# 1959/60 Sears Flightliner



## Bikehaus (Jul 12, 2022)

This bike resto really ignited a love of old bikes for me. A good friend brought it in the shop. Was his as a kid and when he moved out, his patents took it out of the garage... and left it on a fence for 35 years. He wanted it rideable again.



GTs58 said:


> What ever happened with this piece @Bikehaus ?  I just took another look at it, closer, and it does not look like it has S-7 rims. I mentioned earlier that the front hub was not used on the Corvettes, but didn't look at the rims. By the way, if those grips weren't the 2007? repops, then they are off an early post war bike and they were used into the 50's before the flush tear drop style took over. That should have the recessed tear drop grips with Schwinn Approved.



Off a post war Schwinn yes.

It came out super nice and rode like a dream. I did a good/bad thing. The customer decided he wanted the tail painted too, but didn't want it to look "too new" so I put my artist hat on and gave it an "aged" paint job. Salvaged just about everything but he wanted new pedals and had the seat recovered. Left the rest of the paint patina'd... hit it with rubbing compound to bring the color back and waxed it (there is a pic of where it had not been polished in the clamp of the stand)

Took apart the rear hub and serviced it, rebuilt the original rims with new spokes and nipples for strength. The frame was built in the summer of 59, but sold in 1960 as the stripped down "sport model".


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## OZ1972 (Jul 12, 2022)

Nice clean up job looks good 👍


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## Goldenrod (Jul 12, 2022)

The rear carrier screams 1959.  I was there and everything was positive.


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## Rivnut (Jul 13, 2022)

Nice bike, love the way they ride.  I have the same bike and, like yours, it’s missing the tank.  I’ve been looking for that illusive tank for about five years now. Lots of tanks for the second generation models, but nada for this first generation. Good luck if you try to find one. 🤞


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## Thee (Jul 13, 2022)

Goldenrod said:


> The rear carrier screams 1959.  I was there and everything was positive.



Coolest rear carrier/rack/TAIL ever made 🚀


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## Bikehaus (Jul 13, 2022)

Rivnut said:


> Nice bike, love the way they ride.  I have the same bike and, like yours, it’s missing the tank.  I’ve been looking for that illusive tank for about five years now. Lots of tanks for the second generation models, but nada for this first generation. Good luck if you try to find one. 🤞



So here is the kicker... that bike was not sold with  tank. The customer was the original owner and was certain he never had one. The frame was equipped with the welded bridge to attach a tank, but did not have one.


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## Rivnut (Jul 13, 2022)

On the pictured bike, check out the truss rods and the bracket on the back of the head tube then compare it to the bike in this ad. Lots of stuff can disappear over a period of 60+ years.  Just like mine did.  Most common cause is leaky batteries whose corrosion eats into the tank so toss it.


Post the numbers on the left dropout and post them, or compare them to the model number in this ad.  Look for 4680 if it’s is the exact one.  Same bike different years might have a different number.  I can look it up in the book from which I took this picture If you’ll post a picture


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## Bikehaus (Jul 13, 2022)

Rivnut said:


> On the pictured bike, check out the truss rods and the bracket on the back of the head tube then compare it to the bike in this ad. Lots of stuff can disappear over a period of 60+ years.  Just like mine did.  Most common cause is leaky batteries whose corrosion eats into the tank so toss it.View attachment 1661872
> Post the numbers on the left dropout and post them, or compare them to the model number in this ad.  Look for 4680 if it’s is the exact one.  Same bike different years might have a different number.  I can look it up in the book from which I took this picture If you’ll post a picture



I dont have the bike anymore, but I did all the research on the serial number when i had it.

The customer we cleaned it up for was the original owner. It was a 1959 frame, but his mom bought it early 1960 where it was sold as a 'Sport Model' like the one in the ad crop I attached. It was built to have a tank, but it was not sold as a tank model.


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## Rivnut (Jul 13, 2022)

The bike that was originally posted in the pictures also has the unique Flightliner chain guard. Were those truss rods added later? The bike in the ad you posted states “twin middle bar, single top bar.”  The bike in the post has a double top bar.  What’s your next move?


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## Bikehaus (Jul 13, 2022)

Rivnut said:


> The bike that was originally posted in the pictures also has the unique Flightliner chain guard. Were those truss rods added later? The bike in the ad you posted states “twin middle bar, single top bar.”  The bike in the post has a double top bar.  What’s your next move?




Yes, I understand... as I have said a few times... sears took an older frame and stripped out the tank to make it a sport model. The 1960 sport model ended up being the single top tube. I saw the receipt. Sears did a lot of weird poop... this was one of those things. It's was a Frankenliner... the serial number matched the '59 bikes, the receipt and his memory said 1960.


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## Rivnut (Jul 13, 2022)

1969 models came out in late 1959. What kid would want a new bike for Christmas only to have it be at yeras model in 7 days.  I think you need to stick to published articles rather than 60 year old memories.  I posted a picture of the bike in question.


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## Bikehaus (Jul 13, 2022)

Rivnut said:


> 1969 models came out in late 1959. What kid would want a new bike for Christmas only to have it be at yeras model in 7 days.  I think you need to stick to published articles rather than 60 year old memories.  I posted a picture of the bike in question.



Cool.

I went to the trouble of scouring sears catalogs, printed ads, and his photos growing up. I compared the serial numbers. I stand by my research.


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## Rivnut (Jul 13, 2022)

Sears had nothing to do with the building of bicycles; they only sold them.  The bikes were built by 5he Murray Bicycle Company of Ohio.  May produced. Nothing was pulled from a production line for modification.  There were numerous models built, but nothing modified.


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## Rivnut (Jul 13, 2022)

Post a picture of the numbers.  Should be MOD502 followed by the model number and a unique serial number. Please show the rest of us.


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## Bikehaus (Jul 13, 2022)

Rivnut said:


> Post a picture of the numbers.  Should be MOD502 followed by the model number and a unique serial number. Please show the rest of us.



As I said, I don't have the bike, it's back with the customer. Whoever you are... you're being a bit extra. Let it go, I cleaned up the bike after 3 and a half decades on a fence, and for no experience I think I did pretty good, kept all the original parts (that it came in with) aside from tires, tubes and spokes,  serviced the hub, and got it rolling. When I had the bike, I looked up the serial number, at it was in the 1959 catalogs only. The end.


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## AndyA (Jul 14, 2022)

Bikehaus said:


> and had the seat recovered



Cousin Bikehaus:
Nice! Who recovered that sweet seat? I Have a 1960 "equipped" Flightliner; the seat is in pieces. I put a random seat on it and painted the bottom edge to simulate the white welting. It would be cool to get the original back on. Thanks for any information.


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## Bikehaus (Jul 14, 2022)

Here you go, his name is Tom with Capitol Upholstery in West Sacramento, CA. 916-371-2244


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## razinhellcustomz (Jul 16, 2022)

Bikehaus said:


> This bike resto really ignited a love of old bikes for me. A good friend brought it in the shop. Was his as a kid and when he moved out, his patents took it out of the garage... and left it on a fence for 35 years. He wanted it rideable again.
> 
> 
> Off a post war Schwinn yes.
> ...



Man O' man, this one turned out really nice.. And the really COOOL thing is this bike was built around the same time I came around in late 59 and was born in January of 60, so this bike is as old as me.. Nice job... RideOn..


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## razinhellcustomz (Jul 16, 2022)

Rivnut said:


> Nice bike, love the way they ride.  I have the same bike and, like yours, it’s missing the tank.  I’ve been looking for that illusive tank for about five years now. Lots of tanks for the second generation models, but nada for this first generation. Good luck if you try to find one. 🤞



Are those tanks the same as the Jet Pilot and the Sky Rider tanks? I have a 60 Jet Pilot with the tank lite and a Skyrider with no lite.. Pretty rare tanks I'd say...


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