Jeff54
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
Has anybody ever seen this bike? A DX frame, as commonly known, but the paint scheme is not at all. A triangle on fork, diamond on seat post tube and darts on the bars n DX type frame? That's odd.
I've been trying to figure out why a guy would have repainted or had somebody repaint his beloved childhood bike in a similar fashion but, Not too sure I want to scratch the job off.
Funny bike, and although it's a B serial number, presumed 46, there're a few things about it that indicates, if 46 then late production and possibly an early 47.
A 3 speed simplex I thought was made in 51, but turns out it's actually 47 Tour De France simplex. That got me wondering bout 47 more as, usual for 46DX is a tube rear fender bracket and tapered kick stand. The later 47/8 DX known to have 15" mount hole on rear fender for bracket while this is 14.5, usually for tube bracket while this one has half tube there. Unlike the large badge screw hole distance, while I only have 1 hole showing, centering it looks like it'll take the smaller decorative type or a wholesalers name. It has newer china hoops but, what appears to be the correct New Departure hub remains. I guess, otherwise, that freewheel wouldn't mount.
I've asked a forum where the road bike crews hang and the only response I get is, "That set up wasn't made for this type of bike". but, clearly, obviously, it's there ain't it? [grin]
Maybe it is worth scraping the paint job off. A few chips on fenders, frame and chain guard show the same Maroon under the new color .
I originalyl thought this 3 speed didn't work but, all it needed was a few adjustments. Thought too; the chain guard was cut short to accommodate the simplex, but after adjusting, now, the only reason I can figure out is; it's only so you can see which cog the chain is on in the freewheel. . Because, this old school derailleur, isn't as smooth as more modern types are.
Chain guard, incidentally, is not just the same maroon color as original paint on the bike but, it's not a 50's too. Where cream horizontal striping is, it's filling a channel verses diagonal indentation. And at right ends, there's no diagonal bend for the typical 3/4" downward tail striping. I.E. for the typical diagonal stripe, little end tail on each stripe, to be on this guard, it would be on flat surface verses, following the diagonal impressed bend ; as is the case in 50's guards .
An dealer upgraded/modified (certainly nobody could attribute this simplex to dealer or Schwinn, but frame and year just might align) 1946/47 BO model that now has an exaggerated paint scheme maybe?
Catalogs for 1946 only shows a few models of Schwinn's whole line. 47 doesn't exist 48 includes more coverage where the 26" BO Model is. Prewar BO is a straight bar and yet 48 ya gots the BO in an uncommon paint scheme on what's typically known to be a DX frame as shown in 1st photo.
Recently, I discovered some wholesaler's catalogs showing a lot of Schwinn's in a few years; 1949: Salt lake hardware and 51: Smith Bros. Hardware two years and models that are not otherwise online. (example page from a set of 4 pages in last photo, 1951 > look at the DX frame 26" 'Spitfire' "D25" that has stripes on top and lower bars , that's unusual) Maybe somebody has or has seen similar wholesaler's like Goodyear or hardware stores with more 46 and or 47 models? Maybe, the paint scheme on it now, actually had a BO paint scheme and while exaggerated now, isn't as far off as 1st impression indicates?
I've been trying to figure out why a guy would have repainted or had somebody repaint his beloved childhood bike in a similar fashion but, Not too sure I want to scratch the job off.
Funny bike, and although it's a B serial number, presumed 46, there're a few things about it that indicates, if 46 then late production and possibly an early 47.
A 3 speed simplex I thought was made in 51, but turns out it's actually 47 Tour De France simplex. That got me wondering bout 47 more as, usual for 46DX is a tube rear fender bracket and tapered kick stand. The later 47/8 DX known to have 15" mount hole on rear fender for bracket while this is 14.5, usually for tube bracket while this one has half tube there. Unlike the large badge screw hole distance, while I only have 1 hole showing, centering it looks like it'll take the smaller decorative type or a wholesalers name. It has newer china hoops but, what appears to be the correct New Departure hub remains. I guess, otherwise, that freewheel wouldn't mount.
I've asked a forum where the road bike crews hang and the only response I get is, "That set up wasn't made for this type of bike". but, clearly, obviously, it's there ain't it? [grin]
Maybe it is worth scraping the paint job off. A few chips on fenders, frame and chain guard show the same Maroon under the new color .
I originalyl thought this 3 speed didn't work but, all it needed was a few adjustments. Thought too; the chain guard was cut short to accommodate the simplex, but after adjusting, now, the only reason I can figure out is; it's only so you can see which cog the chain is on in the freewheel. . Because, this old school derailleur, isn't as smooth as more modern types are.
Chain guard, incidentally, is not just the same maroon color as original paint on the bike but, it's not a 50's too. Where cream horizontal striping is, it's filling a channel verses diagonal indentation. And at right ends, there's no diagonal bend for the typical 3/4" downward tail striping. I.E. for the typical diagonal stripe, little end tail on each stripe, to be on this guard, it would be on flat surface verses, following the diagonal impressed bend ; as is the case in 50's guards .
An dealer upgraded/modified (certainly nobody could attribute this simplex to dealer or Schwinn, but frame and year just might align) 1946/47 BO model that now has an exaggerated paint scheme maybe?
Catalogs for 1946 only shows a few models of Schwinn's whole line. 47 doesn't exist 48 includes more coverage where the 26" BO Model is. Prewar BO is a straight bar and yet 48 ya gots the BO in an uncommon paint scheme on what's typically known to be a DX frame as shown in 1st photo.
Recently, I discovered some wholesaler's catalogs showing a lot of Schwinn's in a few years; 1949: Salt lake hardware and 51: Smith Bros. Hardware two years and models that are not otherwise online. (example page from a set of 4 pages in last photo, 1951 > look at the DX frame 26" 'Spitfire' "D25" that has stripes on top and lower bars , that's unusual) Maybe somebody has or has seen similar wholesaler's like Goodyear or hardware stores with more 46 and or 47 models? Maybe, the paint scheme on it now, actually had a BO paint scheme and while exaggerated now, isn't as far off as 1st impression indicates?
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