Yet another "please help me ID my bike" thread

[NAES]

OK OK OK, I apologize in advance. I'm a newb to the early bike stuff but I did as much research online and in catalogs that I could and I'm coming up empty handed when trying to ID this JC Higgins.

The main thing is on the tank it has this extra detail piece below that I havn't seen in any pics that I've come across. Next is that the frame seems awfully short from seat tube to head tube at about 19 1/2" or so measured on the top tube. I thought for a second that it may be a boys bike but the wheels are 26".

Stampings on the BB read MOD 502-MOST 45500

She's missing the forks, front wheel, stem and bars but I'm on the hunt.

Here's a few pics to possibly help.

Thanks in advance all, NAES

 

[Adamtinkerer]

The number 4550 is the catalog # of a '49, but it has a different tank, rack, seat, and it's a skip tooth. There is a bike pictured in the 1954 catalog, which shows the same tank graphics, seat, rack, and chainring. It looks like a 24" bike in the pic, and says "For boys 7, 8, 9". There isn't a cat. # shown in my reprint. How close is that 26" tire to the frame braces? It might be a 24" when you figure there needs to be room for the fender. Also, the bike in the cat. has truss rods, and what looks like a Delta Winner headlight.

 

[Freqman1]

This appears to be a 1954 Model. If you have the Elgin/Higgins/Hawthorne book see the bottom of page 108. v/r Shawn

 

[Freqman1]

Adam is a faster typer than me!

 

[NAES]

Thanks for the replies guys. There seems to be enough room for a fender back there but I havn't got one to fit yet so I'm not sure. Still, it seems a little on the small side so I'm leaning towards this being a boys bike still.

Oh well, it didn't kill me to get into it so if I need to flip it I should be allright.

Thanks again, NAES

 

[Adamtinkerer]

This appears to be a 1954 Model. If you have the Elgin/Higgins/Hawthorne book see the bottom of page 108. v/r Shawn

I was looking at 'A' on the top of p107.