MTD/Western Flyer/Firestone Hi-Lo/Vagabond 16" Take-Apart Bicycle Thread

[Squiggle Dog]

This thread is dedicated to the Hi-Lo bicycle, built between 1965 and 1967? by The Modern Tool & Die Company (MTD). Please share any pictures or information related to these unique bicycles. MTD built them for Western Auto and Firestone. The Firestone version was known as the Vagabond. These portable bicycles had 16" wheels and the frame came apart in the center with the turn of a knob. Here are some observations which may or may not be correct:

MTD Hi-Lo:

Sticker-type headbage.
Available in black or red.
Had a frame decal with a red stripe inside white stripes.
2-speed Bendix blue band or Sachs Torpedo Duomatic overdrive kickback hubs.
Deep, plated seat springs.
Crash rails on seat and carrier.
Basket on carrier.

Western Flyer Hi-Lo:

Riveted headbadge.
Available in black only.
Had silk-screened frame graphics in white only, no red stripe.
Western Flyer handgrips.
Single speed only.
Shallow, painted seat springs.
No crash rails on seat nor carrier.
Basket on carrier.

Firestone Vagabond:

Riveted or sticker-type headbadge.
Available in blue or green.
Decal on frame with red stripe inside white stripes with Vagabond lettering--sometimes the lettering is inside the stripes, sometimes below it. Sometimes had "Tires by Firestone" on rear part.
Single speed only.
Shallow, painted seat springs.
Crash rails on carrier, not on seat.
No basket on carrier.

I have noticed that in the advertisements they show a Wald 52 tooth sprocket, however I have only seen them with the Monark-style sprockets. Front baskets are shown as an option, but I have never seen one with an original front basket.

 

[Squiggle Dog]

I've been interested in vintage bicycles since I was a kid. The owner of the local bicycle shop knew this and he gave me a black MTD Hi-Lo that he found in a dumpster. He was a bicycle collector (and claimed he had the bicycle from The Wizard of Oz and the tandem from The Sound of Music) but wasn't interested in the Hi-Lo. Because of the sprocket, I had always assumed it was built by Monark. I couldn't find any information on it other than Colson used to make a Hi-Lo, but it wasn't anything like this one.

It was in very nice condition with all the accessories. The only thing it was missing were the original tires, the headbadge sticker had been peeled off, the grips were replaced with foam ones, and the pedals had chunks of rubber taken out of them. It had a Bendix blue band 2-speed hub. I installed coke bottle grips and put an NOS Carlisle tire that I found at a thrift store.

It was a very fun bicycle (one of my favorites) and I rode it often. I used to put things in the basket when I would go to the corner store. I remember riding it once with no hands and having the front wheel whip around and I got a good amount of road rash on my arm.

My parents wanted me to get rid of most of my bicycles. So, I ended up selling them off. I sold the rear wheel to a collector who wanted the blue band hub. I hate myself for that. I sold the rest of the bicycle to a collector whose name I can no longer recall. It is one of the bicycles I have most regretted selling, second only to a 1940s Hawthorne comet (which I bought back this year from the person I traded it to 17 years ago).

I recently purchased another one from thecabe member klunk!. It is just like the one I used to own, but has a Sachs 2-speed instead of a Bendix. The frame has broken and was brazed. The chainguard is missing and the mounting tab is broken off. So I will need to figure this out.

 

[Squiggle Dog]

I have another one (a Western Flyer version) on the way from California which looked great in the small craigslist pictures, but when my friend picked it up, I can see that it is very rusty under the paint and the chrome is peeling. The grips are in good condition. The previous owner said he donated the original seat to The Salvation Army. I'm still casually looking for spare parts and complete bicycles.

 

[partsguy]

About four or five years ago, I had a West German-built folding bike from Sears. It was a Ted Williams-brand bike, dating it to the mid 1960's or 70's. It had a Sachs Torpedo 2-speed kickback. I don't know who made it, and I don't have any pictures of it either. I sold it for $50-$70 to a guy who bought it not to ride, but put with his classic Volkswagen Beetle.

 

[Squiggle Dog]

I now own three of these bicycles. I plan to make one out of the best parts, a second decent one for my roommate, and then a third incomplete one for resale.

 

[vincev]

Have this one and another model but same type bike.........

 

[Squiggle Dog]

Thanks for your contributions of the MTD Hi-Lo and Firestone Vagabond, vincev! I'd like to start a website and serial number registry at some point to see how many are around.

Here's an interesting bit of trivia: the black paint used on MTD-branded Hi-Los was matte metallic, while the black used on Western Flyer-branded Hi-Los was solid gloss black.

I managed to get one of mine rideable. It was lots of fun today! I'm taking it to the GoodGuys car show and swap meet in Scottsdale, Arizona so I don't have to do as much walking and won't have to lug around a backpack. My roommate will also be taking his, which is currently disassembled for rust removal.

 

[Squiggle Dog]

We got the chrome on my roommate's Hi-Lo de-rusted and now it's all greased up and ready to ride. The frame still needs to be cleaned up. I like the lift-off basket. I intend to install one on mine, but Wald only makes them in black and white, so I will probably have one stripped and plated.

 

[Squiggle Dog]

And here is mine (a bit customized)! I have new old stock material to recover the seat. These are going to be fun to ride at GoodGuys next month.

 

[Squiggle Dog]

The seat was bugging me, so I recovered it and straightened the bent crash rail. It was difficult getting the vinyl to bend and it kept wrinkling, but a heat gun smoothed things out.