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Prewar Columbia

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I'm kinda thinking that is an "F" (1941). Everything I've seen from that period the two character code is always one letter above. Westfield experts? @MrColumbia @catfish ? It would also be good if someone could clarify the model letter designations. In the pre war Columbia book it says the cat runs through 1941 and the last model designations are "E". I always thought that the "F9T" was only used for the reproduction bikes. Generally when I see a SW Floating hub it is a '41 model. V/r Shawn
 
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& Torrington signal p
I'm kinda thinking that is an "F" (1941). Everything I've seen from that period the two character code is always one letter above. Westfield experts? @MrColumbia @catfish ? It would also be good if someone could clarify the model letter designations. In the pre war Columbia book it says the cat runs through 1941 and the last model designations are "E". I always thought that the "F9T" was only used for the reproduction bikes. Generally when I see a SW Floating hub it is a '41 model. V/r Shawn

The Columbia book is a little tricky. It says it runs 1936 through 1941 but the catalogs in my copy are only 1937 through 1940.
The copy of the catalog page you provided is of a 1940 Columbia. 1941 Columbia bicycles had the solid ribbed chainguard and the trainlight.
 
I'm kinda thinking that is an "F" (1941). Everything I've seen from that period the two character code is always one letter above. Westfield experts? @MrColumbia @catfish ? It would also be good if someone could clarify the model letter designations. In the pre war Columbia book it says the cat runs through 1941 and the last model designations are "E". I always thought that the "F9T" was only used for the reproduction bikes. Generally when I see a SW Floating hub it is a '41 model. V/r Shawn

The prewar Columbia book does run thru 1941. @tryder. At least my copy does, pages 126 to 140 are of a 1941 Columbia-Built catalog and show the model numbers starting with 'F'. On page 125 is the page 12 of the 1940 Columbia catalog which shows that the Stewart-Warner floating hub was available from Columbia in 1940. I have a 1940 ad that shows a Westfield bike with the hub.

The two character code 'G10' also seems to fit 1940. There is a list compiled by CABE member Mercian that shows the correlation between those numbers and the serial number. The list shows that in 40 and 41 the two character code ran two letters ahead of the serial number. An E letter serial number in the 120,000 range fits the G10 code, whereas an F letter serial number in that range would have an H code.

The F9T was a real model from 1941, not just used for the reproductions.
 
The prewar Columbia book does run thru 1941. @tryder. At least my copy does, pages 126 to 140 are of a 1941 Columbia-Built catalog and show the model numbers starting with 'F'. On page 125 is the page 12 of the 1940 Columbia catalog which shows that the Stewart-Warner floating hub was available from Columbia in 1940. I have a 1940 ad that shows a Westfield bike with the hub.

The two character code 'G10' also seems to fit 1940. There is a list compiled by CABE member Mercian that shows the correlation between those numbers and the serial number. The list shows that in 40 and 41 the two character code ran two letters ahead of the serial number. An E letter serial number in the 120,000 range fits the G10 code, whereas an F letter serial number in that range would have an H code.

The F9T was a real model from 1941, not just used for the reproductions.
Thanks I have a new found interest in these models and am trying to make sense of it. The reason I'm selling my Seminole is that I'm upgrading to something pretty special. V/r Shawn
 
I cleaned up the mystery letter at the beginning of the serial. It looks an F and an E depending on lighting, camera angle etc.
Here's after cleaning it with and without the flash. With the flash it looks like an F and without looks like E.
I'm thinking it is an E that is very weak at the bottom.
I tried to clean it a little more after these pics and it went back to looking like F.
All in all I think it is in fact an E serial, which along with the G10 code, confirms its a 1940.

20180211_114523.jpg
20180211_114539.jpg
 
The prewar Columbia book does run thru 1941. @tryder. At least my copy does, pages 126 to 140 are of a 1941 Columbia-Built catalog and show the model numbers starting with 'F'. On page 125 is the page 12 of the 1940 Columbia catalog which shows that the Stewart-Warner floating hub was available from Columbia in 1940. I have a 1940 ad that shows a Westfield bike with the hub.

The two character code 'G10' also seems to fit 1940. There is a list compiled by CABE member Mercian that shows the correlation between those numbers and the serial number. The list shows that in 40 and 41 the two character code ran two letters ahead of the serial number. An E letter serial number in the 120,000 range fits the G10 code, whereas an F letter serial number in that range would have an H code.

The F9T was a real model from 1941, not just used for the reproductions.

My copy, which I picked up on sale late last year, does not have actual page numbers, nor does it include a 1941 catalog.
This is the cover of the last catalog in my book:
1940 Columbia Catalog Cover.jpg

I believe this is the cover of the 1940 Columbia catalog.
Notice the chain guard. It is the "cheese grater" style and has a solid cream background like the bicycle that belongs to Jay81. I believe that I have the same bicycle year and model that belongs to Jay81 (same paint scheme on chain guard, same creme box fenders with feral for shielded horn light cable) only less complete and in Carmine (Maroon). Now I am going to have to take it out of its box, photograph it, and post it along with serial numbers.
Also, if you look at the earlier Columbia Catalogs, you will see that the years that used the "cheese grater" chain guard had different paint schemes, which leads me to believe that model year can be roughly identified by appearance if the the bicycle still sports original chain guard and fenders....but you never know...perhaps my bike is a '39 .. the proof is in the pudding (serial number) as they say..I will try to post photos my bicycle later this evening.
 
Thanks I have a new found interest in these models and am trying to make sense of it. The reason I'm selling my Seminole is that I'm upgrading to something pretty special. V/r Shawn
Wow. Hard to upgrade from that...must be my personal Holy grail: The Columba Special Twinbar Airider.
 
My flash kinda washed the pic out and this is a pic of a '41 model (floating hub). The horn light is gonna be tough. You might be able to find the rack badge from one of the F9T reproductions. Cool bike. V/r Shawn
View attachment 752104
Bike is unusual, most Clamshell tanks have internal horn. Early clamshell tanks used the person's reflector lite, later used the Columbia specific fender light like the repop. I have a horn light for sale...Like to see inside of tank

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The E19T image is from the 1940 catalog. E would be 40 and F from 41. The F9T reproductions are of a 1941 bike.




The F129288 number would be 1941, a 1939 number would have a D letter prefix.

My suspicion is that the serial number on Jay81s bike actually starts with 'E'. The middle picture of the serial number appears to show a faint line at the bottom of the E.
The bike looks like a 40 with the ferrule on the front fender for the horn light conduit. And the chainguard is consistent with 40.

And Jay81, this a very cool Columbia in a nice color. Best of luck in finding the horn light, it would be nice to complete this bike.
And I'd guess this did not have the dashboard as the stem looks original and the dashboard required a different stem.
agreed, no dashboard..

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