# Lets talk about this dx challenger original bike



## ratdaddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Well i remoldeled the living area in our house with the understanding we are making more room for more bikes.and its working.heres a old dx challenger we drug out of the shop today.it has the small springer rods.rear adjusting screws and prewar drop center rims.when i looked up the number the only f's i found were in 1949.but when i went to the prewar numbers it says the numbers started over again in1938.the number is on the bb and is larger numbers f17665 what year would this be.


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## daved66 (Jul 17, 2012)

i always thought that the serial numbers before 1948 were lost in a fire.  thus you needed to pull the crank to see if it has a date on it.

i did this on my dx, and it was dated "41" for 1941.  just my 2 cents

great bike!


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## jpromo (Jul 17, 2012)

Alright,well I'm no Schwinn expert but I'm quite confident that is prewar. I think the first year of the springer was '39 (maybe '38), so it stands to reason the bike is somewhere between '39-'41. I think with the F serial, you may have a '41 on your hands there. Pulling the crank is a good idea for narrowing it further.

A very nice looking bike you've got there! Beautiful tank decal and it looks like it'll clean up like woah. The fenders look to be a reverse paint scheme if they're original, which is a cool option you don't see often.


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## ratdaddy (Jul 17, 2012)

*DX*

Thanks for the info


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## Autocycleplane (Jul 17, 2012)

If all the parts (minus rocket ray light) are original then it is a 40 DX. 41 models had bigger fenders and wing chainguard, 39 models had straight downtubes and dropstands.


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## Ozark Flyer (Jul 17, 2012)

It seems every time I open my mouth I show just how much I don't know, but here goes anyway.  The prewar numbers were lost in a fire but there are a couple of members reconstructing the list (paging REC).  As I understand it, there was only one year that used the fork stop tube welded below the front end of the down tube (like yours) and I'm fairly sure it was 1941.  I heard someone is selling the rubber bumpers over on eBay. Very, VERY cool bike.  Get that bad boy cleaned up...there's been several of them pop up lately....it's about time for a DX photo parade.


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## Autocycleplane (Jul 18, 2012)

Ozark Flyer said:


> It seems every time I open my mouth I show just how much I don't know, but here goes anyway.  The prewar numbers were lost in a fire but there are a couple of members reconstructing the list (paging REC).  As I understand it, there was only one year that used the fork stop tube welded below the front end of the down tube (like yours) and I'm fairly sure it was 1941.  I heard someone is selling the rubber bumpers over on eBay. Very, VERY cool bike.  Get that bad boy cleaned up...there's been several of them pop up lately....it's about time for a DX photo parade.




Mostly right - the use of the built in bumpers on deluxe bikes seems mostly a 41 thing. The DX model starting in 39 had them if springer equipped, the 40 parts catalog has the replacement bumpers listed specifically for DX models, and by 41 they seemed to show up on some B/BA models instead of the coveted little rubber clip on bumpers. 

And remember, Schwinn did whatever it took to move stock out the door so I usually take "correct" with a grain of salt.


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## ratdaddy (Jul 18, 2012)

*dx*

i was thinkin 39 also from the info i got from prewar numbers on a bunch of bike numbers web site.it says the letters started over in 38 and went a thru f.anyway i just put it in my computer room and fixin to bring in a 49 delux autocycle that ive never got to spend any time with and its been out in the shop for years.fact is i never even got to touch it till yesterday.thanks for all your help


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## Autocycleplane (Jul 18, 2012)

ratdaddy said:


> i was thinkin 39 also from the info i got from prewar numbers on a bunch of bike numbers web site.it says the letters started over in 38 and went a thru f.anyway i just put it in my computer room and fixin to bring in a 49 delux autocycle that ive never got to spend any time with and its been out in the shop for years.fact is i never even got to touch it till yesterday.thanks for all your help




Your bike above is definitely a 40, not a 39.


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## Spence36 (Jul 19, 2012)

I agree it's a 1940 by frame design without a doubt !!


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## ratdaddy (Jul 19, 2012)

*dx*

great thanks for your help.its been parked under the tv for 3 days now so i really got a good look at it.iam thinking i might air up that back tire and take it for a ride


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## 37fleetwood (Jul 19, 2012)

this, I believe, is a '41...
would the '40 look so completely different?


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## Autocycleplane (Jul 19, 2012)

37fleetwood said:


> this, I believe, is a '41...
> would the '40 look so completely different?




Yes that one is a 41 - notice the bigger fenders and wing chainguard. 40 models have smaller fenders and the striped hockey stick guard.


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