Murray Wildcat?

[diablo243]

New to this forum, just picked up this little Gem with a 48CC motor kit on it. Trying to determine exactly what it is and if it's worth a proper restore or keep the motor on it and make a chopped up toy. The only markings on the bike is the Murray sticker on he headset tube, I can't find any serial numbers, it does have a Shimano 333 rear hub but shifter was gone and an not sure if it's even the original rear wheel. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[kngtmat]

Nice find, without the serial number can't teel the year but it is from the 70's when they started using the sticker headbadge.

Here is an ad picture.

Here is a link to the muscle bike forum where someone has a 73 in what looks like the same color.

http://musclebikeforums.com/topic/4075

 

[diablo243]

Wow great stuff, thank you! It certainly looks like a wildcat, although the bike in that picture and the ones on the muscle bike forums all seem to have coaster brakes so I wonder if the 3 speed was an option in later bike or if its not original.

Any idea where the serial might be? I looked under the bottom bracket but didn't see anything, although with the motor in it it's a little tuff to flip around to get the best look.

Any idea how collectible these are? Would I be committing a vintage muscle bike crime leaving the motor on it and adding after market parts to make a cool bobber or something similar?

Thanks again for the great info and the copy of that add, I can already see this forum is going to be a great resource!

 

[charliechaindrive]

That's cool, and does the smaller weelsize make a difference in the top end speed?

 

[diablo243]

Not sure how the wheel size affects it, first setup I've eve had like this so nothing to compare to. That back wheel is all out of whack so it gets a little scary at speed but it moves right along. I've decided to rebuild the bike with the motor so I will be starting a build thread if you want to keep an eye open.

 

[Murray-Eliminator]

Your Picture is not showing upo. but here is the Murray Catalog for 1971. That's when they went to sticker head badges.

http://murrayeliminatormusclebikes.yuku ... ay-Catalog

 

[diablo243]

Thanks, I fixed the link.

I'm pretty sure it's a 76 Wildcat 3 found a catalog here:

http://classicmusclebike.yuku.com/topic/2207/Murray-Ad-s-Patents#.UD7OAmt5mSP

Everything matches including the head tube sticker. Now it might be earlier but it's not a 71, the head tube sticker is different, so I guess mid 70s is a safe bet.

 

[Toeslider]

Sent you a private message about the seat, which you could probably take me to the cleaners on if you were so inclined. Been looking for one for about a year now.

As for Wildcat value, let me just say this: I've got about $250 into "restoring" one that, if I'm INCREDIBLY lucky, I could sell for maybe...$150. They're not as desireable as Schwinns or some other brands of the era, but it was my first real bike, so it was worth it to have it hanging in the garage. Just need that seat! That one has some nice parts on it, but it also looks like some stuff has been replaced with incorrect parts, so I say do what you like with it.

These pictures are roughly 40 years apart: