Picked up a Radio Flyer today

[Jed-O]

Angela and I were walking home from the farmers market today in Running Springs and one of our neighbors has a constant yard sale in his front yard. Normally I take a quick glance and keep going, but today I saw he had a vintage Radio Flyer out front and I couldn't pass it up!
$20 and it was mine! I've been looking for one for years now and I finally got one. I'll have to do a little research to see what year it is, but I would like to add some removable wood sides, add new neumatic tires so it can float on the sand and snow, and make a cooler rack for, well Duh!!!

Any advice on parts or brackets available that you know of? And after seeing the wagon am I fucking up the value?
My want, is to have a wagon with a distressed "Rat Rod" look and have it available to haul my aging beagles around (hence the wood sides), and be able to haul a cooler an a couple of chairs around.

 

[coolchange]

Plastic wheels, not that old.
I am however looking for one wheel, but metal to put a wagon back together.
My wagon with metal wheels is 35 years old.

 

[Jed-O]

Plastic wheels, not that old.
I am however looking for one wheel, but metal to put a wagon back together.
My wagon with metal wheels is 35 years old.

Yeah I'm just figuring with the signage, that it might be worth it to not screw with it. Otherwise I've got a few plans to make it a usable badass machine.

 

[RiverDave]

The one I grew up with was different than that one. It had a yoke Where the arm met the steering pitman.

That has to be a newer era one

 

[napanutt]

Such good times being a kid.
Me and my brother had one at my grandparents house.
We would always fight about who got to steer and who was the engine (facing backwards and kicking to make the sled move). I was older so I usually steered.

 

[Willie B]

...mine has chrome side pipes...(cut from the handle bars of my bicycle)

 

[CLdrinker]

I have my moms wagon. It’s about 60 yrs old.
Her dad bought it shortly before he died she was about 3-4yrs old.
I need to find the correct axles, wheels and tires but have no idea where to look.

 

[Demoman]

I bought this one as a Fathers Day gift for my pops a few years back. 1933 Sunshine Flyer that was built for the Chicago Worlds Fair

 

[coolchange]

I have my moms wagon. It’s about 60 yrs old.
Her dad bought it shortly before he died she was about 3-4yrs old.
I need to find the correct axles, wheels and tires but have no idea where to look.

A lot of stuff parted out on eBay. Some guys specialize in wagons.
My problem is the wagon is not that old, and small with an odd size wheel. I just need one.

Tricycle I restored for a lady at work. It was hers when she was a little girl in 50s. She restored it for her grandson. I got new pedals, metal flake grips, streamers. Red is powder coat, white is single stage poly. I told her she would probably s*** when I told her how much it would cost. She didn't care
Oh yeah I almost forgot. The front wheel bushings were shot, so I put precision bearings up front. Trike has a great roll out and haul ass.lol

 

[Jed-O]

A lot of stuff parted out on eBay. Some guys specialize in wagons.
My problem is the wagon is not that old, and small with an odd size wheel. I just need one. View attachment 798442 Tricycle I restored for a lady at work. It was hers when she was a little girl in 50s. She restored it for her grandson. I got new pedals, metal flake grips, streamers. Red is powder coat, white is single stage poly. I told her she would probably s*** when I told her how much it would cost. She didn't care
Oh yeah I almost forgot. The front wheel bushings were shot, so I put precision bearings up front. Trike has a great roll out and haul ass.lol

That's bitchin!

 

[Jed-O]

The one I grew up with was different than that one. It had a yoke Where the arm met the steering pitman.

That has to be a newer era one

Just gave it a closer look. And the wheels are metal and in great shape! Just a little rust patina

 

[jeepdog]

cool find

 

[Gramps]

this one is a little rough.......sitting in the rock garden for 25 yrs.

 

[Ziggy]

This one is in the 35 yr old range. Got it for my son when he was young.
Lots of patina...lol

 

[Jed-O]

This one is in the 35 yr old range. Got it for my son when he was young.
Lots of patina...lol
View attachment 798551

Mid 80's?

 

[185EZ]

And after seeing the wagon am I fucking up the value?

I wouldn't mess with it.
The cool factor is the way it looks
If you want to make it look new just buy a new one

 

[old rigger]

Found this under a tree on my wife's grandparent's cherry farm about 33 years ago. Turned out it was my father in law's when he was a kid in the late '30s early '40s. Had 'West Coaster' barely legible on the sides. It was pretty rough, lots of rust pitting so I had it powder coated and our pin striper at Advantage put the name on it. Rubber on the rims was long gone and so were the hubcaps.

Drug our son to every old car swap meet around when he was little, he's 32 and his son uses it today. Pic was 1 1/2 years ago, he's 2 now.

 

[The Prisoner]

On Wikipedia it says it was named after the 2 current wonders of the time
Radio for Marconi and Flyer for Lindbergh.

 

[Ziggy]

Mid 80's?

Exactly. Son born 83 so at most it's a model year 1985
We live on a hilly street. That thing got some gnarly bonzai runs. Used a lot of Bactine and gauze pads.

 

[Jed-O]

I wouldn't mess with it.
The cool factor is the way it looks
If you want to make it look new just buy a new one

Did a little research.
From what I could find, the Flyer 90 was produced from 74 to 89.
So she's about my age give or take. And given a little thought, and figuring approximately what she's worth to me versus a buyer... She's roughly 40 years old, she's still a working being with plenty of ability, sure she has some battle scars much like I do. But she doesn't want to have her heart and soul ripped away from her.
My prescription is a good bath to get the grit and grime off, put a few shots of clear matte to seal the beauty, slap some nice tits (wheels and tires) on her, for her new life and purpose. She's only 40 and doesn't quite want to be a trailer queen yet. She's looking for a new job and a little love. It would be a shame to take away her history with a new paint job.

 

[Jed-O]

Exactly. Son born 83 so at most it's a model year 1985
We live on a hilly street. That thing got some gnarly bonzai runs. Used a lot of Bactine and gauze pads.

Buddy of mine and myself used to do the same shit in the woods behind my house when we were kids.

 

[Havasu blue label]

 

[Havasu blue label]

Make offer solid wood

 

[coolchange]

That's cool the wheels are metal. I have some alloys scooter wheels with pneumatic tires, but I don't want to put them on. I want the original hard rubber tire with a metal wheel, because I want it to squeak and rattle like The originals did.

 

[old rigger]

That's cool the wheels are metal. I have some alloys scooter wheels with pneumatic tires, but I don't want to put them on. I want the original hard rubber tire with a metal wheel, because I want it to squeak and rattle like The originals did.

I met a guy at the swap meet back when I was putting that wagon back together and he was pedal car fanatic. He'd sell tire material that was on a big spool, cut it to length and then super glue the ends together. I was a little skeptical about that glue holding up but it's still doing its job 32 years later.

 

[TPC]

Exactly. Son born 83 so at most it's a model year 1985
We live on a hilly street. That thing got some gnarly bonzai runs. Used a lot of Bactine and gauze pads.

We might be the only ones in this thread that know what “no sting no stain” Bactine is.
A Sheriff John sponsor.

 

[old rigger]

We might be the only ones in this thread that know what “no sting no stain” Bactine is.
A Sheriff John sponsor.

Sheriff John read my name out one morning along with the other kids on my birthday! 'Richie from Lakewood'...It was awesome

 

[92 cole]

I have a radio traveler with the wood stakes that I put different axles on to smooth it out a tad, but from the days going to long beach swap meet and seeing all the guys with tricked out wagons I set the original axles and tires (steel/hard rubber) aside. There was a guy at that swap meet that was selling all original radio wagons for $$$$$. I also saw alot of guys pulling around "slamed flamed tricked out wagons that had kids in but rarely product from the swap meet. I figure it was just to give mom a break and go look at stuff with the kids?

 

[Nordie]

I use em for decor around the house, I built the shelf one years ago, just clear coated over the patina, and built a wood bed like a pickup

 

[franky]

Found this under a tree on my wife's grandparent's cherry farm about 33 years ago. Turned out it was my father in law's when he was a kid in the late '30s early '40s. Had 'West Coaster' barely legible on the sides. It was pretty rough, lots of rust pitting so I had it powder coated and our pin striper at Advantage put the name on it. Rubber on the rims was long gone and so were the hubcaps.

Drug our son to every old car swap meet around when he was little, he's 32 and his son uses it today. Pic was 1 1/2 years ago, he's 2 now.

View attachment 798580

I have been bashed in the teeth more than once riding like that as a kid.....

 

[Captain Dan]

We might be the only ones in this thread that know what “no sting no stain” Bactine is.
A Sheriff John sponsor.

If you remember Bactine, how about Unguentine in the mini-fire extinguisher containers...

 

[old rigger]

I have been bashed in the teeth more than once riding like that as a kid.....

I think we all did.

At first when I'd pull my son around he was so young that I'd just wrap him up in his blanket and he couldn't move, he was just an infant. As he got older, he'd walk into the sellers spot and look for any kind of ball or hot wheels car, but he got in the habit of laying down and holding a loose grip on a tire as it went round, letting it run through his fingers. Every now and then he'd grip a little too hard and his hand would get pulled down and get run over.

lol, his little hands would be black from those tires.