# Fleetwood by CWC?



## Baker (Nov 15, 2011)

All right friends, here's the story... 

I'm a newbie here and have recently been completely taken by what I believe to be a 30's era CWC 'Fleetwood' made for Firestone.  In the past I have built up singlespeed 'street' bikes for bombing around Boston, but was given this gem by a friend at work, who was ready to toss it.  It was his father's bike, but he didn't want to see it go to waste, so he offered it to me.  I got it on 11/11/11 (lucky day!) and between then and now I replaced the tubes/tires, rebuilt the New Departure Model D, shined it up as best I could and filmed this: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RlvwGIQVaU&feature=youtu.be

Needless to say, I'm loving this bike.  However, I'm looking to obtain a little history on it... any insight?  










-E


----------



## Talewinds (Nov 15, 2011)

I've been wrong a lot lately so somebody will surely correct me if I've gone awry.
 I believe your bike is the 1936 Firestone Fleetwood Supreme made by Huffman. A very rare bike, but not considered valuable. It looks great, I'd leave it as-is, ride it and love it.


----------



## Larmo63 (Nov 15, 2011)

The tires do look a bit pinner, are they 26 x 2.125's? A chain guard and a rack would be something to look for too. Cool frame geometry and it looks whack when you filmed it with that lens/perspective. 

You're hooked now, huh?


----------



## elginkid (Nov 15, 2011)

You were correct with the CWC designation.  It looks like a 1937 CWC bike.  It has the 1937 chainring, but it has the pre-1938 frame.  Interestingly it is sporting the chrome fenders, not the most common option.  I have a '36 that was equipped with chrome fenders, and I've seen a picture of one other pre '38 with chrome fenders.  With the hole in the fender, you're most likely missing a delta hornlight.  The early equipped model 36s sported a Silver Ray/Gangway, which was usurped during the model year by the hornlight.  I would've guessed most equipped with that would've also had the rack and chainguard, but as it was badged for someone else those "rules" are out the window.

Wes


----------



## 37fleetwood (Nov 15, 2011)

Definitely looks to be a Cleveland Welding made bike. Phil will know more about that. what I can input is that we've discussed this type bike before. there is a thread somewhere in the forum on this model bike. the Firestone catalog shows a Huffman bike but the ones that show up are definitely not Huffmans.
very cool video, very cool bike, don't let it go. sadly Talewinds is right, it's not super valuable, in fact the headbadge is worth as much as the rest of the bike.


----------



## RMS37 (Nov 16, 2011)

I should be typing on the Twin-Bar subject but I always have to pause and take time out for a good Cleveland Welding product….

Your bike was manufactured by Cleveland Welding (CWC) and branded for and sold by Firestone. Besides the Firestone badge, your front fender is both an exclusive CWC pressing and features the indentation which was a Firestone exclusive. The purpose of the indentation is to hold three individual letters that would be ordered with the bike to represent the owner’s initials.

CWC began manufacturing bicycles at the end of 1935. The model you have is basically the same as the first double-bar roadster bicycles they produced but a few changes that mark it as a 1937 model. A few CWC/Firestone bicycles have turned up in the hobby and yours is the best I have seen yet. There is no documentation known in the public domain that shows CWC as a supplier to Firestone but with a number of these bikes surfacing it is clear that, at least for a short time, CWC did produce bikes for Firestone. 

The serial number will pin down the date a bit further. It is located on the underside of the crank hanger and will be a letter followed by five numbers. I’ll hazard that the letter will be a “B”.

Because this specific model is not known to be mentioned or illustrated in any Firestone catalog it is hard to say how the bike was originally outfitted but the saddle, grips, and kickstand (and tires) are definitely newer than the bicycle. Otherwise, everything else appears to be original. 

CWC never produced a tank for this frame. It may or may not have had a rack and chain guard and neither of those items are especially hard to find. The hole in the front fender is for mounting a headlight and the most likely correct candidate would be a period Delta or EA torpedo light. Both of those lights are self-contained with internal batteries, most of the other headlights used at that time had remote batteries located in the tank or a battery tube. Since the model did not come with a tank that option is off the table and if the bike had used a factory supplied battery tube, then an armored cable would have been used and there would be a grommet in the fender to dead-end that cable. 

As Tailwinds and 37Fleetwood noted, this bike is not a highly valuable bike as it is not one of the top-of-the line models from the period. On the other hand it is the best 1937 CWC/Firestone I have seen and the original condition, unusual badging, and the chrome CWC/Firestone specific fenders should put it at the top of the early CWC double bar roadster food chain… I would ballpark this bike at a fair market value of $350. It is worth more than that to someone who wants this specific combo but probably a bit less than that to the general bike collector body.

If it were my bike I would get an appropriate seat, grips and drop stand and probably a chain guard, forgo the rack, add a chrome EA torpedo light of equal patina and look for a letter clip and letters for the front fender and call it good. It’s a great bike as it is, and again, the best CWC/Firestone I have seen yet.


----------



## 37fleetwood (Nov 16, 2011)

just looked through the Firestone catalogues and this bike is definitely not shown sadly.
Firestone started selling bikes halfway through 1936 and used primarily Huffman bikes until 1938 when they picked up Colson.
To add to what Phil said, yours is the only one I've seen with what appears to be it's original paint. there was a red one I tried to get that was as complete as yours but was in house paint.
while not the collecting powerhouse some of them out there are, yours is a great example of a rare bike, and a great looking, well built, head turning ride.


----------



## z-bikes (Nov 16, 2011)

*Similar Girls version of CWC Fleetwood*

I think this is a very similar girls model of the CWC Fleetwood. It doesn't have the chrome fenders but does have the recessed area in the front fender for the initial holder which is pictured. Looks like the same fork but with missing strut bar supports because some idiot sawed them off.  At first glance the fender braces appear to be flat but actually have  a slightly rounded cross section.  Sorry, some of the pictures are a little blurry.





















*I think the serial number reads B47069*


----------



## RMS37 (Nov 16, 2011)

Thanks for posting the pictures. I had never seen a girl’s Firestone before. Most of the boy’s I have seen have been repaints but I have generally seen them with chrome fenders. Painted fenders indicate to some degree that there was a model “Line” of these bikes meaning they may have been produced in larger numbers and with more variety than I would have thought.

The truss top cap shows that that the bike would have had truss rods and fork crown struts but CWC did produce a version of this fork without the truss braces which this one could be made to replicate with a little file work.

By my estimate, the serial number dates the bike to about a third to half way through 1937. This bike also answers the question of what headlight is appropriate. I would definitely be inclined to splurge for a chrome Delta torpedo for the chrome fenders on the boy’s bike though.


----------



## elginkid (Nov 16, 2011)

Interesting headlight.  Does that headlight mount to a one hole configuration?  All of the torpedo lights I've seen mount to the two holes, and it looked like that Fleetwood just had one.  However, the base of the torpedo on the ladies Fleetwood is also unlike any I've seen.


----------



## z-bikes (Nov 16, 2011)

elginkid said:


> Interesting headlight.  Does that headlight mount to a one hole configuration?  All of the torpedo lights I've seen mount to the two holes, and it looked like that Fleetwood just had one.  However, the base of the torpedo on the ladies Fleetwood is also unlike any I've seen.




I think what you're seeing is the personalized initial plate that's supposed to be mounted on the front of the fender. It's leaning up against the light in the picture. I should have taken a picture of it in place but had already removed it for safe keeping.


----------



## z-bikes (Nov 18, 2011)

elginkid said:


> Interesting headlight.  Does that headlight mount to a one hole configuration?  All of the torpedo lights I've seen mount to the two holes, and it looked like that Fleetwood just had one.  However, the base of the torpedo on the ladies Fleetwood is also unlike any I've seen.





In regards to your question about the single stud mount:


----------



## Strings-n-Spokes (Mar 3, 2012)

yah the torpedo stays in alignment via two divots on the front and back of the mounting hole which match corresponding bumps on the light which was an EA.  I had two of these bikes bought two nice Archer badges for each one and somehow tracked down one of those seemingly model specific torpedo lights. Sadly Miss America sold them for $20 each I believe she kept the Fleetwood Archer badges.  I am glad to see another one surface, Scott kinda made me feel like I was building a bike that never existed in the first place.  Bittersweet vindication... Isn't it always that way?


----------

