Help with J.C. Higgins Womens Color Flow

[V-Pops]

I just picked up what I think is a 1950 J.C. Higgins Color Flow Womens bike. The bike all around is a great candidate for restoration with the BIG exception of one the down tubes is completely rusted out. According to the previous owner, the horn batteries blew out and leaked all over the down tube and tank panel. I'm not sure if this bike is worth saving or parting out. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Gordon]

If it was mine, I would look for another frame and maybe even a tank half and use the good parts to make one.

 

[Mybluevw]

I agree with Gordon...You could spend a lot of time/money trying to weld in a piece of tube and those frames are not super rare.
I may have a tank that will work.
Send me PM if you are interested.

 

[Rivnut]

There are a couple of Colorflow frame on EBay right now for < $40. One advertised as a 1950, the other has an M date code. 1946?

 

[Nashman]

Yeah, get a new frame and 1/2 tank. These bikes are SUPERB!

 

[V-Pops]

Thank you all for your advice.

I did find the serial number for this bike:

MOS-R
MOD 502502 288
55555

Can anyone point me into the direction on how to decipher this number?

 

[1motime]

Note to all! Always check those tanks and lights. If you find a old battery get that darn thing out of there! Then rinse the heck out of the entire area. The acid will NEVER stop rotting the metal!

 

[Rivnut]

Thank you all for your advice.

I did find the serial number for this bike:

MOS-R
MOD 502502 288
55555

Can anyone point me into the direction on how to decipher this number?

Are these numbers on the Bottom Bracket under crank or on the left rear drop out by the axle.
MOS = Murray of Ohio Supply (Supply is a WAG from a previous poster)
-R = date year, 1952
MOD 502 = Murray's ID for bikes they built for Sears
The rest of the numbers do not match any model number in the "Collectable...." book. A PICTURE would really help.
The 1952 Fully Equipped (springer fork) girl's bike is Model #4517. Strange, but the catalog does not refer to these bikes as "Colorflows." But the description right down to the paint detail is exactly as your's is pictured. Your bike still has the "seat tabs" on it. Cool.
The rest of the numbers are this bike's serial number.
You can find this chart in another thread here on the CABE, but it's from a Western Auto catalog. Basically the same information though.

The numbers from my 1950 24" bike (not in the "Collectabe...." book) Note - there is no model number

The bottom bracket of my 1959 Flightliner - Model #4690

 

[Rivnut]

You might find this interesting ( my old scanner is not compatible with my new computer) but I took a picture of the 1952 page with my tablet. Boy's bikes got the full page, girl's bikes were relegated to a thumbnail sketch in a corner. But they did get a full written description, in which the 'color flow' paint scheme is mentioned when describing the two tone blue bike.

 

[V-Pops]

Thanks all, here are the pics of serial numbers. I thought it was 1953 but could be 1952??