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Unusual Find Early 1942 Western Flyer Badged CWC Built Mens Ballooner!

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Krakatoa

Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
Recently found in Keene NH this has an A serial, box pin striping at head and a simple graphics scheme on fork and fenders. Color appears to be a maroon at protected area under chain guard clamp. At first I didn't think so but now feel the bars & stem are correct. Frame is unlike what I have seen from CWC before with the straight middle tube, straight down tube and relatively straight chain stays. I can only think that these changes were made to simplify construction in the last months of the prewar period. The seat is a Troxel with oilcloth cover and crash tabs. Rear reflector is glass. Grips are coke repros I added as one damaged coke bottle was present as was the universal guard.

I'll probably let it go, but wanted to see first if anyone had run across this model before and gather some feedback.

Nate VT
401-548-9082

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I don't know about the bars, but the stem looks exactly like the one on my 1942 CWC lightweight, except the plating on yours has survived better!
The color looks like it may be the same as well. Nice find!
 
Nice bike.
What might be overlooked in the frame design, is the down tube which is mostly straight, not curved — until its lines are made fair, almost horizontal, into the bottom bracket.
Most curved down tubes have more of an “S” shape, (curved on the top and bottom).
 
42 CWC built Hawathorne All American style frame, I'm sure the were using up all parts on hand to ship bikes out before production turned to war production. cool bike!
 
Since we are on this topic/time period here's another lightweight that may be another piece of the puzzle...note same guard.


Going to move this one along sometime soon too...

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Is that the guard that was on the "spartan" All American? I wonder what happened to the paint? Did somebody sand blast it?
 
Come to think of it, @HUFFMANBILL says the war time bikes didn't have chain guards, so that could have been aftermarket. Was it originally chrome?
 
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