# Restoration of one of the rarest mesinger 1930's saddles



## bobcycles (Mar 18, 2012)

I haven't seen one of these flat spring AirFlo Mesinger saddles in nearly 10 years.  I think in over 30 years of collecting I've seen maybe 3 in all?  A cabe member sent this one along to restore and it was a very very rusty pan with a decent but also surface rusted chassis.  So here are some before and afters.  This is a prewar seat so rare, most of us will never own one.  Your chances of finding a Pogo seat or Bluebird saddle are better!   Knowledge is power so look at the pix carefully, I have heard of these seats commanding huge prices.  Mesinger in my opinion made some of the most elegant and timelessly designed bicycle saddles from the mid 30's through the 50's.  From what I can tell, they were the first for the 2 pan or "pinch pan"design with the introduction of their B-1 Deluxe Long Spring in 1936. That innovation became the standard of the industry by the 1940s and 50s.  Every other manufacturer was enveloping the single pan seats in stitched leather, a process so antiquated it dated back to the 1800's. This particular Mesinger seat is one to keep an eye peeled for in those junk boxes at swaps. Potential gold mine.  Value?  depends.  I would guesstimate between 500-1000 dollars based on condition complete and usable.  And that is the unusual stamp Mesinger used on these babies, very different than what you saw on most of the Mesinger line in the 1930s. Contact me if you need saddle work done...turn around varies from slow, to not very fast.


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## 46powerwagon (Mar 18, 2012)

*Great Job!!!*

Bob,
As usual excellent work! 

Take Care
Gary


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## Adamtinkerer (Mar 18, 2012)

You da man, Bob! Kind of a shame to sit a butt on that!


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## scrubbinrims (Mar 18, 2012)

Nice looking saddle and certainly a rare iteration with the flat bracket versus the common U bracket.
500.00-1000.00? Maybe, but that's banking on rareity alone without any cool factor or association.
What makes a bluebird's leafspring saddle, an autocycle's pogo seat, and a silver king's toolbox saddle so pricey is their deluxe design and the fact that they are on high end, desirable bicycles.
So this is less common, okay... but won't outpace these throughbred hides.
That being said, I will be looking for one of these to pop up for sale and curious of the result.
Chris


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## Freqman1 (Mar 18, 2012)

This seat is for a '37 Dayton Super Sreamline so I would say way more rare than a Bluebird or Autocycle. At Copake in '04 a seat exactly like this one (nice original '37) sold for $1000 (lot 50). The '36 version of this seat (U shaped wire) brought $550 at Copake in '03--this was just for the pan and chassis (lot 66). In that same auction a Bailey restored Bluebird seat brought $1000 (lot 70).  Keep in mind this does not include the buyer's premium or tax. Of course I think any of the rare seats to include the Polo, Troxel toolbox, or Milsco (Evinrude) will all bring big money. When I was looking for this seat I called Jerry Peters and he couldn't help me. He pretty much said the same thing as Bob-this is one of the rarest seats out there. Most Bluebirds, Evinrudes, and Autocycles I've seen have correct seats. There are not a lot of Super streamliners out there and from my observation about half of the ones known do not have the correct seat. It is important to note that the Firestone Fleetwoods had a relatively common long spring saddle and not the Mesinger Airflo seat. BTW I WILL be setting my bony white butt on this seat--hopefully a lot! v/r Shawn


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## prewarbikes4sale (Mar 18, 2012)

*Streamliner*

View attachment 46023 Streamiliner.........


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## scrubbinrims (Mar 18, 2012)

Thanks for the schooling...

You bring up an interesting point though Sean in that the SS's that you have seen in most cases do not have this saddle...why this phenomenon?

-Either there is an inconsistency in catalogues and real life examples?
-It was an option (upgrade vs.standard) and not technically “correct?”
-They broke or were otherwise replaced (in whole or in part) without the owner transferring the undercarriage... oblivious to it or without intent of carrying over the slightly different architecture (not being important).

If I were building a SS I don't think I would plunk down 4-8x value of more typical variety...it just doesn't get my nipples hard.
I would indeed fight to the death for the mesh chain guard!

Again, nicely restored, unquestionably rare with sales history in it's favor, but it’s a forum and I have a couple of cents.

Chris


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## Freqman1 (Mar 18, 2012)

*Your Change!*

Hey Chris,
    I'm sure Scott S. will weigh in on this one but I say the problem is with extant examples and not the literature which for the '37 (Dayton/National) clearly show the Airflo seat. Another interesting fact is that this seat came off of a Dayton standard model. You can see a similar bike on Dave's site that I believe also has the Airflo seat so it was not unique to the SS but maybe just to the upper tier (Dayton/National) bikes? Most of the existing SS are restored examples and a lot of them, relatively speaking, have the long spring seat on them. v/r Shawn


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## slick (Mar 18, 2012)

Ok who's SS is this? Yours Mr. prewarbikes4sale?? That is the most beautiful bike I have ever seen! With the correct seat, but what the heck is that chrome ball thing on the bars? Please educate me? I've never seen one before and i'm VERY intrigued! I just rode a SS for the first time a few weeks ago and I am totally hooked! And i'm a Shelby guy! Looks like i'll be in the market for a SS soon!!!



prewarbikes4sale said:


> View attachment 46023 Streamiliner.........


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## chitown (Mar 18, 2012)

*She's a beaut Bob!*

Beautiful job on the saddle.

So was the skirted Airflow seat made before this one or after? and what are some of the bikes they came on... at least in catalogs anyway.

Also, are the skirted airflows just as or more rare than the flat spring?

View attachment 46045


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## prewarbikes4sale (Mar 18, 2012)

slick said:


> Ok who's SS is this? Yours Mr. prewarbikes4sale?? That is the most beautiful bike I have ever seen! With the correct seat, but what the heck is that chrome ball thing on the bars? Please educate me? I've never seen one before and i'm VERY intrigued! I just rode a SS for the first time a few weeks ago and I am totally hooked! And i'm a Shelby guy! Looks like i'll be in the market for a SS soon!!!




Yes it is mine.The chrome ball thing is a Bicycle Compass.Thanks for the compliment.


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## Freqman1 (Mar 18, 2012)

chitown said:


> Beautiful job on the saddle.
> 
> So was the skirted Airflow seat made before this one or after? and what are some of the bikes they came on... at least in catalogs anyway.
> 
> ...




The skirted saddle was used on the '36 models. v/r Shawn


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## cyclingday (Mar 18, 2012)

As always, Bob.

 Beautiful work!

 I like the last part, where the turn around time varies, from slow, to not very fast.

 It ain't cheap, and it ain't fast, but quality never is!


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## vdancer (Mar 19, 2012)

So Bob... What would I expect to pay for work like this on a saddle like the Mesinger Airflow?


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## Freqman1 (Mar 19, 2012)

vdancer said:


> So Bob... What would I expect to pay for work like this on a saddle like the Mesinger Airflow?




PM sent regarding this seat. v/r Shawn


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