Who can help me ID my JC Higgins Ladies bike part 1.

[Lowjack'r]

Hello to you all.
I'm Jack from The Netherlands.
Got 50 last July, and am a truckdriver.
I came across this forum, during my search for parts for my bike.
So now i posted this, hoping somebody can tell me more about the bike i have.

Some days after i've got 50.
I have got this bike as a late birthday gift, from a friend of mine.

I know he did have this bike stored for almost 20 years somewhere in his garage.
It was meant to be restored, but he never did anything with it.
As i have some other bikes, ( Basman, Felt Classic stretch, RHL Meanstreet and a few Electras)
he tought it was a good idea to give the bike to me.
So that i could do, what i want to do with it.
When he gave it to me the tires where flat.
We put air in the tires and 3 months later, they still hold air.
But now about the bike, here comes what i know so far.

It's a 26" J.C. Higgins Sears Roebuck and Co. ladies bike.
With a push button on top of the right tank half.
I do doubt if this is the correct tank.

On the left side, the fork shows 4 stars.

I think it has a strange model handlebar.

The bottombracket says. MOS-Q MOD502-286 90586

It has a Bendix rear hub with one red line in the middle of the hub.

Because of the pics i did need to cut the thread in two parts, please read part 2 also.
http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showth...iggins-Ladies-bike-part-2&p=390348#post390348

 

[Freqman1]

Looks like a 1953 Murray Ohio built for Higgins (Sears) bike. I believe it is missing the rack, chainguard, and possibly a headlight. I believe the tank is correct for this bike. Unfortunately not a lot of value here so I would probably not do a restoration because even really nice examples of this bike are lucky to bring a couple hundred dollars and you would have about 5x that in a resto at least. I would maybe track down the guard, service it, give it a rattle can paint job, and ride it. V/r Shawn

 

[Jeff54]

Hello to you all.
I'm Jack from The Netherlands.
Got 50 last July, and am a truckdriver.
I came across this forum, during my search for parts for my bike.
So now i posted this, hoping somebody can tell me more about the bike i have.

So true, JC Higgins built by murray and not much in regards to value unless, ya wanted to hunt down all the parts it would take to transform it into this. Although you could probably hunt down a rusty one that needs restored, with all the parts for less than it would cost ya to do it. :

You can also find this model with Murray's badge, and likely a few other badges on it like Western Flyer, Stratto Line and Wards.

Pros; bendix brakes, solid fork, Troxel seat and likely the very last of decent frames made by Murray.

Cons: It's a Murray, [grin]

Here's the same bike with a Strattoline badge:

from the cabs Murray serial number project: http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?7014-Murray-serial-number-project

 

[Lowjack'r]

Thanks Freqman1 and Jeff54 for your info about the bike.
@ Jeff54, i can't see the first pic you have posted, could you upload it again.

I've been told several times not to restore it because, it will cost more than it's value.
I'm trying to keep the cost as low as posible, but that's not easy.
And i think it will not be a full restoration,but i want to make it a nice bike.
Before i was aware of The Cabe, i've been asking around @ Rat Rod Bikes and Facebook.
And googled for some ideas of how this bike could be.
My choice has fallen on the Colorflow bike with skirtguards, because i like the looks of that model.

So that's why i have bought these parts already.

I know now that these are not the correct parts for the bike, but this will be the way to go on now.
I will not use the deep fender, but will keep the fenders which are on the bike now.

I tried to find this model rearrack, because i like the lines of this rack.
But this model seems hard to find especialy with the bottom part on it.
And when i did find one, the price did go sky high.

So now i made a deal here @ The Cabe for this model Rearrack.

And further i need a few small parts, which will be repop, because they are cheaper and easyer to get.
When i have all the parts overhere, i will first build up the bike, to make everything fit well.
Than i'll part it up again, to clean it up and give it a paint job.
And maybe let do some chromework.

I know it may look crazy to spent my money on this bike.
But as i told before, i live in The Netherlands.
Overhere this is a very rare bike, and i just want to make it look nice.
And because i have got it as a present for my 50th birthday, it may cost some money.

 

[Jeff54]

Thanks Freqman1 and Jeff54 for your info about the bike.
@ Jeff54, i can't see the first pic you have posted, could you upload it again.

And because i have got it as a present for my 50th birthday, it may cost some money.

It was a photo of a colorflow, so obviously you've seen it.

Made me think: "Where's all those USA war bikes?" Berlin.

 

[Lowjack'r]

As you all could have followed in this thread, http://thecabe.com/forum/threads/j-c-higgins-ladies-bike-in-the-netherlands.65354/
I have gone a long way from where I started with untill how the bike is right now.

Before / After.

Before I started to restore the bike.
I have tried to find out, wich model bike it was.
But nobody could tell me for sure wich model it exactly was.
And because I liked the Colorflow models, I've gone that way, to restore my bike.
I like the result very much, and I've no regrets of doing it.

But now as I'm following the "J.C. Higgings" search on Ebay.

This 1940's - 1950's Special De Luxe bike showed up Yesterday.
And now I'm pretty sure that my bike is one of this model bike.

As far as I can see my bike didn't have the correct rear hub, handlebar and sprocket / chainring.
And there were missing some parts.
But the rest of the bike did have the right parts for the Special De Luxe model.

One of the details I did find, was when I started sanding the tank.
I could see the Original graphics wich were on the tank.

The conclusion of this.
I didn't restore my bike to Original.
But i transferred a Special De Luxe, into a Colorflow.

Maybe I did something stupid.
But I'm still proud of what I did.