Help dating a (very) old BSA

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Is it chrome or could it be nickel?

Nickel tarnishes and goes a greeny colour if unpolished. Common use of chrome started around 1930ish

 

[stuartp]

Just enlarged the frame number WF could *maybe * stand for war finish. Lots of machine tools had "war finish accuracy as normal" plates.
The chrome is the fly in the ointment.
Edit @stuartp do the rims have any evidence of being chrome plated?Still a lot of chrome though.

The rims are painted black either green painted pinstripes. I would say that is original.
I am happy to take more/ better pictures if that would help.
Thanks again for the replies

 

[stuartp]

‘With’ not ‘either’

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

The rims are painted black either green painted pinstripes. I would say that is original.
I am happy to take more/ better pictures if that would help.
Thanks again for the replies

We like pictures

 

[stuartp]

By popular demand

 

[vcballbat]

The 1935 catalogue specs a Terry saddle

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

The 1935 catalogue specs a Terry saddle

View attachment 960988

I think that is really close mate. No skirt guard or white mudguard section on OPs bike. Other than that

 

[vcballbat]

Lots of catalogues to look through, looks like the frame design had a long production run. The Ops bike has probably got the holes in the mudguard

http://threespeedhub.com/catalog-category/bsa/

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Lots of catalogues to look through, looks like the frame design had a long production run. The Ops bike has probably got the holes in the mudguard

http://threespeedhub.com/catalog-category/bsa/

I enlarged the side pic but couldn't see it.

 

[Jonny69]

Something I spotted in the 1938 BSA catalogue might be of help identifying the model.

https://oldbike.wordpress.com/1938-bsa-catalogue/

Check out the BSA Keep Fit Bicycle model 826 and BSA Roadster model 820. Both have the earlier looking top tube / head tube joint. Both could be specified with a Terry saddle. Note the difference in head tube lengths. Neither have fully-closed chaincases. Note that the Keep Fit model states that it has ‘brazed-up back stays’ while the Roadster presumably has the bolted stays.

The Roadster is also in the 1936 catalogue but without the option for a Terrys saddle: https://oldbike.wordpress.com/1936-bsa-catalogue/

I think you’ll have to look up the earlier and later BSA catalogues to see which components match yours if you want to narrow down to a specific year.