# Prewar Shelby?  New to restorations & would love any tips or knowledge!



## ChelseaMae (Jan 5, 2019)

Hey there friends,
So I’m very new to restoration & identifying vintage bicycles. From what research my husband & I have done, we believe we have a sort of Frankensteined prewar Shelby potentially. The hub is dated April of 1938 (H4 stamped), 36 spoked, slotted-sprocket & has a very clear seemingly hand-stamped ID# & is stamped from Eclipse in Elmira, NY along with Morrow (Bendix) stamped on the crank.  The Troxel seat seems to be an original vintage from the 30s, from Elmyria OH.  Wish-bone frame, drop outs in the rear, & likely red was its original color due to paint chips we’ve seen around the original piece parts.  If any of our thoughts or observations sound correct or incorrect, please let me know since we are rookies hoping to learn!

Im ultimately seeking out more appropriate fenders (the ones I found it with are ill fitting) & a chain guard & chainring but first wanted any advice or knowledge on identifying it primarily & beginning with a good foundation to move forward with restoration. Thank y’all so much for your time & can’t wait to hear your thoughts!  Feel free to request any additional information or photos & I’ll do my very best. Thanks so much in advance!


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## tjkajecj (Jan 5, 2019)

I have had a number of these, looks like it may have been switch from a skiptooth 1" to 1/2" later in life.

Tim


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## hoofhearted (Jan 5, 2019)

@ChelseaMae 

Welcome to the CABE, Miss Chelsea.

Am pretty sure a few members will respond
to your entry soon.  As beautiful as it is in SW
Ohio, today,  many members  riding and all ...
would bet it's a dandy of a day in your more
Southerly State of Kentucky, as well.

..... patric


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## ChelseaMae (Jan 5, 2019)

Thanks a bunch Tim! So as I said, this is all a learning journey to me, what specifically about the bike indicates the switch?  I do know what a skiptooth is, but couldn’t confidently identify an original versus one that’s been transitioned. Thanks again for your time!


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## ChelseaMae (Jan 5, 2019)

Thank you Patric! The weather is lovely here today  very excited about any info the veterans have to share here!


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## DonChristie (Jan 5, 2019)

What Tim is referring to is the Chain. Originally, it was a skiptooth chain (1” pitch between the teeth on  sprockets). Your was changed to a 1/2” pitch. The frame is a desirable one with the wishbone. Depends on what you want the bike to be, but getting it back to its original state will be spendy! As long as you ride it your good! Welcome!


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## ChelseaMae (Jan 5, 2019)

Also if anyone has any tips on locating some fenders for this one, I’d sure appreciate any tips or leads! Thank you.


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## rollfaster (Jan 5, 2019)

Looks like it might have been badged as a Hiawatha with that seat clamp style. Or possibly a later frame 38-40. Love those wishbone frames! @slick @keith kodish


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## ChelseaMae (Jan 6, 2019)

@rollfaster thank you so much! This  is super helpful to know! I’ll have to do some digging into Hiawatha some more! Yes the wishbone frame really is a neat look and i love that there’s a community of followers that love it as well!


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## slick (Jan 7, 2019)

From my research, the fatter style seat post clamp denotes the frame as a 1940 frame. Same with the round top fork which was introduced in late 1939. The daisy chainring also was available in 1940/41 So the 1938 wheels are most likely correct if the hubs were laying around at the plant or the wheel set was sitting there and wasnt used already. The fenders would be the McCauley fender. They were most likely straight braced. Their is a possibility it had curved braced fenders depending on model, but I doubt it. Great bike btw!


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## BLWNMNY (May 2, 2020)

i know I'm a little bit late posting, but....... I also noticed your frame doesn't appear to have had a head badge. Possibly a big tank bike at some point, arrow frame maybe?


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## Junktown (Oct 8, 2020)

My Western Flyer Shelby predates this a little judging by the forks, but has the same chainwheel. So yours may be
correct and not replaced.
Maybe an expert can weigh in: When did Shelby go to a 1/2 pitch chain? From what I have seen, it must have been 1938 or so


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## Balloonoob (Oct 9, 2020)

That bike had all kinds of reflectors and lights in the first pic.
I think @BLWNMNY brought up a good point. Are there no badge holes? Are wishbone frames with no badge holes worth much more than a frame with them as they would have been decked out something like this?
It seems as though there were decked out Hiawatha Arrows and Shelby Airflo bikes like this from 1940?








						Shelby airflow paint scheme | General Discussion About Old Bicycles
					

I keep second guessing my choices of what color to paint my Shelby. I seem to see quite a few photos of black and red. Which at first I thought was really cool, but the blue and yellow looks really good too. I want something that says "classic 1939"  My question is: What were the colors that...




					thecabe.com


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## Superman1984 (Oct 9, 2020)

@Balloonoob that thing sure did have accessories. I bet it feels naked stripped down of it's eyes, honker & mirror systems. Lol.


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## Superman1984 (Oct 9, 2020)

@ChelseaMae I would at least put it back together as a rider (after a thorough cleaning) & enjoy it some If you're going to restore it or while you hunt parts.


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## PlasticNerd (Oct 9, 2020)

The hub date of 4 on a Morrow is the 4th quarter of the year they only used 1 2 3 4. You are correct on the year H 1938. They are a fairly easy rebuild, just need to get the first set up part right! Good luck with your project t, Gary


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## JRE (Oct 9, 2020)

I agree with Superman1984.They are my favorite rider.


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## Superman1984 (Oct 9, 2020)

JRE said:


> I agree with Superman1984.They are my favorite rider.
> 
> View attachment 1280817
> 
> ...



1st time somebody said I was right in a while.lol. I was just saying if they're going to restore it & it takes time to gather the proper parts then might as well  enjoy it now some as a rider. I regret not riding some that coulda been ridden as found before I took'em apart. I have misplaced parts due to tearing them apart thinking I'll do blah blah & then it leads to "while I'm at it" & Bingo was his name   . By the time you find some parts you're like WTF is this & what did it go to or how exactly.


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## JLF (Oct 9, 2020)

Great project!  I have two (prewar Shelby’s) myself and would be happy to have more!  Wonderful bikes to ride.  Enjoy the process!


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## PlasticNerd (Oct 9, 2020)

PlasticNerd said:


> The hub date of 4 on a Morrow is the 4th quarter of the year they only used 1 2 3 4. You are correct on the year H 1948. They are a fairly easy rebuild, just need to get the first set up part right! Good luck with your project t, Gary



Whoops! 1938!!! Fat fingers on my phone lol


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## Junktown (Oct 9, 2020)

Oh good. Ya kinda threw me there, for a time.


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