37fleetwood
Riding a '37 Fleetwood
Ok, first thing, I hope I don't upset anyone by going contrary to popular belief but since I got my streamliner I have been kinda obsessed with it. if it upsets anyone that I post photos of these amazing bikes that have been gleaned from the web and other places let me know and I'll take them down.
I have a 1937 Fleetwood that I got from ebay some time ago. I started where lots of novices start, with Uncle Leon. He told me I didn't have a 1937 Firestone until he told me I did. He was kinda right, there are differences but he was also wrong. I am not going to blindly let anyone make a pronouncement like that, and with some diligence anyone can find most of this information themselves. thats when I started to study and here is what I have found. streamliners were offered through Firestone from 1937 to 1938. All originals I have ever seen have had the straight rear bars also, so far as far as I know, all the originals that have been found with headbadges intact have been Fleetwood badges. I have seen a Dayton badged bike with the curved bars that was pretty convincing but had some questionable oddities to it. I am still of the opinion that it is an incredibly cool fake someone made. other than that I havent found any differences in the frames from 1937 to 1938. all the other differences I have found are in the accessories. WARNING!! most bicycle companies were notorious for using left over parts until they ran out so exact dating by accessories is precarious at best. lots of people explain away lots of wrong crap on bikes by the excuse that they didn't always come as they were portrayed in the catalogs. I agree to a point. I have seen lots of the originals and have all the catalogs and other literature available but have found the catalogs to be the most reliable source.
first most of the catalogs show the twin Delta Silver Rays But most Fleetwoods Came with a fender mounted aluminum torpedo.
The fenders were Macaulley deep and are hard to fake since the front have the indentation for the initial plate and the rear has no holes for braces. also they are different in length from the several other sets I have seen or had. even different from other sets from Huffman bikes I have. the Stainless fenders are kinda difficult to place as ShutterbugKELLY's is the first ones Ive seen that are truly convincingly original.
The stem in 1937 was the Same on all the Huffman made bikes and is most commonly called a "putter" stem as it looks like the head of a golfing Putter. they were weak and broke easily so starting in 1938 a Wald no.3 was used for years. the 1937 Firestones used a different stem than the other Huffmans. Firestone had 3 "speed lines" and the others had only one (at least thats what the catalogs show). most of the repops are the single line type because when Jerry made them all he had was the single line variety.
The chain guard was the same on both years though I have seen a 1937 with the "mesh" guard original on it. Technically the Huffman bikes came with the mesh guard and the other guard was strictly Firestone issue from 1937 to 1939. I have seen a few Twin Flex Firestones with the "Crows Beak" guard but for the most part it would have been the Firestone guard. Again the 3 "Speed Lines" motif was used. All the Huffman guards from this era had a weakness at the rear mount and were taken off and or thrown away after breaking and are fairly rare and expensive. Many bikes you find will have the guard missing but the rear strap still attached with another guard installed next to it.
the pedals most common were the Persons Streamlined but I have also seen Torrington Streamlined on them.
the seat used mostly was the long spring messinger though mine came with the same Troxel seat as the Schwinn Aerocycles and I have since been pursuaded by some of the literature and photos of originals that both were used. most likely when they ran out of something at the factory they ordered comparable replacements if the supplier was out of stock of the standard equipment, going back to original when the other came in.
the tanks to my finding are slightly different. 1937 is the first year for the "Zephyr" tank and it was used 'til at least 1940 maybe even some in 1941. so far I have found 3 varients. in 1937 the vents at the front are stamped a little lower than the later ones. I found this out when I decided I would use the "best" two tank halves I had on mine and when I put them together you could immediately see they were different. 1938 and 1939 seem to be the same and the ones used later are held into the bike in a totally different way at the front. Again the 3 "speed lines" thing.
the rack from 1937 to 1938 are a little different. like the fenders they were made by Macaulley and would seem to be fairly common except for the small opening at the mid way point on the side of the rack for a strap to hold your school books down. 1937 has a rear reflector area, 1938 this was done away with and the skirt of the rack is the same at the back as on the sides. Many bikes used these racks but the correct ones have the openings at the sides.
I am open to changing my opinions on any of this stuff if compelling evidence comes in such as the stainless fenders which 'til recently I was very skeptical about.
hope this helps. ask if you need and I will help if I can.
Scott
I have a 1937 Fleetwood that I got from ebay some time ago. I started where lots of novices start, with Uncle Leon. He told me I didn't have a 1937 Firestone until he told me I did. He was kinda right, there are differences but he was also wrong. I am not going to blindly let anyone make a pronouncement like that, and with some diligence anyone can find most of this information themselves. thats when I started to study and here is what I have found. streamliners were offered through Firestone from 1937 to 1938. All originals I have ever seen have had the straight rear bars also, so far as far as I know, all the originals that have been found with headbadges intact have been Fleetwood badges. I have seen a Dayton badged bike with the curved bars that was pretty convincing but had some questionable oddities to it. I am still of the opinion that it is an incredibly cool fake someone made. other than that I havent found any differences in the frames from 1937 to 1938. all the other differences I have found are in the accessories. WARNING!! most bicycle companies were notorious for using left over parts until they ran out so exact dating by accessories is precarious at best. lots of people explain away lots of wrong crap on bikes by the excuse that they didn't always come as they were portrayed in the catalogs. I agree to a point. I have seen lots of the originals and have all the catalogs and other literature available but have found the catalogs to be the most reliable source.
first most of the catalogs show the twin Delta Silver Rays But most Fleetwoods Came with a fender mounted aluminum torpedo.
The fenders were Macaulley deep and are hard to fake since the front have the indentation for the initial plate and the rear has no holes for braces. also they are different in length from the several other sets I have seen or had. even different from other sets from Huffman bikes I have. the Stainless fenders are kinda difficult to place as ShutterbugKELLY's is the first ones Ive seen that are truly convincingly original.
The stem in 1937 was the Same on all the Huffman made bikes and is most commonly called a "putter" stem as it looks like the head of a golfing Putter. they were weak and broke easily so starting in 1938 a Wald no.3 was used for years. the 1937 Firestones used a different stem than the other Huffmans. Firestone had 3 "speed lines" and the others had only one (at least thats what the catalogs show). most of the repops are the single line type because when Jerry made them all he had was the single line variety.
The chain guard was the same on both years though I have seen a 1937 with the "mesh" guard original on it. Technically the Huffman bikes came with the mesh guard and the other guard was strictly Firestone issue from 1937 to 1939. I have seen a few Twin Flex Firestones with the "Crows Beak" guard but for the most part it would have been the Firestone guard. Again the 3 "Speed Lines" motif was used. All the Huffman guards from this era had a weakness at the rear mount and were taken off and or thrown away after breaking and are fairly rare and expensive. Many bikes you find will have the guard missing but the rear strap still attached with another guard installed next to it.
the pedals most common were the Persons Streamlined but I have also seen Torrington Streamlined on them.
the seat used mostly was the long spring messinger though mine came with the same Troxel seat as the Schwinn Aerocycles and I have since been pursuaded by some of the literature and photos of originals that both were used. most likely when they ran out of something at the factory they ordered comparable replacements if the supplier was out of stock of the standard equipment, going back to original when the other came in.
the tanks to my finding are slightly different. 1937 is the first year for the "Zephyr" tank and it was used 'til at least 1940 maybe even some in 1941. so far I have found 3 varients. in 1937 the vents at the front are stamped a little lower than the later ones. I found this out when I decided I would use the "best" two tank halves I had on mine and when I put them together you could immediately see they were different. 1938 and 1939 seem to be the same and the ones used later are held into the bike in a totally different way at the front. Again the 3 "speed lines" thing.
the rack from 1937 to 1938 are a little different. like the fenders they were made by Macaulley and would seem to be fairly common except for the small opening at the mid way point on the side of the rack for a strap to hold your school books down. 1937 has a rear reflector area, 1938 this was done away with and the skirt of the rack is the same at the back as on the sides. Many bikes used these racks but the correct ones have the openings at the sides.
I am open to changing my opinions on any of this stuff if compelling evidence comes in such as the stainless fenders which 'til recently I was very skeptical about.
hope this helps. ask if you need and I will help if I can.
Scott
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