Westfield Columbia G519 Frame Numbers

[Mercian]

Hi Wakiforkhaki;

a very fair question (-:

It's normally above the serial number. Here is my bike, MG154118,the BB number is K8,meaning the frame was made in August 1943. The bicycle would have been completed a few weeks after this. Yours will probably be J3 (March 1942), or possibly J4 (April 1942).. If something else, that would be interesting too.

Occasionally, the number is stamped upside down, and I have seen J3 that could be mistaken for J8, for example.

Why is it interesting? Well, it helps date the bike more precisely, and also you can see (as with the K8's listed above) that there were a lot all at once, possibly indicating a new contract. Ultimately, I'd like to try to allocate the known contract numbers, but it's more difficult than I thought it would be. Still, I have some ideas.

I hope this helps,

Best Regards,

Adrian

 

[Wackiforkhaki]

Found the mark, J3

 

[Mercian]

Great, Wackiforkhaki,

Thanks for filling that blank in (-:

A+

Adrian

 

[Mercian]

I owned the this bicycle below in the mid-90s....

I bought it as shown below from a Dutch seller at the British War&Peace show in 1997... He had imported it from the US.

This bike had a Columbia headbadge and an MF serial number, and was fitted with balloon tires on two different rims with narrow spokes and New Departure hubs...
Don't know if the number was genuine, or if it was a real Columbia or even a Military model...
I sold this one around 2002 when I found my first MG model and had too many doubts about it...

As this was in pre-digital times I don't have many pictures of this bike and I will look in my old photo boxes to see if I can find more...

View attachment 391324

Hi Johan,

I'm no bike expert, but the rear frame of this bike looks very like the Cleveland Welding one in post 330 here:

http://thecabe.com/forum/threads/cleveland-welding-s-n-project.2705/page-17

so your suspicions were probably right.

Best Regards,

Adrian.

PS, hope to send you the G519 numbers this week.

 

[Coslett]

Mercian -

Updates for you. I own 2 G519's.

#54243 is curved bar with NO BB code. Morrow hub is L2. Pics are attached. Coffin chain ring. Unrestored.

#92217 is straight bar with 'J9' BB code. Morrow hub I'm using is L3. Coffin chain ring. Restoration is ongoing. I would be willing to trade the L3 hub I'm planning to use for an L6 orL7 hub. If someone has an L6 orL7 to sell outright I'd be interested.

 

[HUFFMANBILL]

Mercian -

Updates for you. I own 2 G519's.

#54243 is curved bar with NO BB code. Morrow hub is L2. Pics are attached. Coffin chain ring. Unrestored.

#92217 is straight bar with 'J9' BB code. Morrow hub I'm using is L3. Coffin chain ring. Restoration is ongoing. I would be willing to trade the L3 hub I'm planning to use for an L6 orL7 hub. If someone has an L6 orL7 to sell outright I'd be interested.

View attachment 399380 View attachment 399381

The L3 Hub would be the correct one to use for #92217 with BB code J9 (Sept.,42). Morrow hub date codes use the letter L,M,N,O for the year 42,43,44,45. The numbers after the letter are 1-4 only. Each number represents a quarter year. 1 - Jan.- Mar. 2 - Apr.-Jun. 3 - Jul.- Sept. 4 - Oct.-Dec. So for a Sept.,42 frame the L3 (Jul.-Sept. 42) would be accurate.

Regards,
Bill

 

[Coslett]

Thanks HuffmanBill -

Temporary brain fade on my part. Was thinking the number after the letter was the month when I typed that.

Thanks, Scott

 

[Mercian]

Hi Scott,

Thanks for the input, I'll ensure that the new details are in the next update.

MG54243 helps narrow the gap between curved and straight bar bikes, to find the changeover point. I'm slightly surprised there is no BB code, I would have thought J3 or J4, but it is what it is.

Also, as Bill says, L3 is an ideal Morrow code for frame MG92217.

Best Regards,

Adrian

 

[johan willaert]

Here's another one...

MG-156012-G519-Straight Bar-K8-Morrow-N/K-Sweetheart

 

[Mercian]

Hi Johan,

Thanks for that, it's now added, plus another two or three since Christmas. One I've just been waiting for the current auction to finish before mentioning it:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-WWI...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

MG119128, G519, Straight Bar, K2, Morrow, Coffin.

Another couple and I'll put up a revised list. Anyone got any more details to offer?

Thanks in Anticipation.

Best Regards,

Adrian