First Project, Many Questions.

[wrongway]

Do you think mine had a tank? If it didn't I'm ok with that, but if it did I will want to find it. On the second row of braces down from the top it has a small, almost rusted away tab of metal laying horizontal between those braces. It would appear that something could have been screwed in there. I suppose the light and tank would be very hard to find? The other thing would be pedals that are on it now. Guess I have some looking to do on ebay! Thanks,Scott

 

[BrentP]

I'm not a Western Flyer expert so I can't say for certain whether or not yours originally had a tank. Murray made lots of minor little specification changes between the bikes they made for different retailers, so the Murray Strato Flyer pic I posted might not correspond exactly to a Western Flyer version. Murray also had another model almost identical to yours (lacking a tank) called the Shift-O-Matic, but it had a different style rear rack and lacked the plastic chain ring cover. Minor spec. changes like these were made between similar bikes to create unique configurations for each specific retailer. Spend some time on Google and maybe you'll be lucky enough to find images from a Western Flyer catalog that can shed some light on your original bike specs.

Here's the Murray Shift-O-Matic

 

[jd56]

If there is a tab on the underside of the double cross tubes then the tank should look like what Brentp has indicated. The rear liight assy is what is pictured in the ad he posted.
Being a painted bike frame it could be a Sonic Flyer or a Cosmic Flyer. here is a picture on my Sabre Flyer that has a different tanklight assy but the rear rack is aslo different. I don't have the catalog listing to pin down your serial number, sorry.
Brentp or someone else like classicfan1 might help you with that.
Usually I find if the tank is a "spaceliner" styled tank then there should be a metal tab welded to the backside of the headtube so the tank can rest on it. The bezel would then be mounted on the front side of the head tube...hence the term "forward thrust tanklight".
My Sabre Flyer is a unique tank that I have never seen before and dates 1969 as I recall. The rearward tab is not there to mount the rear of the tank but, a tab that is incorporated in the tank with a bracket that attaches to the bottom set of tubes.

or it could look like this "spaceliner" style tank ...This is a Foremost / retailer is JC Pennys

BUT...I think is your bike Cosmic Flyer...note the same rear rack and chainguard

 

[wrongway]

Yes, I have the metal tab welded onto the underside of the double cross bars although it is nearly rusted away and I'm going to see if I can have it duplicated. Anyone have any good pictures of it? I also do have the tab welded onto the head tube so it looks like I'll be keeping my eye out for a tank! I'll go ahead and restore the bike and put it together and I can add the tank later.
The tanks I'm seeing posted here are red on a black bike. Is that the way they were? Could they/should they be the same color? Thanks for all the help! This is starting to come together. Scott

 

[jd56]

Murray Tanklight tabs

Here are some picture of three frames, all Murrays. The Chrome and Red bikes frames take the tanklight assy pictured at the bottom. These 2 examples have head tube rest tabs and underside rear tank inserted tabs, the Black frame is a western flyer frame also a Murray built bike that has a different style tank (shown in the pictures I posted earlier. This frame only has the from tank rest tabs welded to the head tube.
Hope this helps.

Foremost

Astro Flite

Western Flyer Frame...only tabs are on the headtube

Murray Sears / JC pennys tank

 

[wrongway]

That helps a lot!! Mine is very much like the Foremost (red frame). This explains a lot. Now, I just have to find someone that can make that for me......and later a tank of some sort. Thanks,Scott

 

[wrongway]

Sorry to ask this, but what is the length of the part with the round cut-out in it? I have most of the measurements on mine,but I didn't know how far out it extends. Thanks,Scott

 

[BrentP]

The tanks I'm seeing posted here are red on a black bike. Is that the way they were?

Yes... black frame with red tank.

 

[wrongway]

What is the name of that red color on the tank and tray? Where can I get it? Thanks,Scott

 

[jackomeano]

rebuild wheels/ pin stripping

Well , about the wheels I dont think its hard to do! So My advise is to do one at a time and take a few pictures of the wheel first, then if you can remove the old nipples do so slowly one full turn a piece all the way around until they areall lose/ so you done damage the rim or hub. clean relace ,
Have them trued up at your local shop.