Hoarder (Sep 18, 2016)

aasmitty757 said:


> Anyone save any pictures of this bike? I would like to see it.



ya me to


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## Tim the Skid (Sep 29, 2016)

I see the original post is 3 years old, anyone have a picture of the bike? The photos are gone from the ebay link.


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