Hi Ya Watha

[Misterclassic]

I dug out my Hiawatha 26” from the corn crib on the farm where I grew up. History: I received the bike new in 1967, give or take. My dad bought it through a Gambles store that my uncle managed. See the serial # below, can anyone tell me what I have as far as mfg date, etc? The bike itself has been pretty much stripped, no fenders, the tank is gone, just the frame, fork, handlebar, chain guard, chain and wheels. It has the Bendix RB2 coaster brake. I want to get it rolling again but curious as to the age, etc. Thanks in advance!

 

[bloo]

From the shape of that dropout, it was built by Murray. Those numbers don't make a lot of sense to me. They don't remind me of anything I've seen in the old Murray serial number threads. Maybe @Adamtinkerer will know something.

 

[Archie Sturmer]

Reminds me of my only 1960's middleweight, a black Murray, WG3 … 808A ~270000 serial, also presumed to be a Gambles Hiawatha; (traditional cantilever frame).

I believe that the cantilever tubes attached to the sides of the down tube (versus the top/rear of down tube), may have been a design change from the later-half of the 1960's .

 

[bloo]

Pics of the whole bike, especially one from the drive side, and one of the badge if it is there might narrow things down.

 

[Robert Troub]

So it was new in 1967.....and you want to know the age?!

 

[Misterclassic]

Pics of the whole bike, especially one from the drive side, and one of the badge if it is there might narrow things down.

The badge is gone too. The seat and pedals most likely are replacements, sorry there isn’t more to go on. As to the age of the bike, I can’t remember the exact year I got it, I’m just guessing, plus it couldn’t have been expensive or Dad wouldn’t have bought it. There’s probably little value other than sentimental.

 

[Misterclassic]

The badge is gone too. The seat and pedals most likely are replacements, sorry there isn’t more to go on. As to the age of the bike, I can’t remember the exact year I got it, I’m just guessing, plus it couldn’t have been expensive or Dad wouldn’t have bought it. There’s probably little value other than sentimental.

View attachment 1665305

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There is also the front plastic piece to the tank. It wasn’t high quality, even when new.

 

[GTs58]

Could the year be much earlier, like 1963? Here's the 63 catalog, picture #10

1963 Murray Catalog – Dave's Vintage Bicycles

www.nostalgic.net

 

[Misterclassic]

Could the year be much earlier, like 1963? Here's the 63 catalog, picture #10

1963 Murray Catalog – Dave's Vintage Bicycles

www.nostalgic.net

It sure does look like it! I remember the first thing I did was take off the front & rear racks.
As to the age, the Gambles store was in a small rural Nebraska town and maybe they were shipped the bikes that hadn’t sold elsewhere. Just speculation.

Great detective work!

 

[GTs58]

It sure does look like it! I remember the first thing I did was take off the front & rear racks.
As to the age, the Gambles store was in a small rural Nebraska town and maybe they were shipped the bikes that hadn’t sold elsewhere. Just speculation.

Great detective work!

If it had the Hiawatha tank nose, it was sold by that store chain. Looks like Murray dropped the twin top bars to a single top tube in 1968. Here's a catalog page from 1961, so the plastic tank nose was new that year.