1959/60 Sears Flightliner

[Rivnut]

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.

 

[Bikehaus]

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.

 

[Rivnut]

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.

 

[Rivnut]

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.

 

[Bikehaus]

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.

 

[AndyA]

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.

 

[Bikehaus]

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

 

[razinhellcustomz]

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.

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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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..

 

[razinhellcustomz]

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...