Bike from the Dead's Freshly-Exhumed Finds (Everything I've dug up since 6/15/21)

[RustyGold]

From memory: The catalogs from about '36-'39 say 'all full size Elgins come with Alemite lubrication', '40 mentions Alemite...but doesn't say all, '41 doesn't mention Alemite.

Frames like Mazdaflyer's have an Elgin badge, and no zerks (I've seen a couple). So, either some slipped through the cracks and the catalog statement isn't entirely true...or...the bike was rebadged. I would think it's more plausible that some slipped through without zerks, maybe due to running out of zerks...or possibly replacement frames...or maybe some low end or special non-standard model.

Does it matter? Nope. However, a non-badged frame being called an Elgin without zerks makes me ask...'why do you think it is an Elgin?'... because, it's probably not as it doesn't have zerks.

If it was called a Derby or Mercury or Collegiate or Western Flyer, etc, without a badge I would still ask the question...but have no way of disputing the claim.

Why not just call it a Murray? Regardless of which brand it was initially sold as...it's still a Murray.

There are quite a few folk out there that treat Hawthorne and Elgin as manufacturers, when they are just brand names... probably why I tend to comment when it appears they are being used that way. It would be like calling your bike a Berry Cohen Special, because it has a jiffy stand on it...I mean, it's possible, I suppose...but probably not.

It's a cool frame by any name...these '38 to '42 Murray built frames are some of my favorites. In general, pre-war Murray just had a lot of great designs.

 

[rocshoc]

Here are few more detail pictures on the Elgin. I'll save the descriptions for the I.D. & Value thread I've already got going, as I've got a ton of photos to post next.
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I actually got the Elgin rolling under its own power yesterday! I had to tweak the master link on the chain so it'd actually lock together this time, but I was able to use the original skiptooth chain on this bike. Granted, it'd need to be cleaned and lubed again to be at its best, but none of the links are locked up at least. I just took it for a very short ride around my neighborhood, just to assess everything. The biggest issues the bike has right now is that the coaster brake needs a rebuild, and I can't get the handlebars clamped tight enough to prevent them from rotating down with any reasonable pressure applied to them. Seat's not too comfy either, but it's tolerable at least. I left the chain guard and fenders off, both because they weren't original to the bike, and because I just wanted to see how the bike would look without them. The tires are just some freebies I got from a friend, and the tubes were just ones I salvaged from some parts bikes. Not very elegant, but functional.
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I haven't decided how I want to build this bike just yet, but I don't really want to make a board track racer out of it. I know it'd look good as one, I've seen a lot of other folks build similar bikes that way, but that's part of the problem; just about every Elgin/Murray I've seen that's similar to mine seems to have been converted into a board track racer. That just makes me want to go a completely different direction with mine! I've mocked up a few parts on this bike already, but nothing's really clicking just yet. I've have to sketch up some ideas both on paper and in Photoshop before I make any decisions.

Maybe a bobtail fender and semi-ape hangers bars? Rat-trap pedals would like more styling,perhaps.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Maybe a bobtail fender and semi-ape hangers bars? Rat-trap pedals would like more styling,perhaps.

Those are pretty good ideas, but I still don't know yet. I've got a lot of ideas for this bike, but I don't know which ones I'll go with yet.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

From memory: The catalogs from about '36-'39 say 'all full size Elgins come with Alemite lubrication', '40 mentions Alemite...but doesn't say all, '41 doesn't mention Alemite.

Frames like Mazdaflyer's have an Elgin badge, and no zerks (I've seen a couple). So, either some slipped through the cracks and the catalog statement isn't entirely true...or...the bike was rebadged. I would think it's more plausible that some slipped through without zerks, maybe due to running out of zerks...or possibly replacement frames...or maybe some low end or special non-standard model.

Does it matter? Nope. However, a non-badged frame being called an Elgin without zerks makes me ask...'why do you think it is an Elgin?'... because, it's probably not as it doesn't have zerks.

If it was called a Derby or Mercury or Collegiate or Western Flyer, etc, without a badge I would still ask the question...but have no way of disputing the claim.

Why not just call it a Murray? Regardless of which brand it was initially sold as...it's still a Murray.

There are quite a few folk out there that treat Hawthorne and Elgin as manufacturers, when they are just brand names... probably why I tend to comment when it appears they are being used that way. It would be like calling your bike a Berry Cohen Special, because it has a jiffy stand on it...I mean, it's possible, I suppose...but probably not.

It's a cool frame by any name...these '38 to '42 Murray built frames are some of my favorites. In general, pre-war Murray just had a lot of great designs.

Okay, thanks. I can understand the whole "is it an Elgin if you badge it as one?" dilemma. I guess I could just call it a Murray, it's just that it sounds cooler to say it's an Elgin, since it's got those hubs and it's a similar frame. But I get it, it could very well be something else, and it wouldn't feel right to call it by the wrong name. It's like how I was called by my initials than my actual name at my first job; it wasn't a bad thing, but it just felt... weird.

Regardless of what it was badged as, I'm just happy to finally own a prewar bike! I've never been on this side of the fence before; all of a sudden, I've got something that up to this point was essentially made of unobtainium: a pre-WW2 bike! I might get some flack for this, but I honestly like most of Murray's bicycle designs more than Schwinn's. Heck, I think I've got just as many Murrays now as I do Schwinns, if not more! They may not be as... durable... as Schwinn's bikes, but most of them just look more stylish to me. Prewar or postwar, Murray's built a wide variety of bikes that look great whether they're factory original or full custom. I can't wait to put my own spin on this one; I just need to figure out how I'm going to do it!

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Wasn't sure where else to put this, so I figured I'd just leave it here. (Inspired by how I got the Hawthorne muscle bike earlier this month.)

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

LOL

 

[MattiThundrrr]

 

[Bike from the Dead]

I went to a local swap meet last Friday, hoping to find some bicycle parts for my current projects. This was mostly an automotive and motorcycle swap meet, so I didn't see a ton of bicycle parts, but I did see quite a few bicycles. Well, I didn't need anymore bicycle projects, but I was on the hunt for a replacement frame for one of my previous "fresh finds." Turns out the 1962 Murray-built OTASCO bike I bought from a friend a while back was bent pretty badly at the seat tube, and I currently have no way to fix it.

The guy I bought it from tried to help me fix it with his hydraulic press, but unfortunately the frame was too big to fit inside. I loved the frame design though, so I wanted to find a replacement to build in the meantime. As luck would have it, I found a replacement at the very swap meet that same friend was now running! I haven't looked at the serial number yet, but I know what I have is a Murray Meteor Flite bike, based on what little paint is left. I managed to buy it for $40 after a bit of haggling. While that's not a bad price given that this bike still has the original tank, it still felt like I paid too much, given that everything short of the kickstand is rusted stuck, and there are ants crawling out of the frame. Still, despite the rust and bugs, the bike is solid and straight, save for a bent dropout swoosh.

My plan for this bike right now is to just try and get rid of all the ants, possibly by spraying ant killer down the two holes in the bottom tank tubes where they all seem to be coming from. Once that's done, I want to start soaking the stuck parts in some sort of penetrating fluid, be it PB Blaster, ATF and acetone, or something stronger. I think for now, I want to build this bike with its original patina intact. I might remove the fenders and swap handlebars and wheels, but I would like to try and leave the rust as it is for now. If I find that I don't like the rust that much, I'll just strip it down and paint/powder coat it. I just wish this bike wasn't covered in all these obnoxious red stickers. Is there a good way to remove those without removing what's behind them? I've tried using a heat gun on stickers before, and sometimes the stickers come off, sometimes they melt, and sometimes they peel the paint clean off with them. Anyone have a solution to this? I'd really appreciate some advice here.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

That Murray Meteor Flite I bought was really the only thing on my wish list that I found at the swap meet, but there was another bike not far from the first bike that caught my eye. It wasn't anything I needed, but it was in decent condition, it had parts I could use on some other bikes, and best of all, it was priced low. I paid $20 for it and a Bendix coaster brake hub, thinking that I'd probably just part it out for one of my other Murrays, but the more I looked at it, the more confident I was that I could get it rolling just using what I had laying around. Plus, I really liked that blue, turquoise and white paint job...

I did find the serial number, but I haven't looked it up just yet. If I had to guess, this must be an early-to-mid-1950s model, as the frame is built for balloon tires, but the fender brace between the seat stays and the narrower fork are clearly set up for middleweight tires. I guess this bike was built shortly before Murray came out with their "Flightliner/Spaceliner" style frame in the late '50s.

How old are these tires? They're both Schwinn Spitfire tires, but they're 26" x 1.75", not 26" x 1 3/4". I doubt they're as old as the bike, but they must have been installed decades ago. I aired them up before I took these photos, both to see if the tubes held air and to see just how dryrotted the tires really were.

Here's the Bendix hub I bought along with the bike. It's not really moving freely at the moment, but I think I can get it working again. At the very least, it's good for spare parts.

Turns out, getting this bike rolling again was pretty straightforward. I was able to get the old tires off in one piece just fine, but some of the old wheel liner had to be scraped off with a screwdriver. I wrapped the wheels with some electrical tape, and mounted a set of tubes and middleweight whitewall tires I had that were on another bike I'm currently working on. After that, all that was left to do was adjust the handlebars and seat. I also chose to throw on a basket and a better kickstand for practicality sake. I actually rode this bike around at the local Tuesday cruise-in for a bit until @billn pointed out that I had not fully seated the tire into the front wheel. I fixed it shortly afterward and got to give it a proper test ride around the neighborhood later this week. It pedals smoothly and quietly, the seat's actually quite comfortable, and as usual, the coaster brake takes a good amount of planning and distance to bring the bike to a stop. Overall, this bike's one of my better purchases.

The reason I was drawn to this bike didn't really hit me until I got it rolling; this bike shares a similar color palette to both my daily-driver 2014 Ford Focus, and my 1964 Mercury Comet! It's funny, I got this bike for the parts, but now I don't want to part it out. For now, I think I'll just use this as a sort of "daily-rider," especially when I want to carry my sketchbooks and some spare water bottles along with me.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Not sure if this counts as a "fresh find," but I went ahead and invested in one of these ultrasonic cleaners from Harbor Freight. Thing set me back just shy of $100, which right now for me is a lot, but this should make cleaning parts like bearings and coaster brake components much easier.

 

[Wildcat]

On my list, the MOT-N is 1957. That looks about right for the bike. I'm not 100% confident with the list I have, I've updated it pretty often when better info comes along. Since it's a Sears bike (JC HIGGINS) it's at least pre 1963.

The Bendix hub is one of the first style they made, starting in 46. I have one, it's easy to rebuild and is pretty stout unless it's been worn out, but your cog teeth look okay, so maybe it hasn't seen many miles. The parts will tell the story.

Those Schwinn 1.75 were probably made for their S2 rims, not the Schwinn only S-7.

Your Comet is the same color as my 65 Falcon was. 200 with 3 on the tree.

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

My plan for this bike right now is to just try and get rid of all the ants, possibly by spraying ant killer down the two holes in the bottom tank tubes where they all seem to be coming from.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Decided to get out of the house for a bit yesterday and check out some garage/estate sales close to home. The first one I went to didn't have the Murray girl's muscle bike I came for (sold on the first day Thursday, unfortunately,) but there was an old 3-speed girl's bike with some good parts on it for $5. I figured it was worth it for the few parts I could use off of it, so I bought it. On my way back home, I passed by another garage sale, with another bike for sale. This one happened to have a 3-speed coaster brake hub, but with the linkage on the non-drive side. I managed to snag that one for another $5.

The girl's frame doesn't have a ton of parts I want, but there are a few worth saving.

The seat is in good condition, but it's the seat post underneath that I really want. It's one of those seat posts that fits in these older bike frames, but fits the newer seats without changing the mounts.

I don't know if I have any use for a 3-speed hub that needs external brakes to stop, but it might be worth holding onto for now.

The only other parts that I feel are worth pulling from this bike are the shifter, the handlebars, the handlebar stem, and maybe the grips. I might keep the brakes too, but I don't have a ton of project bikes that need caliper brakes right now, so I don't know.

The 2nd bike I got has arguably less parts I want, but the few I do are too good to pass up!

This basket is... odd to see on this sort of bike, but I have the perfect bike to install it on. The shifter, handlebars and stem are worth keeping as well, I think.

But this, this is what I grabbed this bike for: a 3-speed coaster brake hub! And it even has the linkage on the non-drive side, which could be useful should I pair it with my Dana 3-speed bicycle transmission I got a while back. It's also wrapped in fish hooks for some reason...

I actually just slapped some tires on the 3-speed coaster bike a few hours ago to test the gears and brake. It works perfectly, if a bit differently. I'm used to shifting gears while pedaling, but on this bike, it's really best to shift gears while temporarily coasting, then pedal once a gear has been selected. It also stops surprising well. I didn't test to see if it'd leave skids on the roads if I slam on the brakes, but it does come to a nice, quick stop with little effort. I think I'll just leave this bike intact for now, at least until I figure out which bike gets that 3-speed coaster brake hub.

Also, just to share, I ended up throwing that basket on the blue J.C. Higgins I got a little over a week ago.

 

[bear bear]

I went to a local swap meet last Friday, hoping to find some bicycle parts for my current projects. This was mostly an automotive and motorcycle swap meet, so I didn't a ton of bicycle parts, but I did see quite a few bicycles. Well, I didn't need anymore bicycle projects, but I was on the hunt for a replacement frame for one of my previous "fresh finds." Turns out the 1962 Murray-built OTASCO bike I bought from a friend a while back was bent pretty badly at the seat tube, and I currently have no way to fix it.
View attachment 191475View attachment 191481

The guy I bought it from tried to help me fix it with his hydraulic press, but unfortunately the frame was too big to fit inside. I loved the frame design though, so I wanted to find a replacement to build in the meantime. As luck would have it, I found a replacement at the very swap meet that same friend was now running! I haven't looked at the serial number yet, but I know what I have is a Murray Meteor Flite bike, based on what little paint is left. I managed to buy it for $40 after a bit of haggling. While that's not a bad price given that this bike still has the original tank, it still felt like I paid too much, given that everything short of the kickstand is rusted stuck, and there are ants crawling out of the frame. Still, despite the rust and bugs, the bike is solid and straight, save for a bent dropout swoosh.
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My plan for this bike right now is to just try and get rid of all the ants, possibly by spraying ant killer down the two holes in the bottom tank tubes where they all seem to be coming from. Once that's done, I want to start soaking the stuck parts in some sort of penetrating fluid, be it PB Blaster, ATF and acetone, or something stronger. I think for now, I want to build this bike with its original patina intact. I might remove the fenders and swap handlebars and wheels, but I would like to try and leave the rust as it is for now. If I find that I don't like the rust that much, I'll just strip it down and paint/powder coat it. I just wish this bike wasn't covered in all these obnoxious red stickers. Is there a good way to remove those without removing what's behind them? I've tried using a heat gun on stickers before, and sometimes the stickers come off, sometimes they melt, and sometimes they peel the paint clean off with them. Anyone have a solution to this? I'd really appreciate some advice here.

what a cool reflector!

 

[rat krate orange]

Not sure if this counts as a "fresh find," but I went ahead and invested in one of these ultrasonic cleaners from Harbor Freight. Thing set me back just shy of $100, which right now for me is a lot, but this should make cleaning parts like bearings and coaster brake components much easier.
View attachment 191532

Sounds like somebody didn't use their 20% off coupon... Good investment Austin... I'll send you my Sachs moped carb you can clean... Giddy up...

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Sounds like somebody didn't use their 20% off coupon... Good investment Austin... I'll send you my Sachs moped carb you can clean... Giddy up...

Never saw a coupon for it, otherwise I would have used one.

 

[rat krate orange]

Never saw a coupon for it, otherwise I would have used one.

Go to their web site... always on ...

 

[rat krate orange]

I went to a local swap meet last Friday, hoping to find some bicycle parts for my current projects. This was mostly an automotive and motorcycle swap meet, so I didn't a ton of bicycle parts, but I did see quite a few bicycles. Well, I didn't need anymore bicycle projects, but I was on the hunt for a replacement frame for one of my previous "fresh finds." Turns out the 1962 Murray-built OTASCO bike I bought from a friend a while back was bent pretty badly at the seat tube, and I currently have no way to fix it.
View attachment 191475View attachment 191481

The guy I bought it from tried to help me fix it with his hydraulic press, but unfortunately the frame was too big to fit inside. I loved the frame design though, so I wanted to find a replacement to build in the meantime. As luck would have it, I found a replacement at the very swap meet that same friend was now running! I haven't looked at the serial number yet, but I know what I have is a Murray Meteor Flite bike, based on what little paint is left. I managed to buy it for $40 after a bit of haggling. While that's not a bad price given that this bike still has the original tank, it still felt like I paid too much, given that everything short of the kickstand is rusted stuck, and there are ants crawling out of the frame. Still, despite the rust and bugs, the bike is solid and straight, save for a bent dropout swoosh.
View attachment 191396View attachment 191397View attachment 191398View attachment 191399View attachment 191400View attachment 191401View attachment 191402View attachment 191403View attachment 191404View attachment 191405View attachment 191406View attachment 191407View attachment 191408View attachment 191409View attachment 191410View attachment 191411View attachment 191412View attachment 191413View attachment 191414View attachment 191415View attachment 191416View attachment 191417

My plan for this bike right now is to just try and get rid of all the ants, possibly by spraying ant killer down the two holes in the bottom tank tubes where they all seem to be coming from. Once that's done, I want to start soaking the stuck parts in some sort of penetrating fluid, be it PB Blaster, ATF and acetone, or something stronger. I think for now, I want to build this bike with its original patina intact. I might remove the fenders and swap handlebars and wheels, but I would like to try and leave the rust as it is for now. If I find that I don't like the rust that much, I'll just strip it down and paint/powder coat it. I just wish this bike wasn't covered in all these obnoxious red stickers. Is there a good way to remove those without removing what's behind them? I've tried using a heat gun on stickers before, and sometimes the stickers come off, sometimes they melt, and sometimes they peel the paint clean off with them. Anyone have a solution to this? I'd really appreciate some advice here.

Try some WD-40 on those stickers Austin...

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Ok, this past month has been pretty busy, so my most recent "fresh finds" aren't quite so fresh now. Regardless, I've brought more parts and projects home with me. First up is this 1970s Free Spirit... I'll just call it an "MX" bike for now since I don't know what else to call it. Dad brought this bike home from Iowa when he was helping a friend of his pick up a car. It belonged to his friend, who said I could have it. I don't know much else about it other than it was probably built by Murray, but it looks to be in decent shape for its age. The fenders aren't even cracked; scuffed a little, sure, but not cracked! I don't know what I want to do with this bike as of right now. One one hand, I want to sell it or trade it for something I want, on the other hand I think I could use the parts for one of my other projects, and then on the third hand I didn't even know I had, I kind of want to fix it up and ride it. For now, I'll just keep it on the back burner until I figure out what to do with it.

 

[rat krate orange]

Ok, this past month has been pretty busy, so my most recent "fresh finds" aren't quite so fresh now. Regardless, I've brought more parts and projects home with me. First up is this 1970s Free Spirit... I'll just call it an "MX" bike for now since I don't know what else to call it. Dad brought this bike home from Iowa when he was helping a friend of his pick up a car. It belonged to his friend, who said I could have it. I don't know much else about it other than it was probably built by Murray, but it looks to be in decent shape for its age. The fenders aren't even cracked; scuffed a little, sure, but not cracked! I don't know what I want to do with this bike as of right now. One one hand, I want to sell it or trade it for something I want, on the other hand I think I could use the parts for one of my other projects, and then on the third hand I didn't even know I had, I kind of want to fix it up and ride it. For now, I'll just keep it on the back burner until I figure out what to do with it.
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