STBO Ms. Higgins

idiotboy · Sep 2, 2024

I bought this in June for parts, skirt guards, truss rods, skip tooth chain, air cooled hub etc.

it appears to be complete, original, and in pretty good shape. I’m gonna take it apart, address any issues, clean and grease the bearings and hubs, replace the dry rotted tires and go from there. The only visible damage is a dent in the front fender

a little hammer and dolly time should take care of that. Disassembly should start tomorrow after work…

twojs.bike · Sep 2, 2024

Nice! Who made that frame? Doesn’t look like a Murray to me.

ifitsfreeitsforme · Sep 3, 2024

that bike has a great look.

idiotboy · Sep 3, 2024

twojs.bike said:
Nice! Who made that frame? Doesn’t look like a Murray to me.

I think it’s a Murray? I’ll check the serial number when I’ve got all the parts off the frame…

idiotboy · Sep 3, 2024

ifitsfreeitsforme said:
that bike has a great look.

Thanks, I’m gonna mostly leave it alone

idiotboy · Sep 3, 2024

I only had a short time to work on this today but the front half came apart nicely, no struggles

so far everything except the tires looks useable

hope to finish disassembly tomorrow

Wildcat · Sep 3, 2024

Definitely a Murray frame, early 50's from the looks of it.

twojs.bike · Sep 3, 2024

I stand corrected. The dropouts, the chain wheel, and the fork don’t look like what I recognize as Murray. My Murray’s were likely all early 60s.

Wildcat · Sep 3, 2024

Most I've seen have the pointy dropouts, but the 50's had a rounded dropout. The chain wheel also shows it to be a Murray, the earlier ones had a solid midsection while the later ones were completely slotted.

Bike from the Dead · Sep 4, 2024

That is one sharp JC Higgins. Those Murray bikes are always cool, especially with those fender skirts! That'll make a nice fix-up and fluff-up project for sure!

idiotboy · Sep 4, 2024

Unbuilding is finished, everything came apart without a fight and all the parts look good, I think that’s a first for me

definitely a Murray, serial number says MOS-N, then MOD 502 250 then 334759

from what I found, the MOS means it was sold to Sears and the N means 1957 but I could be wrong, that happens a lot

Wildcat · Sep 4, 2024

MOD was a Sears bike. MOS is 1953 from a list I have, but I would need to research the whole thing again to try to get a better idea of what the N is for. There are various lists of Murray numbers out there, but the one I have used seems to be the best one.

BobbyStillz · Sep 6, 2024

Wildcat said:
MOD was a Sears bike. MOS is 1953 from a list I have, but I would need to research the whole thing again to try to get a better idea of what the N is for. There are various lists of Murray numbers out there, but the one I have used seems to be the best one.

Yeah 1953 is more likely. I am considering jumping in with a 1957 Higgins, and it was a one year only model (and headlight) without skirts.

Wildcat · Sep 6, 2024

I'd like to see that 57 Higgins.

BobbyStillz · Sep 6, 2024

Wildcat said:
I'd like to see that 57 Higgins.

Here's mine as I found it. Was really lucky to score a complete light from a local collector. I've seen the men's version in red.

Here's a complete original (w/ some additional accessories).

Screenshot_20200727-183512_Samsung Internet.jpg

BartRidesEternal · Sep 10, 2024

Beautiful bike as it is :inlove:

Lookin forward to your elbow grease.

I still have a good condition coasterbrake like that. The sprocket with threads is pretty stuck.

idiotboy · Sep 13, 2024

I’ve hit a snag already, I started taking the wheels apart last night, I was gonna clean the rims, clean and grease the hubs and replace the spokes.

came apart nicely but this front rim is bad, shaped like a pringles and a dent, it’s worse than it looks in the picture. I’ll search the wheel pile but I know I don’t have white with red pinstripes so this bike is probably gonna go in a different direction than clean everything and put it back together like it was….

curtisfox · Sep 14, 2024

Take a couple strips of wood on each side, thin engough so you don't overbend and lay the rim on, and another piece of wood cross ways and a jack on top and a 4x4 up to a door header and press it strainght.......Curt

ifitsfreeitsforme · Sep 16, 2024

I made a temporary clamp jig (big wood jaws) for my vise to straighten a rim bent like that. I worked the dent out with other means. You can do it. Save it.

idiotboy · Sep 17, 2024

I tried to get the dent out first and made it worse so I stopped. I’m not going to throw the rim in the trash yet but I’m not going to put it back on this bike right now either. I dug a pair of wheels out of the pile with decent chrome rims, I’m gonna do some math and see if I can use the spokes too…

STBO Ms. Higgins

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STBO Ms. Higgins

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