Alienbaby17
Finally riding a big boys bike
(Moderators please feel free to move if you feel necessary. I wasn't sure where the best place to post this would be. Technically it could go in the Schwinn section, or the motorized bike section- although it's missing the motor right now...or possibly just the general old bike section or even the project section. I placed it here in hopes of reaching the widest audience and potentially getting the help I am looking for.)
Tuesday morning was the "perfect storm" of conditions for me buying something ridiculous. I was on vacation for the week to get some work done on the house before winter. My wife had gone to work and dropped the baby off at her mother's house so that I would have the entire day to myself to get some things done without any interruptions. It was the first day I had completely to myself since our daughter was born just over a year ago.
I helped my wife get herself and the baby out the door and consequently found myself up at six AM. My main project for the day involved re-glazing some windows outside and I was going to wait for it to get light out before I started. With an hour or so to kill I started browsing Craigslist. I came across an ad in the, "Nearby cities" category that listed a "Schwinn Whizzer". The only text said, "1940's Schwinn Whizzer." It had been listed for less than an hour at that point. I quickly fired off an email and asked if they still had the engine as it was not shown in the photos. They replied, "Unfortunately, no." I was a little disappointed but still interested.
With an entire day without any adult supervision ahead of me the temptation to drive 100 miles into the heart of Wisconsin to check this out was almost too much to deny. Unfortunately for me the seller was unavailable until the evening and that night was my wedding anniversary. The seller and I exchanged a series of emails throughout the day and by the evening we had settled on a fair price and scheduled a time for me to come out the next day.
In our correspondence the seller had told me that this had originally been a present for her father-in-law on his twelfth birthday in 1946. Apparently he had kept it for a few years and then sold it when he got his first car. Then, miraculously fifty-some years later a neighbor was cleaning out his shed and found this inside. Somehow they figured out it had been his and it was returned to him in its current condition. It was then kept in his garage/ barn for the last fifteen years. He passed away in August and the family was getting rid of some of his old stuff. I wouldn't exactly call it a "barn find" but it was out in the middle of Wisconsin farm country and there was an old tractor inside the building alongside it so you make the call...
My current plan is to eventually rebuild it back to functional condition using as many original parts as possible. I'm not sure what I'll do with it cosmetically. I kind of like the 'crusty' look of it. It does appear to still have some of the original cranberry colored paint underneath the silver re-paint.
Now here is my first battery of questions:
I'd like to determine its exact age. According to the seller's story it would be a 1946 model. The serial number is B09744. I know this number predates the fire which destroyed the records before 1948 but I was kind of hoping someone on here might know. It has a built in kickstand tube (although no kickstand in it due to having the dropstand) which I believe was a new feature for 1946 so I don't think it's older than that. Anyone able to help on that?
It currently looks to have a Monark non skip-tooth sprocket and corresponding gear on the back wheel. If this is indeed a 1946 Schwinn-based bike shouldn't it be skiptooth? If so, would it have had the "sweetheart" sprocket or "cloverleaf" sprocket originally? It seems like most of these that claim to be original have the "cloverleaf" sprocket. My assumption is that over the years the original skiptooth chain may have broken and someone "upgraded" it to the more modern non-skiptooth setup.
Another odd feature is that it has the "Pal seat" framework although the actual seat is missing. I'd like to get one back on there. Anyone have a good photo of what the seat looked like?
I'd like to find an original era engine for it. That's part of the reason I want to know the year it was built. I'm guessing it's probably the "H" engine if it is a 1946 model.
It's obviously missing some parts. Can anyone tell me about the front fender? I thought I had read somewhere that the fenders were somewhat wider on the Whizzers than the non-motorized bicycles. Will a regular Schwinn ballon tire bicycle fender work?
Any help would be much appreciated. I've had spotty internet for the last several days and haven't been able to do nearly as much research as I'd like.
I'm sure I will have a ton more questions so thanks in advance for any help.
Tuesday morning was the "perfect storm" of conditions for me buying something ridiculous. I was on vacation for the week to get some work done on the house before winter. My wife had gone to work and dropped the baby off at her mother's house so that I would have the entire day to myself to get some things done without any interruptions. It was the first day I had completely to myself since our daughter was born just over a year ago.
I helped my wife get herself and the baby out the door and consequently found myself up at six AM. My main project for the day involved re-glazing some windows outside and I was going to wait for it to get light out before I started. With an hour or so to kill I started browsing Craigslist. I came across an ad in the, "Nearby cities" category that listed a "Schwinn Whizzer". The only text said, "1940's Schwinn Whizzer." It had been listed for less than an hour at that point. I quickly fired off an email and asked if they still had the engine as it was not shown in the photos. They replied, "Unfortunately, no." I was a little disappointed but still interested.
With an entire day without any adult supervision ahead of me the temptation to drive 100 miles into the heart of Wisconsin to check this out was almost too much to deny. Unfortunately for me the seller was unavailable until the evening and that night was my wedding anniversary. The seller and I exchanged a series of emails throughout the day and by the evening we had settled on a fair price and scheduled a time for me to come out the next day.
In our correspondence the seller had told me that this had originally been a present for her father-in-law on his twelfth birthday in 1946. Apparently he had kept it for a few years and then sold it when he got his first car. Then, miraculously fifty-some years later a neighbor was cleaning out his shed and found this inside. Somehow they figured out it had been his and it was returned to him in its current condition. It was then kept in his garage/ barn for the last fifteen years. He passed away in August and the family was getting rid of some of his old stuff. I wouldn't exactly call it a "barn find" but it was out in the middle of Wisconsin farm country and there was an old tractor inside the building alongside it so you make the call...
My current plan is to eventually rebuild it back to functional condition using as many original parts as possible. I'm not sure what I'll do with it cosmetically. I kind of like the 'crusty' look of it. It does appear to still have some of the original cranberry colored paint underneath the silver re-paint.
Now here is my first battery of questions:
I'd like to determine its exact age. According to the seller's story it would be a 1946 model. The serial number is B09744. I know this number predates the fire which destroyed the records before 1948 but I was kind of hoping someone on here might know. It has a built in kickstand tube (although no kickstand in it due to having the dropstand) which I believe was a new feature for 1946 so I don't think it's older than that. Anyone able to help on that?
It currently looks to have a Monark non skip-tooth sprocket and corresponding gear on the back wheel. If this is indeed a 1946 Schwinn-based bike shouldn't it be skiptooth? If so, would it have had the "sweetheart" sprocket or "cloverleaf" sprocket originally? It seems like most of these that claim to be original have the "cloverleaf" sprocket. My assumption is that over the years the original skiptooth chain may have broken and someone "upgraded" it to the more modern non-skiptooth setup.
Another odd feature is that it has the "Pal seat" framework although the actual seat is missing. I'd like to get one back on there. Anyone have a good photo of what the seat looked like?
I'd like to find an original era engine for it. That's part of the reason I want to know the year it was built. I'm guessing it's probably the "H" engine if it is a 1946 model.
It's obviously missing some parts. Can anyone tell me about the front fender? I thought I had read somewhere that the fenders were somewhat wider on the Whizzers than the non-motorized bicycles. Will a regular Schwinn ballon tire bicycle fender work?
Any help would be much appreciated. I've had spotty internet for the last several days and haven't been able to do nearly as much research as I'd like.
I'm sure I will have a ton more questions so thanks in advance for any help.