Columbia Special Deluxe Barn find

[razinhellcustomz]

Working on a reproduction tank. In the middle of the paint job. I was unable to find the correct style decal, so trying my hand at re-creating one.
With the help of photo shop, I'm getting close. Just have to find a shop that will transform it to a decal.View attachment 1130821 View attachment 1130822before photoshop

 

[razinhellcustomz]

Their is a guy named Richard Holmes in Utah that does decals. He does great work and is very reasonable. You can check him out on FEE bay. Good luck and Ride on. Razin.

 

[Mercian]

Hi @Dazed & Confused

Thanks for the updated info. My question is the two stamped numbers (H11 ) Frame is stamped Nov 1941 and the (G9241) is this the assembly date and stamped
after Pearl Harbor and before Jan 1942. In other words, This bike was built up finishing the stock on the floor prior to the factory bicycle shut down.

It's a little difficult to know exactly what happened with your bike. So far, it's the only known survivor of G serialed bikes built in 1941. the late 1941 batch is relatively small, G5000 to G17433, so 12433 bikes

There were 220595 Westfield made bikes built in 1941, so an average of 605 bikes a day, so 12433 is roughly 20 days of production at the end of 1941.

I guess it is possible that they were being built out of remaining stock, but so far there's no way of knowing. If we get a couple more examples in the future, that will help.

Best Regards,

Adrian

 

[Dazed & Confused]

Adrian, you are providing truly interesting information. Where are you mining all this knowledge, you must have your hands on some factory logs of some sort. I had no idea this 20 dollar bike was such a odd ball, but of the possible 12433 made in that time period, there must be a few more floating around.
Keep me updated if others of the like show up. We are lucky people like you are so devoted to the biking history.

In your opinion: How many pre-war era survive? one in hundred, one in a thousand...

Would you know if the "Special Deluxe" model would have originally come with a tank/chain guard/rack? I have not found witness markings on frame for a tank.

 

[Mercian]

Hi, no factory logs survive, according to Mr. Columbia. He gathered what information he could for a now defunct website.

I came along later, interested in production details of the G519 Military bikes, again johan Willaert's Liberator site was, and is a fantastic resource, but had little on dating the bikes. I started to collect known survivor details for the Westfield and Huffman G519's, and this eventually expanded to all prewar Westfields.Also, you gather other info as you go along. This bike will help more than many do, since it will help me resolve when MF series G519's were made, and MG series G519's. So, a good $20 spent, thanks (-:

And, yes, I think between 1 in 500, (0.2%) and 1 in 1000 (0.1%)survive, depending on the model, date etc. so there may be 12 1941 G serialed bikes out there.

I'm away from my notes at the moment, but I'll look later in the week to see if I have references of other bikes close to it, that could help with the tank/guard/rack question.

Best Regards,

Adrian

 

[Dazed & Confused]

Needs to be roughed up to add a few decades of age.

 

[razinhellcustomz]

Nice pick up on the chain ring, I missed that. I should have witteled him down on the price.

If you are referencing the front sprocket, It is in fact the original due to the fact i have a Columbia Rambler from the same era with the same sprocket. If it were of Schwinn origin it would probably be of the sweet heart variety. Razin.

 

[razinhellcustomz]

I wouldn't have gone past $19.00 myself....

Great score, congrat's. Keep us posted on how this turns out for you.

Really? You must be a real CHISLER!!

 

[Dazed & Confused]

Added a rear reflector. Need some white wall tires, maybe US Royal Chains.

 

[Dazed & Confused]

Stripe added