Columbia & Sears Identification Help Please

[KurseD]

Just picked these two up today and trying to pin down the year of manufacture. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've looked under the bottom bracket of each, and I'm not seeing any stamped numbers. Should I be looking elsewhere?

First one as best I can tell is a late 1950's Columbia Seminole (missing head badge, so not 100% on the Seminole part). Just realized the Columbia is a 24" and the chain guard says "Torpedo" if that helps.

Second one as best I can tell is a 1960's era Sears Flightliner. Not 100% on the flightliner either.

Plan on cleaning up and riding the Sears with my son, and the Columbia will become a longer term project. I'll start build threads on them soon.

 

[Wildcat]

I agree the Columbia is 50's and the Sears is 60's. Both of them will have the serial number on the left rear dropout.

Columbia stamped theirs with a smaller font and wasn't that deep. I have a list that will show what year the Columbia was made, it should begin with a letter, then be followed by numbers.

Sears isn't a manufacturer, that bike was made by Murray but had the Sears stock number stamped on it. You have to go through the catalogs to see what year. You might find all that info on a Murray bike website, I'm not sure.

 

[RustyGold]

The Columbia is probably early 50s...it should have a number on the rear dropouts.

The other is Murray made...not a Flightliner. If it's branded Sears it's '64+...with a tank probably no later than '67/'68.

 

[RustyGold]

I started my reply...and then paused for work related duties. What Wildcat said .

 

[Wildcat]

The Sears looks ready to go, no scrapes or wear on the original seat or grips. Pedals look good also, that's unusual. Does the speedo show mileage? The bike looks like it had very little use, those tires might still be good. If not, 26 x 1.75 would be the original size. If they left the D batteries in the tank, they may have a two digit date code on them.

The Columbia might make a good 24" BMX conversion.

 

[KurseD]

Thanks for the help guys.

I found the serial# D172665 on the left rear dropout of the Columbia. According to this site, that means it's a 1958 Columbia.

I still haven't found a serial number anywhere on the Sears/Murray. I've checked both dropouts inside and out, under the seat, under the bottom bracket, everywhere I can think of and come up empty. I even removed the batteries hoping to find a date code, but if there was one, it's illegible now due to rust. Best I can tell from images I've found on the net is a guess at 1964-65.

I'll start build threads on both if anyone wants to follow along.

 

[RustyGold]

There should be numbers on the left rear drop of the Murray...but, 64/65 is a pretty safe bet.

 

[KurseD]

There should be numbers on the left rear drop of the Murray...but, 64/65 is a pretty safe bet.

Yes sir, hopefully have time to work on taking the bracket off today to check.

 

[KurseD]

Got it, but not sure if I'm reading it right. According to this thread it's a 1965? This is what I got:

502462021857804

 

[KurseD]

502 46202 1857804 is the serial number. From what I've gathered on the C.A.B.E. the 502 means "Made for Sears". I spent a little bit flipping through Sears catalogs online and the only one I could find with the same serial number was in the 1967 Fall & Winter catalog. There is a black and white two tone seat available that year as well, but not sure if that was a Royce Union like mine or not. Also found the same speedometer offered in the 1968 Wishbook.

 

[RustyGold]

Looks like you nailed it down. Probably one of the last of the tank equipped bikes.

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

502 46202 1857804 is the serial number. From what I've gathered on the C.A.B.E. the 502 means "Made for Sears".

502 in California is a DUI

 

[Phil Fink]

From what I've gathered on the C.A.B.E. the 502 means "Made for Sears".

The 502 was Sears’ serial number coding for “manufactured by Murray”.
Sears used similar coding for its other suppliers, (e.g., “501” for Westfield).
Other manufacturers did not use “Murray’s system” of marking, but instead used that of the customer, Sears, stamping the way the customer requested.

 

[Rustinkerer]

I'll add that this model had catalog # 46201 from '65 through s/s '67, and kept the 202 number through '68, then a completely different # for '69, without any changes to the bike. Typical for Sears! -Adam