# 1941 Westfield Restoration Complete!



## Buster1 (Nov 11, 2012)

After 10 fun months of work I am happy to present my 26" 1941 Westfield in Duo-Tone Blue!  While sanding and blasting I uncovered various light and dark tones of blue.  Ken "Mr Columbia" showed me the below catalog page and lo-and-behold…Duo Tone Blue!  So that was my target for this restoration!

Notes:
20" Large frame
Stripped and sanded to bare metal, etch primer, 3 coats of primer with wet sanding in between.  Dark blue color matched from a spot on the fender, light blue matched from the catalog, antique white pin striping, clear coat-finish.
Just about everything is original (including the tank!), re-chromed the bars, crank, chainring, truss rods and headset.
Re-pop grips and rims from MLC.
Original New Departure hubs, new Columbia whitewalls.
Seat resto by Bob Ujszaszi!
Original "wide" Columbia/Westfield chain refurbed.
No horn or light (yet), rack from Ken "Mr Columbia."
Original rear fender, rolled sweet by Bicyclebones
Front fender from another prewar Westfield
Incorrect fender braces (hey, I had to get her done!)

Thanks:
To CL for the find.
My Dad for recovering and shipping the original rusty hulk.
My wife for patience and pocketbook fears.
Al of Bike World Las Vegas for the wheel and hub re-builds.
Las Vegas Shine Shop for accepting my $$ and parts to be chromed.
Lisa at CTI Industrial for paint & hours of paint, primer and masking techniques.
Ken "Mr. Columbia" Kowal and Darcie for answering tons of my questions and sending lots of sketches and diagrams.  Ken for the rack and the decals.
"Rat" Hanselman for the media blasting help and facility.
Patrick "Military Monark" for detailed photos of the Westfield Feathers.
Dan "Bicyclebones" for the fender rolling.
"Vapor" Anderson for welding my fender tab and rack.

Everyone at The CABE for advice, friendship, parts and help!  *Thanks Guys!*


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## Buster1 (Nov 11, 2012)




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## Buster1 (Nov 11, 2012)

How she looked on arrival.


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## HIGGINSFOREVER (Nov 11, 2012)

That two tone blue is outstanding.beautiful job.


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## mruiz (Nov 11, 2012)

*Nice*

Two thums up!


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## militarymonark (Nov 11, 2012)

Amazing job!


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## Kscheel (Nov 11, 2012)

Stunning, well done! I sure wish it was mine.


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## then8j (Nov 11, 2012)

You really got all the detail perfectly!


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## Nickinator (Nov 11, 2012)

Awesome job Nate, I'm glad you finally have her done, she's really beautiful!
(and I thought my before pic was bad!)

Darcie


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## s1b (Nov 11, 2012)

*Wow!*

Very stunning!


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## Gary Mc (Nov 11, 2012)

Like everyone else, all I can say is WOW & STUNNING, especially considering what you started with!!!!!!!!!  Great job & congrats on a truly stunningly beautiful restoration.  Love the colors!!!!!!


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## old hotrod (Nov 11, 2012)

Very nice job...Westfields don't always get the support other brands do so I really appreiate you bringing the bike back to where it belongs...now load it up and bring it to So Cal for a ride with the Cyclone Coasters sometime, there are a few Westfield fans out here...


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## SirMike1983 (Nov 11, 2012)

I like the blue on blue scheme you did with it. Nice bike.


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## Buster1 (Nov 11, 2012)

Thanks for all the compliments guys and gals.  I really appreciate it!  It was a ton of paint-work and detailing, but it was so fun...and worth it.  The care and detail they did on these old bikes was incredible.

Old Hotrod, I have felt the same as well about the under-appreciated Westfield.  This bike actually 'came' with an Elgin that I recovered and I figured "oh what the heck."  I'm glad I did the work on her and gained a real appreciation for the Westfield line and their awesome bikes.  I am glad to have found the old Duo-tone Blue underneath the grime and house paint, and I think it's cool to know that the bike looks about like she was off the line in '41.

Nate / Buster


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## cyclingday (Nov 11, 2012)

What a fabulous transformation from rusted hulk, to gleaming beauty.

I just bought a 39 Westfield/Seminole dashboard bike, and I took it out on its maiden voyage last weekend, and I've got to say, that I really love that bike.
The frame geometry is  decieving, because it looks like a very small bike, and I thought that it was going to feel really cramped. But, to my surprise, it feels super comfortable and very manueverable.
Now that I've had a chance to compare it with other bikes of the era, I'd say that Westfield was way ahead of everybody else in frame design. (Low bottom bracket/crank hanger, and a fairly steep head tube angle.)

Buster, you're bike looks absolutely magnificent in the Duo Blue paint scheme. The paint graphics were one of the first things that inspired me to want a Westfield built bike, and yours is really stunning!
Great job, Nate! You've rescued another classic bike from the scrap heap, and you should be really proud of your accomplishment.


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## 1918 Ranger (Nov 11, 2012)

Nice. !!


1918 Ranger


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## MrColumbia (Nov 12, 2012)

Nice Job! It makes you appreciate what it was like for a kid to see it in a bike shop for the first time. The wow factor is just incredable.


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## HIGGINSFOREVER (Nov 12, 2012)

Check out mike up there in dudley ma. he can hook you up with the complete dash and lite.


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## dfa242 (Nov 12, 2012)

Beautiful restoration job - same paint scheme as the original paint version I picked up from _bikewhorder_ this summer.


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## Buster1 (Nov 12, 2012)

Thanks guys!  I am humbled.

Dfa,  that is remarkable!  I never knew anyone else has a duo tone blue!  I could have used yours for a reference in a few tight spots.  Way cool that you have that bike!  Thanks for sharing.


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## Buster1 (Nov 12, 2012)

Gene, I will do that.  However I will be searching for _just_ the light and no dashboard...here's why.

Here is a Columbia Built 1941 catalog I got from Ken Kowal.  We believe that my bike was a "standard" model F69T.  Some of the deluxe models had the crossbarred handle bars and coke bottle grips.  Mine was found with the bars as seen on the bike now.  These Standard models had no crossbars and had pointy grips, and generally no dashboard.  The also came with a non-shrouded torpedo light...which I hope to find someday!


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## dfa242 (Nov 12, 2012)

Buster1 said:


> Thanks guys!  I am humbled.
> 
> Dfa,  that is remarkable!  I never knew anyone else has a duo tone blue!  I could have used yours for a reference in a few tight spots.  Way cool that you have that bike!  Thanks for sharing.




Yes, I would have gladly shared photos with you had I known you were going with this scheme (not that it looks like you needed any help - it looks fantastic)!  I'll also see if I can find the '41 catalog page showing the headlight on mine as well - I'll send it to you if I can uncover it.


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## bricycle (Nov 12, 2012)

That's a beaut!!!!! phenom job!


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## Mole (Nov 12, 2012)

Nice job. That sure is pretty.


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