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Inquiry on Old Columbia Bikes (and a Sears one)

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the Sears bicycle looks to be a Murray product

it will have along number stamped into the frame beginning with 502, indicating a Murray product

this long number is not a serial but rather an item number from Sears

as others have stated so clearly it is essentially valueless

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Hi @goodvibe

Some background to the two Westfield Columbia bikes.

They are both wartime 1942 examples, and a great demonstration of how production of civilian bikes evolved during that year.

G42988 was made around March 1942 (I can tell you more accurately, if you tell me the number above the serial like J2 or J3, you can see the J11 on the other frame, which we'll get to). It is still essentially a prewar lightweight sports tourist model, except that it is one of the first to have 'blackout' parts, that is, some of the parts like the rear brake and chainwheel are coated black, rather than chromed, to save chrome for the war effort. Production of this bike overlaps with the beginning of the standard Military bikes made by Westfield, G519 MG series, so that the closest known survivor is MG42966, 22 frames earlier, so built the same day, or day before, belonging to @Goldslinger


W106797, J11, was one of the last bikes to be built in 1942 (the last was W112859). It is a Sports Tourist Model VG295. The frame was made in November 1942, and the bike built up in December 1942. Bikes by this point were rationed, and technically, the only way to obtain it was to apply for a permit, working for a specified necessary profession.
The bike has been simplified in comparison to G42988. To save further material it would have been supplied without a headbadge, bell, stand, chainguard, and with blackout parts and in a standard colour. So this bike never had a headbadge, and instead the frame serial number starts with a W to identify it as a Westfield bike. The Red colour is one of the standard colours available. The chainguard and lights are not original to it, but have been there a long time, and I'd be inclined to leave them on. The chainwheel is the first I've seen of that type, and I suspect is not original. It probably should have the same type as the other Columbia, in blackout, but again, war shortages caused strange things to happen, and I wouldn't totally discount it being correct without looking at it first hand for vidence either way. So I'd probably leave it on too.

Coincidentally, @Goldslinger owns the nearest known survivor to this one too, W105355.


I can't help with the Sears bike.

I hope that makes sense, ask if you'd like clarification. If you do come across the other number for the first frame, I'd like it to help improve my records.

Thanks,

Best Regards,

Adrian
 
Fantastic information about them. They really have survived well and the paint looks amazing with a nice aged patina. Lube and wipe down and wax.

Congratulations on a couple great war time riders!
 
I have Columbia Sports Tourist S/N G49433 with a J3 and small, lightly struck 4 on the underside of the bottom bracket. I think that means the frame was marked in late March or early April of 1942. It was my dad’s bike. He bought it in the summer of 1942 in Washington, D.C. with transportation ration coupons when it got too hard to get gas for his ‘36 Pontiac. He was a young physicist at the Naval Ordnance Lab at the time so that may explain why he was able to get the ration coupons. It spent a long time under a porch near the ocean, so I’m afraid I’m putting it through a restoration rather than a preservation. Nice to see your pictures of the same bike only 6,444 before mine. I’ve read Westfield Manufacturing was making like 4,000 a day at that time so our bikes might have been made the same week. I’m new to this forum and nearing completion of the restoration, so I will post photos when I get it back together in the next few weeks. Paint and decals have been taking forever.
0421E097-60CC-40D8-A416-8464CFC18D85.jpeg
1209D258-5CB1-4028-A0AF-E11B2DA17952.jpeg
 
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Hi @TequilaMockingbird

Thanks for sharing details of your bike. It's rare to get such a detailed history, and it's good you are taking the trouble to restore it.

G49433 J3. As you said, the frame was made in April 1942, and would have been built up into a bike in April or early May 1942.

Here is one with a serial number a little closer to yours: G53334 J3:


From the listings I've compiled, extract below, you can see that the bike belonging to @goodvibe (green highlight) and you (yellow highlight) are surrounded by Military pattern G519 bicycles from the first MG contract for Westfield, and so, even at the time, were scarce to find.

1623838882090.png


If you could supply details (or photos) of the chain wheel and brake, that will fill in some of the N/K on your line in this list.

It would probably be best to start a new topic for your restoration to stop it getting tangled and lost with this topic.

Best Regards,

Adrian
 
I have Columbia Sports Tourist S/N G49433 with a J3 and small, lightly struck 4 on the underside of the bottom bracket. I think that means the frame was marked in late March or early April of 1942. It was my dad’s bike. He bought it in the summer of 1942 in Washington, D.C. with transportation ration coupons when it got too hard to get gas for his ‘36 Pontiac. He was a young physicist at the Naval Ordnance Lab at the time so that may explain why he was able to get the ration coupons. It spent a long time under a porch near the ocean, so I’m afraid I’m putting it through a restoration rather than a preservation. Nice to see your pictures of the same bike only 6,444 before mine. I’ve read Westfield Manufacturing was making like 4,000 a day at that time so our bikes might have been made the same week. I’m new to this forum and nearing completion of the restoration, so I will post photos when I get it back together in the next few weeks. Paint and decals have been taking forever.View attachment 1430285View attachment 1430286
You may want to start a separate post for your bike. V/r Shawn
 
I have Columbia Sports Tourist S/N G49433 with a J3 and small, lightly struck 4 on the underside of the bottom bracket. I think that means the frame was marked in late March or early April of 1942. It was my dad’s bike. He bought it in the summer of 1942 in Washington, D.C. with transportation ration coupons when it got too hard to get gas for his ‘36 Pontiac. He was a young physicist at the Naval Ordnance Lab at the time so that may explain why he was able to get the ration coupons. It spent a long time under a porch near the ocean, so I’m afraid I’m putting it through a restoration rather than a preservation. Nice to see your pictures of the same bike only 6,444 before mine. I’ve read Westfield Manufacturing was making like 4,000 a day at that time so our bikes might have been made the same week. I’m new to this forum and nearing completion of the restoration, so I will post photos when I get it back together in the next few weeks. Paint and decals have been taking forever.View attachment 1430285View attachment 1430286
Welcome! And thanks for posting photos.
 
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