# Christmas 1964



## Scoots (Oct 24, 2014)

New poster here with your quiz of the day!  

Christmas morning of 1964 I received a new 26" bicycle and so did my friend across the street, David.  Both of our bikes were red and I think they both had "tanks".  One of us had a JC Higgins (Sears brand) and the other a Hawthorne (Wards brand).  My bike had a Bendix 2 speed kick back brake with 3 red bands around the rear hub - see photo:






Which brand of bike did I have and do you know if it was named a particular model???


----------



## bricycle (Oct 24, 2014)

thinking it was a Hawthorne, because your buddies JCHiggins didn't use Bendix's...   Deluxe?


----------



## bricycle (Oct 24, 2014)

scoots, you must be my age.....
Welcome to the CABE!


----------



## Scoots (Oct 24, 2014)

bricycle said:


> scoots, you must be my age.....
> Welcome to the CABE!



*Thanks for the welcome and the reply.*
I thought I had the Hawthorne, but I wasn't sure.  My dad inherited the bike after I left for the Marines.  I had "chopped it out" sometime around '68 with a banana seat and ape hanger handle bars - my dad loved it, made for easy riding for him.  Anyway, sometime in the early 80's my mom sold it at a garage sale, as my dad's arthritis had progressed too far.


----------



## skullforest (Oct 25, 2014)

I think the 64 sears  spaceliner came with a 2 speed bendix hub. I have a 64 deluxe spaceliner with a 1 speed bendix hub with one stripe. 

Ric


----------



## GTs58 (Oct 25, 2014)

skullforest said:


> I think the 64 sears  spaceliner came with a 2 speed bendix hub. I have a 64 deluxe spaceliner with a 1 speed bendix hub with one stripe.
> 
> Ric





*You bet it did, and only 8 bucks more out of pocket. *

http://192.185.93.157/~wishbook/


----------



## morton (Oct 26, 2014)

*With 2 speed, light, and speedo comes to about $64!!!!*

While we long for the "good old days," an online inflation calculator says that's about $482 today!   I had a part time job at W.T.Grants for $1.15 / hour in 1964!


----------



## phantom (Oct 26, 2014)

*Inflation*



> While we long for the "good old days," an online inflation calculator says that's about $482 today



 Well, sort of.. The calculator uses a 1.7% cost of inflation as an average. Somethings may apply while others may not. IE: in 1969 a SS Camaro or Mach I  was in the $3,500 range plus or minus a little, which would calculate to $27,200 in todays money. Good luck with that, closer to $40,000 doing comparable equipment.


----------



## bricycle (Oct 26, 2014)

phantom said:


> Well, sort of.. The calculator uses a 1.7% cost of inflation as an average. Somethings may apply while others may not. IE: in 1969 a SS Camaro or Mach I  was in the $3,500 range plus or minus a little, which would calculate to $27,200 in todays money. Good luck with that, closer to $40,000 doing comparable equipment.




Actually, all things being equal, 27 grand is correct. Don't forget the modern car has crap the 60-70's cars never had, air bags, nav, heated seats, 7-10 speaker audio, sirrus, traction control, all wheel drive, on-star, climate control, ambient lighting etc...etc.... All that modern crap adds big $$$$


----------



## phantom (Oct 26, 2014)

> Actually, all things being equal, 27 grand is correct. Don't forget the modern car has crap the 60-70's cars never had, air bags, nav, heated seats, 7-10 speaker audio, sirrus, traction control, all wheel drive, on-star, climate control, ambient lighting etc...etc.... All that modern crap adds big $$$$



Actually I had a typo....using the calculator it's $22,700.... No dispute, In the 60's you didn't have the choices like todays cars with package A B or C that includes things you may or may not want....The point is you couldn't come close to buying a 5.0 GT or SS Camaro for the equivalent in 1969 money.


----------



## BrentP (Oct 29, 2014)

Sounds like your bike was most likely either a Sears Spaceliner model  #46921 or #46980.  They were both fully chromed models with two-speed kickback Bendix hubs.  The difference is the 46921 had a springer fork, while the 46980 lacked a springer fork and had trusses instead (like in the catalog picture above).  You can see reference pictures of the main and sub-models HERE, to confirm if it's what you had.

One other point is that in 1964 your bike would not have been branded J.C. Higgins.  Sears dropped that labeling after 1963, and from 1964 their bikes were simply branded "Sears".  If you're certain yours was branded J.C. Higgins, then it would have been a pre-1964 bike and was most likely a Flightliner (the Spaceliner was introduced in 1964 during the timing of the brand name change).


----------



## Scoots (Mar 2, 2015)

Sorry that I've been off the radar for awhile.  I received a head injury on the job (knocked me out cold with some neural damage) and I'm still not back to work, yet.

*Anyway, I made a mistake*.  It was *Christmas 1963* that my friend, David, and I received bicycles as Christmas presents.  We were both in the *4th grade*.  Both bikes were red, mine had the 2 speed Bendix coaster brake.  That's why I can't remember if I had the Hawthorne or the J.C. Higgins (Oval medallion on the head tube marked J.C. Higgins - I remember one of us had that).  If Hawthorne and Higgins both offered the 2 speed Bendix coaster brakes, then I'm going to have to track down my boyhood friend, David, and ask him which brand of bike he had.

My little brother was in the second grade and he got to ride my 20" *Kennedy* bicycle that was made in West Germany.  It had a medallion on the head tube with a picture of JFK on it.  *Anyone remember that brand of bike?*


----------



## PCHiggin (Mar 2, 2015)

bricycle said:


> thinking it was a Hawthorne, because your buddies JCHiggins didn't use Bendix's...   Deluxe?




JC Higgins used Bendix Redband 2 speeds.I had an original Flightliner with one.


----------



## Scoots (Mar 3, 2015)

I found the model of bike I got for Christmas 1963!!! 






A *J.C. Higgins model 45702*.  The 2-toned seat, the chrome light on the fender, I catch a glimpse of the J.C. Higgins medallion on the head tube, and the tank - all the same.  The only difference is I recall having white grips on the handle bars.  I can't tell if this bike has the Bendix 2 speed coaster brake, *but I did!!!*

*Thanks to everyone for their assistance!!!*


----------



## GTs58 (Mar 4, 2015)

That one looks like it's in pretty decent shape. You going to pick it up?


----------

