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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
So What Do I Have ???
Well, if you have a "Pacemaker", a "Sportsman" or an "Ambassador" , that is pretty apparent. The "Sportsman" is a 20" machine with a kick- start engine. It should have a "300S" or later engine. The "Ambassador" is a 24 inch version of the "Sportsman". It should have a 600S engine. Neither the "Sportsman" or "Ambassador" have pedals. All three models used Whizzers own spring fork. (A few early Pacemakers used Schwinn Springers)
There are several versions of the "Pacemaker", but the earliest is a ‘48, and has a "J"
engine. (A few of the very first were equipped with "H" engines)If there is a gusset plate welded behind the head tube, the frame was made by Whizzer. If there is no gusset plate, Schwinn made the frame. If the seat mounts on a post like a bicycle seat, it is a ‘48. If it mounts to the frame like a motorcycle seat, it is a ‘49 or later. There are other differences. (see the article by Leonard Davis) If your bike has a Schwinn cantilever frame with two lower toptubes, (or Excelsior, or B.F. Goodrich: -same thing ) check the left rear chain stays and seat stays. If they
are flat on the inside, it is probably a WZ507. If they are dimpled and it has a welded on brake arm strap it is an S4. If it has a Schwinn Springer and only two toptubes it is
probably a DX or maybe a Special. If the frame is not pressed it is a bicycle someone mounted a Whizzer on. If you have a heavy 24" Schwinn cantilever frame with widely spaced seat stays and chain stays, it may be an S-10. If it is a Roadmaster and the frame is pressed and it has heavy spokes and a New Departure front brake it is probably a 226 WH. How Old Is It ??? Look at the engine number down by the oil drain below the flywheel.. If it starts with "H" the engine is a 46, 47, or early 48. (The 100,000th Whizzer was produced in August of ‘47) There were 139,000 "H" engines total, ending in March of '48. If the number begins with "J" it is a ‘48 or ‘49. There were about 50,000 of these, ending in November, 1949. If it starts with 300 it is a late 1949, ‘50, or ‘51, and the 700 came out in 1952*. Bikes are somewhat harder to date, as the Schwinn office burned in 1948, and the records up to then were lost. Recognize that the bike may be the same age as, or older than, or newer than the engine, and may have been from day one. Also, a dealer may have had a bike for years before it was sold. Some were titled years after they were made, and some were never titled. When a new series came out, it was sold alongside the old series.
How Many Were There?
No one knows for sure. Production figures are not available. There is a myth that as many as 500,000 were made, but that seems doubtful. I have heard about 750, 000. but that figure seems to be based on the fact that the earliest "H" started at H999, and the last engines were 700 series. Whizzer, however, was prone to skipping blocks of numbers, and changed series whenever they had made changes which they considered significant.
The late Bob Baker, who had been collecting for over 20 years, had quite an extensive data base of serial numbers which are still in existance. Since it is doubtful that every engine out of a particular block of numbers would be gone, we can get some ideas of the highest and lowest numbers in a series. For example, there are no "H" serial numbers still around above H139 999. Similarly, no "J" models above J250 000. Based on this data and on Will Larsen's "A Complete History of Whizzer":
"D" Model......262
"E" Model.....1504
"F" Model.....4250
"H" Model..139,000
"J" Model...52,000
"L" Model.... 4580
"300"Model...15,600
"600"Model.....1500
"700"Model.....5300
"500"Model.....2300
Total Engines..256,296, of which 250,000 are the "H" or later. Or at least that seems plausible for domestic production.
Of some mystery are the "L" engines, which were exported to Europe. Whizzer had an extensive operation in Luxembourg."Whizzer Luxembourg" Nobody seems to know how many there were! For sure there were enough in Europe to cause the Germans to redesign the crankshaft.
There was also a dealership in Havanna, Cuba.
To account for 500, 000 or 750,000 engines, half or two- thirds of the total production would have to be missing completely or have gone overseas. Both occurrences are extremely unlikely.
So What Do I Do With It?
Well, now, that’s up to you. It’s your machine. You can fix it up and ride it, or restore it and show it, or repair it and ride it, or store it away and wish for it to turn into gold. Nobody’s going to have any money in it but you, and there are no National Whizzer Police who will visit you in the night and drag you away for not painting it Maroon. Each option has its adherents, and costs vary according to what kind of finished product is desired.
The first bike I fixed up I hung on the clothesline and painted with a spray can ("Rattle Can Restoration"). The last three got painted in a body shop... Cost about $250 apiece, but it is worth it. I have seen bikes which were powder coated...get out your wallet! I haven’t done any rechroming yet...you may have to take out a loan! I prefer to make the engines right first. The easy ones I do myself, the hard ones I send away.
My ‘49 Pacemaker has a high fin head and tall breather, and is painted like a ‘53, but I like the scheme. I copied it from Don Patzalek. He makes pretty bikes. If you’re gonna copy someone, copy someone good.
What is it Worth?
I won’t touch that one! Depends on what year, what bike, who has it, who wants it and how bad, and how many of the big chunks are still there.
Seriously, attempting an appraisal without having a first hand look at a bike is virtually impossible. There is far too much about an evaluation which is subjective. Even photographs are not much help.
I’ve seen some pretty significant asking prices on bikes at shows, but they were on well restored machines. On the other hand, I have not seen too many people carrying them off.
I hate to disappoint you, but you probably won't put your kid through Medical School with that rusty old bike in your uncle’s garage. It's not worth five thousand dollars, for sure.
