Gramp’s 1941 New World - Trying to get it running as a rat rod bike

[Miq]

Cleaned the hub shells. They look much better now and I got to check out the oil port lid more closely. Cool piece of bike jewelry really. The port tube looks like its plated brass and you can clearly see where it’s pressed into the shell when you look inside since the brass shines. Still want to scrape that dried grease in corners of the channels with a wooden sishkabob skewer and spray it out again before I assemble it.
I can finally see where it says WL on the front hub.

 

[Miq]

I‘m interested if anyone knows what this is from? Some kind of accessory like a speedo?

 

[Miq]

front wheel: 3032
rear: 3033 maybe?

 

[Adamtinkerer]

Miq, I salute your thoroughness and attention to detail!

 

[GTs58]

Excellent photo documentation on the resurrection of Grandpa's Schwinn! That part on the spoke has to be a odometer pin of some sort.

 

[SirMike1983]

Right- it's a basic, pre-war New World. The New World is thought of as a bicycle, but really should be thought of as just a "platform" for a bike because there are so many variations. They range from basic bikes with a one-speed coaster brake up to bikes with 3-speed hubs, hand brakes, and upgraded wheelsets (usually the "Superior" wheels). The New World could be ordered with a huge number of American and English-type parts, depending on what the owner wanted in a bike.

You have a great, family-based project there. It'll be a really nice bike that you can keep and hand down some day in the future.

 

[Andrew Gorman]

Looks like you are having fun with the bike! And New Worlds are nice riding bikes. One thing that usually helps a New Departure hub is replacing the retarder spring. A new one will make the braking and release action a little snappier, and they are widely available NOS.

 

[Miq]

@GTs58 Thanks for the pics! I think the little round part on the pictured part on my spoke must have been a free spinning wheel at some point. Had to hit that cog in the odometer but be able to roll off it.

@SirMike1983 Exactly! The 1940 catalog of parts shows how many different combinations could be put together. This simple version is something you might buy the first year you had a full time job. My grandfather had just started his job in the fall of 1940 and must have bought the bike a few months later in 1941. He would ride this bike to work for many years after.

@Andrew Gorman Thanks for the tip on the ND spring. I will order one before I reassemble. It’s all apart right now so why not?

Thanks guys!

 

[Miq]

Today was a big day for the bike.

Paint remover challenge....

Saturate a rag - rub it on a spot on the inside of the chain guard for a little while - see what happens.

Paint thinner (aka mineral spirits) is not doing anything to Gramp’s rattle can red.

The Goofoff Pro is taking off the most red paint and the rag shows it. I see original maroon!!!!

The Lacquer Thinner is also taking the red paint off but not quite as fast. Better keep trying and see what happens...

 

[Miq]

The little corners of the shapes that are stamped in the guard collected so much of the rattle can red. This wooden shishkabob skewer worked great for breaking apart the red paint so I didn’t have to scour the original paint so long.

That was encouraging.