Need help with J C Higgins ID

[10~18 Kustoms]

I just picked up this JC Higgins today at a flea market, it's my first Higgins and I don't know much about them, can anyone help me with IDing the year and/or model of it? At first I thought the gray and white paint on the frame was just primer, and the red on the chain guard and fenders was origional, but once I got it home and started to clean it up I'm thinking the gray/white seems to be origional. I also found a couple of pictures on the net that had the same paint, but they both had a tank and springer fork, must be a more deluxe version??? The handle bars on it were not origional (road bike), but I quickly replaced them with some that look a little more correct.

w/ new bars

 

[user 135]

I am liking that bike. The non-matching fenders and guard look really good.

 

[sensor]

might try asking ratrod or karfer67(since they both have that frame)
nice score

 

[Unchained]

The fenders look to be original, or at least Murray made. They may have come from a later Murray or JCH middleweight, but they are more likely to be original. One thing about JC Higgins badged bicycles that makes identifying them a little difficult is the huge variety of models and styles released in such short runs by Sears. I was told that back when Sears was selling these bikes that you could go in to a store, select from a catalog the bike you wanted, place an order, and when the bike would arrive one or several months later, the bike you got was almost completely different from the one you ordered because of the fast changing models. I would say your bicycle is all original, a "conversion" model (as I call them) that uses the older ballooner frame and middleweight fenders and wheels. Those bikes are not particularly uncommon; I had one myself with the same frame and fender combination, though in a different color. That particular color scheme was a common color scheme on the older ballooner models, and the grey is factory by the looks (the color is actually called "olive green" in the old catalogues). The bicycle is a Murray made bicycle with one seemingly common exception; the fork seems to be Columbia made. I'm not sure for what reason parts were mixed on these bikes but it seems to have happened a lot. I would say your bike was made between '55 and '57. Great Score! Here was my old bike:

 

[Wildcat]

I read somewhere that Sears offered the JC Higgins bikes until 1962, then they were branded Sears after that. Here's the bike I gave to my brother, it could be probably 57-61:

 

[Unchained]

Hey WIldcat,

Beautiful bike! I'm thinking (because of the pointed Murray dropouts) that your brother's JCH was made more toward '60 or '61, but you are right about that window. I have read, also, that the JCH name was dropped in '62, but I don't necessarily believe that as I've seen Huffy cruisers with the '63 or '64 frame style badged with correct/original JCH badges and the corresponding stars and decals.

 

[BankerRAt]

Here is one from 1949ish. olive green as Chris pointed out

 

[elvis51]

dang marty! nice score dude!!!

Easy E

 

[Unchained]

I want to correct myself on one thing: Your forks are also Murray made, as I just recently learned it seems that the Columbia forks I had in mind are VERY similar to these at the fork crown, but that Murray did make the forks such as your bike has.

 

[roadmaster]

cool old jch! i dig that fender/chainguard and frame color scheme. i heard that they used the jch name plate till 64 or 65. i happen to ahve one of those huffy built jch bikes; my 63' jch deluxe...

hey unchained, was it only the last years sears sold huffy built jchs or were huffies mixed in there all along? and maybe you know, when did mongomery wards drop the hawthorne name? still tryin to figure a vintage on my wife's hawthorne cruiser project bike. thanks.

 

[10~18 Kustoms]

Thanks for all the help IDing this, I agree from all the pictures and info I have seen that this is most likely from around '55 -'57, and after a good cleaning using a little of M's wax cleaner and then getting it out in the sun the gray does have a green tint to it, it's almost like gray with very fine green metalic in it.

I'm really digging the pictures of the bikes from Unchained and Bankerat with the strut front forks. I actually have some struts like that but didnt know what they were from. I just don't have the top bracket they mount to. Any chance one of you could post a pict or pm a close up of the topstrut bracket, so I could try to fabricate one?

Thanks

 

[Unchained]

Unfortunately, I sold my bike last year. They come up on eBay fairly often... if you pm Glenn (BankerRAt) I'm sure he'd be willing to send a picture or two. :mrgreen:

 

[Red Higgins]

I read somewhere that Sears offered the JC Higgins bikes until 1962, then they were branded Sears after that. Here's the bike I gave to my brother, it could be probably 57-61:

I have one I restored that looks very similar. Bars are narrower, rims were painted white vs chromed, and there were no fenders when I got it. Same pointed dropouts, chainguard, graphics,fork, and tube junctions. Serial # on the non-drive dropout is 502 45161 515257. Any idea of year/model?