# 1939? Wards Hawthorne   2-speed



## Brian C (May 1, 2012)

This bike recently "found it's way to me".   I was told it was a 1939 model.  I actually did a patina restoration on it, rebuilt all bearing mechanisms, cleaned the chain, new tubes/rim strips, but left the weather beaten frame and parts as found.  The New Departure DD 2-speed works great.  I took it out for the first time today.   Just looking for 1) verification or identifying features to narrow down the year/model, 2) looking for a "kickstand" that attaches to the rear dropouts. 






Any feedback, or additional information appreciated.

additional pics:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/coolbmx2c4me/sets/72157629580555050/with/7133907629/


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## scrubbinrims (May 1, 2012)

Just curious Brian, did the "patina restoration" come before or after the pic? 
Chris


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## Brian C (May 1, 2012)

It's all done....Rat Rod style


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## Boris (May 2, 2012)

Great bike! Can we see the after photo?


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## Brian C (May 2, 2012)

All I need to do is find an equally rusty drop stand for it and it'll be done!  Jurassic style.


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## RMS37 (May 2, 2012)

Your bike was manufactured for Mongomery Ward by Cleveland Welding. The serial number stamped into the bottom of the crank hanger will help to identify the year the bike was manufactured. CWC produced similar framed bikes for MW between 1936 and 1940 but the design only appears once in the MW consumer catalogs (Spring/Summer 1938.)  Your bike is likely one of the last of these produced judging by the pattern of the chain ring. MW used exclusive pattern chain rings on their bikes and the one on this bike was introduced for 1940 although may have actually been in production as early as late 1939.


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## Brian C (May 2, 2012)

Nice.  Thanks for the info.  It's nice to be able to narrow it down.  I only see a few digits on the BB, looks like GO 99 and another line thats barely legible.  I'm mostly knowledgable on Schwinns and BMX stuff.


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## RMS37 (May 2, 2012)

The main serial number will be a letter followed by five digits. If the sequence begins with a "G" the bike was produced in the second half of 1940.


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## reginald (May 2, 2012)

*hawthorne*

Brian....here is a pic of my similar hawthorne,and a pic (used by permission) of an even nicer one that belongs to another cabe member.  I added the tank,seat and the guard(obviously), and longer seat stem.  I found a couple of pics of the same bike with this guard, so I am going with it.  I plan to replace the rear arm to better accomodate the 2speed hub.  The tank on the other bike appears correct and original.  Opinions on this?  My tank is different, but they are hard to find!  I ponder painting the whole bike, or just trying to paint the new parts to match.  Thanks for the pic.  I like my 2speed as well.  Cheers!


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## reginald (May 2, 2012)

*Hawthorne*

BTW.....The serial# on the bike in 2nd picture is  A17719.  Also.....You have a sic bus there....I drive a 78 Westfalia.  I have a similar ladies Hawthorne as well (39/40ish??).  Here it is, for entertainment value.


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## RMS37 (May 2, 2012)

Hi Reginald, both of the bikes in your post are Snyder built Hawthornes, CWC and Snyder both supplied MW with bikes and the bikes were often chosen because one was a close enough replacement for the other that catalog orders could be filled with bikes from either Mfg. In the case of these bikes, substitution was done but the bikes are actually very different with individual frame geometry and completely different sheet metal. 


  The Snyder built models with your frame, over time, covered a wider range of the price spectrum at MW, The CWC models are less common and only rose to mid-line status for about a year in 1938. most of the CWC built bikes were offered at the bottom of the price scale. A tank was produced for the CWC frame but it is just shy of rare. Snyder tanks are much more common but are generally expensive because there is high demand for them.

Unfortunately the serial number on your bike is a Snyder serial number, I have collected many and a pattern exists on those bikes built in 1940 and later but previous to that the numbers have yet to be decoded.


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## RMS37 (May 2, 2012)

Reginald,

Digging a little deeper I would say that the two Hawthornes you have pictured are separated by about a year to a year and a half. The bike with the vertical gill tank is likely a 1938 Comet model and yours is about a year later as evidenced by the change from smooth crescent to gothic ridged fenders. 


  It is up for debate if Hawthornes were produced using the horizontal louver tank. It is a later tank than the vertical gill version and usually turns up on Snyders that are branded other than as Hawthornes. I have seen some later Snyder Hawthornes with your tank that are generally convincing in photos so they may be correct but the later tank does not appear in the catalogs.

  The chain guard on your bike goes the other direction being generally earlier than the bike. It is period correct for about 1935/36 and perhaps 1937 but was generally replaced by various wing guards after that.

  My thoughts about a repaint go like this. The basic bike you have has quite nice original paint and some of the parts you have collected are not strictly correct for that bike. They appear to be in primer so doing a ”distresstoration” on those parts will not hurt either them or the original portion of the bike. 


  If you want to do a repaint you could easily trade the original paint portions of the bike for some identical pieces that are sound but have bad paint and build a freshly painted bike around that assemblage. The money you could make trading down to parts with poorer original paint could go toward offsetting the cost of the restoration.


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## reginald (May 2, 2012)

*Thanks, Phil!*

Thanks for the feedback, Phil!  Your posts are the best.  I admit to "piggybacking" Brian's post hoping for your opinion.  I am weary of the hunt, and am now certain I will just paint the parts I have to match as closely as possible.  
  If I may, I would love to hear your opinion on these parts as well.  The bike is badged "Belknap".  I believe the guard is wrong, the bars/stem are 39ish? and I have a "fat" zep light I plan to use.  I admit to steering the build toward the Rollfasts I have seen( other than the guard). I have an "eggcrate" rack with the rear reflecter housing, as well.   I may go with what I have, but might feel badly for painting the tank.  I admit to ratrodding, but try to come close and not step on the nice ones. Thanks again for the info!


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## Brian C (May 2, 2012)

I got the matching womens bike with my package deal.  That's where I robbed the 2 speed parts: 





Probably sell what's left of the ladies bike if anyone would be interested.  Look for it in the classifieds or msg me.


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## Brian C (May 17, 2012)

So I came up with a drop stand, and bought some repro bolts from ODB....also found a matching speedo on Ebay.

I rode it on a local 10 mile "Ride of Silence" this week.










Is there any tricks or tips to making/installing  a lens for the speedo?  Mine's missing.


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## lobsterboyx (May 17, 2012)

Anyone have a tank or rack for one of these bikes?


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