Thanks a lot to several of you I have narrowed down the year of my recently acquired Shelby to the mid to late 40's. Possibly its a Hiawatha. I'm not clear if Shelby stopped all bike production during the war or just for part of it. I know that chrome plating was banned generally during the war and paint or iron oxide was often substituted. GradyIII has a nice '45 Hiawatha showing chrome crank/sprocket, bars and gooseneck. I guess this was one of the first produced after the war ended. My bike has no chrome, but silver paint on those parts. So I'm wondering if mine is a lower grade version or maybe an early '45 using painted parts when chrome was banned during the war?? Any ideas?
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Shelby Bikes during WWII?
- Thread starter ToddF
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Freqman1
Riding a '37 Dayton Super Streamline
Someone painted these parts-not factory.
Archie Sturmer
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
Below is a link to a Shelby Ohio historical site.
For the wartime, the "switch" did not turn 'off' overnight. Some production and assembly continued into 1942.*
*One can also do some "do-it-yourself" research into the government's regulations, published for-all-to-see in the Federal Register archives. (A very hard-read).
After the war, the "switch" did not turn back 'on' overnight neither. I believe that 1945 bikes may have been unlikely for Shelby.
Good form, in starting your own separate thread.
Shelby Bicycle Industry Timeline - Shelby Cycle History
Shelby Steel Tube Co. 1891 Lozier-Yost Seamless Tube Works, then The Shelby Steel Tube Co. formed Lozier and Yost and bring technology back from England Jonas Feighner and Capt. D.L. Cockley raised $37,500 from Shelbians toward the venture. Among original board members are J.A. Seltzer, Shelby...
www.shelbycyclehistory.org
For the wartime, the "switch" did not turn 'off' overnight. Some production and assembly continued into 1942.*
*One can also do some "do-it-yourself" research into the government's regulations, published for-all-to-see in the Federal Register archives. (A very hard-read).
After the war, the "switch" did not turn back 'on' overnight neither. I believe that 1945 bikes may have been unlikely for Shelby.
Good form, in starting your own separate thread.
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Freqman1
Riding a '37 Dayton Super Streamline
I'm not sure the stem and bars are even what originally came on that bike. This is what is left of a Shelby and other than nailing down the year you can't hope for much more e.g. model. What I would do though is straighten that fork.
Archie Sturmer
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
Some chrome is of a quality that does not last for 80-years.
When I prime and paint my formerly-plated parts, I chemically and/or mechanically remove the rust and loose plating, (or even send to sand blast).
And one may be surprised at what a sheet of sand paper can do.
Might there logically be some plating left hidden underneath the paint, that one can not directly see.
Looks like the chain is about 2" too-long.
When I prime and paint my formerly-plated parts, I chemically and/or mechanically remove the rust and loose plating, (or even send to sand blast).
And one may be surprised at what a sheet of sand paper can do.
Might there logically be some plating left hidden underneath the paint, that one can not directly see.
Looks like the chain is about 2" too-long.
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I agree, its just and old partial bike not anything worth restoring, I'm curious. I did straighten the forks a couple days ago using a simple method I saw on YT. Pretty sure the stem and bars are Shelby cuz I've seen the same on photos of other ones.
Good point. I'll do some paint scraping and so what underneath.
THE STIG
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
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