# 1941 Colson Firestone Flying Ace



## slick (Dec 1, 2013)

So i did some horsetrading with a close friend / co-founder of the Rolling Relics, my buddy Tony for this 1941 Colson Flying Ace. I have some questions about it. First off, are the grips correct, and if so, what type are they? They are much narrower then a standard pointed grip and the collar that meets the bars is much smaller also??? Is the seat correct? And what type of headlight would it have had? I threw this fat light on there because the patina matched pretty well. I'm gussing it would have had a frontloader Delta? 3 rib? 6 rib? Smooth top??? Also which tires would be correct? Firestone High Speed tires?? HELP!


----------



## Boris (Dec 1, 2013)

Chris, this is how I bought my bike from Aaron Thomas, who got it from Scott Mc. It came with a smooth Delta front loader, which I'm pretty sure is correct as it matched the patina of the bike. I can't say the grips are correct, but they are coke bottle style. The seat is a troxel with spring cups. Delta Winner prewar light could also be correct with Colson Firestone bikes of this vintage (as seen in my book). I added the dropstand, and it's not correct for the Flying Ace to have one. Take my observations with a grain of salt.


----------



## THEGOLDENGREEK (Dec 2, 2013)

Very nice bicycles you got. I like that flying ace


----------



## frankster41 (Dec 2, 2013)

My Flying Ace has a Delta ribbed front loader.


----------



## danilo1219 (Dec 2, 2013)

*my colson 41*

my colson ace 1941


----------



## scrubbinrims (Dec 2, 2013)

My Flying Ace came from a tobacco barn in VA, an unmolested original and I added the grips and replaced the tires, but that's it.
It is in my gallery for reference and Firestone Catalogs are fortunately available on Nostalgic.net.
To my knowledge, this model was available as a Cruiser model in 40, then a Flying Ace in 41, then possibly resurfacing postwar as the clipper and grillnose tank models did.
AS A FLYING ACE 41, that grip style mimics the literature although yours do look like a thinner version (repop?) and the saddle was an oil cloth troxel cupped as Dave's, light was smooth standard delta torpedo that color matched the frame color (as did the painted rims).
On a side note, the pedals were Meteors (with non-changeable blocks) completing the accoutrements of a mid range model.

Take this with several grains of salt, a shaker's worth.

Really cool bike and congrats, Chris


----------



## American Vintage Bicycle Supply (Dec 2, 2013)

Slick, Grips could be correct but could be add on, seat is correct and the tires would be any brand of prewar Firestone. I would use Speed Cushion tires if it were me.

but the grips are for sure not repop. You see that style in army green on a lot of the 43-45 military bikes.

I don't think any changes need to be made. It's set


----------



## 37fleetwood (Dec 2, 2013)

gotta go somewhere, I'll post more info later...


----------



## Aeropsycho (Dec 2, 2013)

*Here's your grip*

These are the correct ones... 

http://www.nostalgic.net/bicycle324/picture1337


----------



## 37fleetwood (Dec 2, 2013)

Ok, here's what I have. they were offered for 1941 and 1942.

1941 Spring Summer Firestone catalog





1941-42 Fall Winter Firestone catalog





1941 Firestone Christmas


----------



## scrubbinrims (Dec 2, 2013)

Aeropsycho said:


> These are the correct ones...
> 
> http://www.nostalgic.net/bicycle324/picture1337




Some dudes on here offer little help unless it is to contest something.

So Chris, you can believe an artist's rendering in a catalogue, a restored bicycle, or a bona fide representative like mine or the one below also from Nostalgic.net having the same light matched to the frame paint.
http://www.nostalgic.net/bicycle877

Although the blister tank went from 40 deep into 42 (thanks bicycle jesus) it is always "depicted" with a white torpedo except in 40 where I cannot make out what streamlined headlight the artist was trying to emulate.

Maybe the colored light was a promo or produced in a short season...anybody else wants to offer some help and get smacked?

Chris


----------



## Aeropsycho (Dec 2, 2013)

*Get a GRIP?*

I was talking about the grip....  which by the way I have a pair...  of grips that is. :eek:


----------



## slick (Dec 2, 2013)

Wow boys. Take it easy. It's just a bike. Ok here's the lowdown. The bike that scrubbinrims posted the link to on nostalgic.net is Nate Pences old bike I beleive? My bike was from fuzzyktu on here. My bike used to have the correct seat i beleive before i got it, and had a Delta winner headlight on it from the photos i found. The grips appear to be original by how hard they are. If they were replaced it would have had to have been a LONG time ago. I did some creative investigative work by matching up scratches on the chainguards and other distinct damage on the bikes to find which one is which. I have a pretty huge catalog of bike photos from past to present of bikes i like or bikes with significant rarity or history behind them. Some are from ebay auction photos and some from here or the other bike site. I'm like a bike stalker of sorts. LOL! It's great for detective work or to know the history of a bike you might have bought that was stripped of it's rare deluxe parts and sold as a standard bike instead.


----------

