# Not one but two spaceliners



## HIGGINSFOREVER (Mar 14, 2014)

Been looking long and hard for a complete 7 tank spaceliner and a regular tank spaceliner.Bought both from the same seller.Seven tank is model 502--46902-435471 and straight tank is 502-46901-284078.My look is over and i think i will hold on to these beautys


----------



## decotriumph (Mar 14, 2014)

*Great finds*

Those look great! Congratulations on a cool pair of finds.


----------



## jd56 (Mar 14, 2014)

Very nice Gene.  If you decide to sell the 7bar I know someone looking for one.
But.....Enjoy the rides one those..lots of finger pointing with these ... A use its a given they will say a lot of oohs and ahhhhhs


----------



## HIGGINSFOREVER (Mar 14, 2014)

jd56 said:


> Very nice Gene.  If you decide to sell the 7bar I know someone looking for one.
> But.....Enjoy the rides one those..lots of finger pointing with these ... A use its a given they will say a lot of oohs and ahhhhhs




I dont think i am going to get anything cleaner


----------



## mickeyc (Mar 14, 2014)

WOW Gene, those are amazing!  Makes me want mine even more.  Looking forward to April.


Mike


----------



## BrentP (Mar 14, 2014)

Very nice score.  The chrome on both those beauties looks almost factory fresh.  Time to buy a lottery ticket. 

Are you going to try to bring them back to original specs (put correct racks on both, seat on the 7, etc.) or keep them as-is?


----------



## HIGGINSFOREVER (Mar 15, 2014)

BrentP said:


> Very nice score.  The chrome on both those beauties looks almost factory fresh.  Time to buy a lottery ticket.
> 
> Are you going to try to bring them back to original specs (put correct racks on both, seat on the 7, etc.) or keep them as-is?




Sure would like to bring back to original.Are both racks incorrect and what about the seat on the seven,also are the pedals correct.Any and all help will be appreciated


----------



## BrentP (Mar 15, 2014)

HIGGINSFOREVER said:


> Sure would like to bring back to original.Are both racks incorrect and what about the seat on the seven,also are the pedals correct.Any and all help will be appreciated




You are correct.  The pedals are also wrong and the grips are incorrect, as well.

The racks are interesting, because somebody went to a lot of effort, at least, to find and install something that must have been missing before.  If you can find the right racks, you're going to have a couple of amazing bikes because you don't find them in this kind of condition very often.  I can't get over the condition of the chrome.

On your 7 ('66-'68 year) deluxe model #46902, the rack should be a different design with a top mount lens and fully chromed.  Here's what the correct rack for the 7 should look like...






The seat you have on your 7 is actually from a '64-'65 deluxe model 46901.  The correct seat is a different design that has a more anatomic shape and lengthwise padding as shown here.  By the way, if you find the correct seat and want to sell one of the two you have now, I'd be interested in it.  I'm looking to replace mine because it's a bit beaten up.






On your straight-tank model (a '64-'65 deluxe model #46901) the two bullet reflectors indicate the rack is actually from a standard chrome model #46940.  The correct rack should have a rear light with battery box and one piece lens (not the lens that looks like has been fitted to your 7 rack).  The rear plate behind the lens will have a large center hole for the bulb to fit through, and two rectangular cut-outs that accommodate the two tabs of the lens. Here's what the correct rack should look like for your straight tank '64-'65 deluxe....






The rack that's currently on your 7 is a bit of a mystery, but it looks like some sort of 'odd' lens has been 'jimmied' onto a '64-'65 rack for looks, and it doesn't appear to have a battery box.  The deluxe '64-'65 is designed to accommodate a one-piece lens and battery box (exactly like the photo above), and you can tell at a glance if it's a deluxe rack by looking for two holes through the top stripe for the screws that hold the battery box in place.  It it's missing the two top holes, then it's a rack from either a standard or base model.  You can figure out if it's a standard or base rack by looking at its rear plate.  The standard model (from a #46940) will have a couple of small holes in the solid, white rear plate to mount two bullet reflectors (it's a standard rack that has been retro-fitted on your deluxe '64-'65 straight-tank bike), while the base rack (from a #46306) will have a solid, white rear plate with no holes of any type in it.  It will be interesting to find out what what the rack on your 7 is actually from, once you examine it based on these descriptions.

Standard and Base Racks


----------



## vincev (Mar 15, 2014)

I think the seat on the 7 is correct.I have 3 of these with the same seat.


----------



## HIGGINSFOREVER (Mar 15, 2014)

vincev said:


> I think the seat on the 7 is correct.I have 3 of these with the same seat.




Vincev,how about the racks are all three the same on the 7 frames.


----------



## vincev (Mar 15, 2014)

They have the same rear racks but have the 2 red lenses.My seats dont have the crash rails either because my 7's dont have the springer.They are not the delux 7's but the same as yours.


----------



## HIGGINSFOREVER (Mar 15, 2014)

vincev said:


> They have the same rear racks but have the 2 red lenses.My seats dont have the crash rails either because my 7's dont have the springer.They are not the delux 7's but the same as yours.




Thanks Vincev,Boy these sure can get confusing.


----------



## BrentP (Mar 15, 2014)

vincev said:


> I think the seat on the 7 is correct.I have 3 of these with the same seat.




That's incorrect.  Gene stated he has model #46902, which is the deluxe 7-tank, and it came with the dished, padded seat I posted earlier.  Both the seat and the rack on Gene's have been swapped out for incorrect parts. Here's a promo picture of the deluxe which also shows the correct seat and rack.  The same seat was used on the standard chrome 7-tank model #46942 (distinguished from the deluxe with truss bars instead of springer fork, and a '64-'65 style painted rack)






The base chrome 7-tank model #46943 had a dimpled seat with no crash bar.  The only 7-tank model that had a flat seat similar to the one on Gene's bike was the base painted model #46305, but it didn't have a crash bar.  It also had a different frame.  What Gene has are 100% seats from a '64-'65 deluxe straight tank model #46901.

By the way, all the specs and reference photos for all these models are in The Ultimate Sears Spaceliner Reference thread.  It describes and shows exactly how each model was equipped.


----------



## BrentP (Mar 15, 2014)

HIGGINSFOREVER said:


> Vincev,how about the racks are all three the same on the 7 frames.






vincev said:


> They have the same rear racks but have the 2 red lenses.My seats dont have the crash rails either because my 7's dont have the springer.They are not the delux 7's but the same as yours.




Vince has different models than yours, with different racks.  If he has the two rocket lenses, then he has the standard 7-tank, model #46942.  Yours is the deluxe, model #46902, which should have the chrome rack with top-mount light, and the patterned seat I posted earlier.  Refer to The Ultimate Sears Spaceliner Reference for model numbers, specifications, and pictures.http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?35629-The-Ultimate-Sears-Spaceliner-Reference


----------



## VaBtrfly (Mar 15, 2014)

Just beautiful! Enjoy them both, as I know you will!


----------



## vincev (Mar 15, 2014)

Here's to add to the confusion.I didnt know the painted were different equip than the chrome.


----------



## BrentP (Mar 15, 2014)

vincev said:


> Here's to add to the confusion.I didnt know the painted were different equip than the chrome.




Whoever labeled the picture you posted as a 1963 girls Spaceliner didn't know what they were talking about.  The Spaceliner wasn't introduced until 1964 (as the straight-tank version which ran for two years) and the 7-tank version in the picture wasn't introduced until 1966 and ran for three years from '66-'68.

There were actually two different seats used on the three different chrome models, and a third different seat (as I described in my previous post) on the painted versions.  The only bikes that were ever equipped with the seats on Gene's bikes were the 1964-65 straight-tank deluxe and standard chrome versions (models #46901 and #46940).  The base chrome model and the painted model had different seats.

I feel like I'm banging my head against a wall, but if you guys want to know exactly how a specific Spaceliner should be equipped, get it's model number off the rear drop out (the five digits that follow 502), then go to The Ultimate Sears Spaceliner Reference thread, read the background information and history about the various models, and then look up the specs for your specific model number to see the distinguishing differences.  By clicking on the model number it will take you to a page with a variety of photos, diagrams, or catalog scans showing exactly how the bike should be equipped and look.  There shouldn't be any guesswork or confusion involved... if you know the model number you can easily find out exactly what it should look like and how it should be equipped.


----------



## vincev (Mar 15, 2014)

1967 it is then.


----------



## THEGOLDENGREEK (Mar 15, 2014)

What a great find Gene indeed, they are both  in mint condition congrats on both of them enjoy them   !!


----------

