# Woo Hoo!, Just bought another bike!



## Turtle (Sep 2, 2008)

I don't have a problem... I can stop anytime I want! LOL!

Well, I just bought another bike. This is a lady's Firestone Pilot. I don't know as much about these but it looks to be pretty complete. It's a tank bike, has truss rods and rack, rear facing rear dropouts and skiptooth chain. I'm guessing early prewar or early post war. (Any info would be appreciated). I think this one is a good candidate for just cleaning up and riding. It looks like it has incorrect sized tires and perhaps incorrect seat. Otherthan that just a good cleaning. Here is the link to the ebay sale with lots of pictures.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120298707409

Cheers,


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## markivpedalpusher (Sep 2, 2008)

That looks like a cool rider. Should clean up nice. I like the colors and the peaked fenders. What is on the headbadge? Is that a burro?


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## 37fleetwood (Sep 2, 2008)

you know I've posted all the Firestone catalogs here. the problem is that you have to search for them. hope this helps.
Scott


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## Turtle (Sep 2, 2008)

markivpedalpusher said:


> That looks like a cool rider. Should clean up nice. I like the colors and the peaked fenders. What is on the headbadge? Is that a burro?




I believe it is a bird's wing with a propeller overlaid. Here is a photo of another similar bike's badge.





Cheers,


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## Turtle (Sep 2, 2008)

37fleetwood said:


> you know I've posted all the Firestone catalogs here. the problem is that you have to search for them. hope this helps.
> Scott]




Wow, Scott, that is soooo helpful. So looking at the images, I can't quite tell the difference between the '48 and the '49. Did you decide '49 based on the serial number? 

Also, the catalog does not indicate that this model has a horn, but it looks like in the pictures of my bike (I'm really jazzed now) that there is a horn button on the tank. 

Is that correct? Would the horn normally be in the tank or is that something else I need to start looking for (assuming that if there is supposed to be a horn in the tank that it is still there).


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## 37fleetwood (Sep 2, 2008)

here is a larger photo of the 1948 catalog.



I am only into the prewar and specifically Huffman made Firestones. I just happen to have most of the catalogs. your bike is made by Murray Ohio. I have no way of knowing if it is a 1948, 1949, or 1950. one problem is that the catalogs list what looks similar to your bike as the Cruiser line not the Pilot line. we can speculate about it but my guess would be that it clearly hasn't been altered and is clearly a Pilot so the likelyhood is that it is a 1950 or 1951 both of which I don't have decent catalogs for. the horn unit will have the button built into it and therefore it is almost 100% certain that the horn is there. most tank bikes have horns though not all. the 1947 catalog shows Monark made and Huffman made bikes. 1950 shows Monarks. this doesn't really mean too much as the bikes didn't always look exactly like the catalog showed. I have a 1949 Huffman made Cruiser that isn't in the catalog at all, who knows where it fit's in! this is as close as I can get you. now you need a Murray expert.
Scott


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## markivpedalpusher (Sep 3, 2008)

Turtle said:


> I believe it is a bird's wing with a propeller overlaid. Here is a photo of another similar bike's badge.
> 
> Cheers,




Ok the birds wing with the propeller is much cooler then a burro LOL


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## Brentville (Sep 5, 2008)

*You out bid me on that one!*

The guy who sold it is a neighbor of mine who I didn't realize was into old bikes til I saw his ebay listing and his location.  Right down the block!  I thought I'd pick it up and save on shipping.

I went by and met him a day after the auction ended.  He has a 1 and 1/2 car garage full of bikes and parts.  The floor is covered with bikes, bikes hang from the cieling.  The only clear space is the middle 3 feet between the seats of the bikes hanging down and the ones on the floor pointing upright.

He has some nice bikes and that pilot is as advertised.  A nice one.


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## Turtle (Sep 5, 2008)

LOL, I'm sure you'll get a chance to outbid me on something! I've been looking locally but there isn't near as much in this area. I think that in this part of the world, bikes could be easily ridden year round, so they were ridden until they literally fell apart. In parts of the world where they have actual winters, bikes got put away in the winter and were more likely to get forgotten in storage. Years later they turn up.

Same with old motorcycles. It seems like many more barn finds up north. Cars on the other hand were less likely to rust away due to salt etc. and I think you find more old cars in the south.

Of course these are all just my musings and likely as not, not a valid hypothesis.

I think Greg was going to ship the bike today. I am looking forward to getting it here.

Cheers,


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