Large Colson tricycle.

[Sulley]

I just picked up this 1940s? Colson tricycle, this thing is big and all origainal, 20" front wheel with 14" rears, im still looking for a pair of rear hub caps for it, i am getting a set that is not correct but i think i can make them work for now,grips are origainal and are perfect, the seat is perfect, the tires are perfect, the handlebars are real nice i had to clean them up a little, anyone else have one of these very big and very cool trikes. Sulley

 

[ridingtoy]

Wow Sulley...she's a beauty! Glad you happened across it and not me. I'm afraid I would have had to cave and buy it. My two Colsons are both 12" models. The only tricycle I have with a larger than 16" front wheel is a 1930s Toledo - it has a 24" front and 16" rear wheels - large enough I can easily ride it. The 20" model you have is the largest Colson made at the time. I checked my catalog copy for 1950 and this model is shown, but the paint finish varies slightly. Yours probably is a year or so earlier or later. Terrific addition to your collection!

I've seen the size hub caps you need on ebay before, but not sure they are formed to clip on like the originals.

Dave

 

[Sulley]

Thanks for the info, i wasn,t really sure of the year of it, its so nice i dont want to tooch it, i do have a set of NOS pedals comin for it, not sure if i will use them or not. Thanks again. Sulley PS the PO took it apart to ship it, i can not beleave the great job he did packin this thing, took me over an hour to get it unpacked, i thanked him many times for the great job he did.

 

[Sulley]

Well i made a deal to buy the little brother to mine, its not quit as nice but its all origainal except someone painted the rear steep, i think if im carefull i can get all that new paint off without bothering whats below it, also got a whole gaggal of hub caps comeing so i should be able to get something to work and look good. Sulley

 

[ridingtoy]

I remember seeing this smaller Colson model on ebay recently. The same seller had this one plus a larger one. Glad the trike found a good home! That rear step would be an easy project to restore the original paint scheme to. It should be all red like the rest of the trike except for the center raised design which is white.

Dave

 

[Sulley]

Yep same seller had both, i had to do a little wheelin and dealin to get them for what i was willin to pay, i should have the smaller one this week, the PO not the seller painted the handlebars and stem with silver paint, i found some very nice chrome or maybe nickle under the paint, were they chrome or nickle do you know. Theres still a little of the white on the rear steep of the big one so if i do a little restoring i have something to go by. Sulley

Big trike rear steep

 

[ridingtoy]

Oh OK...you got the big one he had, too! That one sure looks a lot nicer in your pics than it looked on the ebay photo. I'd almost swear it was NOS from your photos after cleaning it up. I believe the handlebars and stem are chrome based on the 1950 Colson catalog specs. Interesting that the standard models had bigger, fancier rear chrome hub caps than the higher end Imperial series model did.

Dave

 

[Sulley]

You say you have a colson trike catalog, is there any way you could copy it and send it to me, i would be more than happy to pay you. Yea it was quit dirty when i got it im sure i will have to do the same clean up on this one, it looks like the small one had rear hub caps on it at one time but its missing the bracket on one side, i will have to make one. Thanks Sulley

 

[ridingtoy]

Yes, it's a B&W 1950 Colson Children's Vehicles copy I bought from Memory Lane Classics. They have some other trike literature from different mfrs. and years I'd also like to pick up sometime. How about if I email a PDF file copy, or would you prefer a hard copy mailed to you?

Dave

 

[Sulley]

Email would be great Dave, you can send it to [email protected] Thanks man i o you one. Sulley