What year is this Colson????

[Wayne Adam]

What year is this Colson ?, I am confused. When I bought it a few years ago, I figured it was an early to mid '40s.
It is all original and unrestored, with the blister tank, the clipper guard, the truss rods, the curved rack and the browless Rocket Ray.
So, according to many pictures I have seen, it is early to mid '40s, but it has forward facing drop outs.
The serial number on the BB is 01319.
Can anyone out there give me an exact year for the bike?................Thanks, Wayne

 

[jkent]

What type of hub is on the rear? if Morrow it can be dated.

 

[Wayne Adam]

jkent

The hub is a New Departure Model D..........Wayne

 

[Boris]

This one, mysterious as it may be, probably is, as Bob said in your other thread, an effort to use up existing parts. I have seen the Clipper chain guard used with the blister tank before. I stand by my assumption about the dropouts being postwar. The wheels seem to be postwar. I can't say that I've seen that stamped rack used on postwar bikes before (but I have a bad memory). My book doesn't show (that I can see) a Rocket Ray of any sort prior to the war. If your bike is postwar, which I think it is (I'm not an expert), production dates would fall between 1949 and 1953.

 

[Wayne Adam]

Thanks Dave

Thanks Dave...Is there a database for Colson serial numbers?..........Wayne

 

[bikewhorder]

I would wager that its not in the same form that it left the factory in. That rack just looks all wrong on there, I've never seen one on a looptail before.

 

[scrubbinrims]

This one, mysterious as it may be, probably is, as Bob said in your other thread, an effort to use up existing parts. I have seen the Clipper chain guard used with the blister tank before. I stand by my assumption about the dropouts being postwar. The wheels seem to be postwar. I can't say that I've seen that stamped rack used on postwar bikes before (but I have a bad memory). My book doesn't show (that I can see) a Rocket Ray of any sort prior to the war. If your bike is postwar, which I think it is (I'm not an expert), production dates would fall between 1949 and 1953.

This is correct and about as good of information as you'll find.
I found this same bike with the bullseye scout badge myself several years ago missing the rack and rocket ray, but I do not doubt that these are original especially considering how all the paint conveys.
Chris

 

[Fltwd57]

Definitely postwar.. It's a "Special" model, can probably narrow it down to '50 - '51.

 

[bikewhorder]

Well I guess its a good thing nobody took me up on my wager, I had no idea those racks were on post war bikes all the way into the 50's!

 

[Wayne Adam]

Thanks Fltwd57

Thanks!, That's so cool that you have the ad with the same bike with the same exact options. I knew this bike was original and never altered.
Thanks again................Wayne