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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: Gizmo on March 27, 2010, 08:37:43 pm
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Anyone heard of this company? I bought a three wheeler bike for my mom today and it has Bill Matthews Company Laguna Hills California on a little crest on the front. The side says Leisure Line. I know it's not an antique, but I'm having a lot of trouble finding info on this bike company on line. I read a little blurb about Schwinn using Bill Mathews Company brand parts but that they liked to keep that info under wraps. Anyone know anything else?
I bought it at a yard sale for $40, and the man who sold it to me said it used to belong to a little old fellow who rode it all around the Seattle area. They weren't sure how long the man had owned it, but they thought it had been quite some time.
Sorry I don't have any pictures at the moment. My camera is hating me right now. I'll fiddle with it again later. Any help on this one would be great. My mom's birthday is mid-April and I would love any info I could add to this for her.
I rode it down the street, you know...to test it out, and I felt like a giant kid. It was great! It even has a basket, but no bell. I might need to add that on. :D
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Hi Gizmo , Aftermarket parts and accessories grew in popularity, and kids were eager to personalize their bikes with the latest fashion in bolt on hardware. The "Bill Matthews Co." continued to be the leader in this field with their "Far Out" line of parts, and in 1964 had some new additions to its line up of wares. Looking to the hot-rod set for inspiration Bill Matthews came up with the idea to produce a set of dragster style "headers" that kids could bolt to the chain guard of their bikes. These "headers" imitated the look of the chrome upsweep exhaust pipes found on many high performance motor vehicles, especially chopper motorcycles. The Bill Matthews Co. also came out with a seat post that was spring loaded, which made it into a kind of shock absorber.The Bill Matthews Co. continued producing kustom bike parts in '65, after a very successful year of related sales. 3-wheel conversion kits, sissy bars and simulated exhaust pipes set the tone for their line of components. I would go out & buy that bell!!! she will love it!!:)
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TI second adding the bell! 8)
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Thanks Wendy! I just stumbled across some old ads for Bill Matthews bikes online. Fun stuff! My mom has always wanted a 3 wheeler (lol, or giant tricycle I should say, I guess). I'm so excited to give it to her, but I need to take it in and get the brakes and gear shift looked at. I hope it's not too expensive a fix. I spent most of the day taking the bike apart and cleaning off the years of rust and dirt. It actually shined up very nicely. I think the brakes and gears are beyond my bike knowledge though.
Oh yeah, I am 100% going to add a bell!
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Hey Gizmo,
Hope your Mom will be riding that bike until she turns 130!!
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Cool , Gizmo .
I'd suggest a squeeze-ball horn & handlebar streamers (+ a camera , so that you can tease her , in her later years , in front of the grandkids) .
;D ;D ;D
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That would be great to have that for your mom!
Laughed when I read about the rubber horn and handlebar streamers! Ah, the memories.
My favorite was the playing cards on the spokes with clothes pins! The sound was awesome (at the time)!
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Oh yes, the cards on the spokes. I could've retired on the value of the baseball cards I ruined on the spokes of my bike when I was young. There must have been some pretty good rookie cards of somebody famous bent up making noise on those spokes. Anyone remember the Vroom or Varoom toy motors (by Mattel?) that came out and replaced the cards on the spokes for noise?
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I bought the little metal bell today. I almost bought the squeaky horn one, but the round metal one looked just like the ones my sisters and I had as kids. So much fun! I can't believe all the gadgets for bikes now. I even saw a cup holder for coffees and stuff!
I really wanted to put streamers on it...but I was afraid my mom wouldn't ride it as much if it had them. Not me though! I'd be cruising that bad boy around the block! I hope to finish up my work on it tomorrow if it isn't too rainy out. I'll post some pictures, I hope, when it's done.
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Cool! Be sure to get one of mom with that big happy smile on her face!
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Great Gizmo cant wait to see the photos of this beauty!!!
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Hope to see the pictures.
Forgot about the metal bell...I remember wearing my thumb out pulling the lever!
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Pictures! (finally) ;)
(http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af7/martin_e_olive/DSCN1264.jpg)
(http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af7/martin_e_olive/DSCN1269.jpg)
(http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af7/martin_e_olive/DSCN1273.jpg)
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Oh Gizmo I love it how cute!!!!!! Mom will be in her glory :D
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How fun! And you got the bell too!
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Awesome Gizmo!! Now hunt around and find her a nice wicker (real wicker) basket for the front, for groceries and whatnot. ;)
Wish I lived in an area where I could use something like that!
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Looks brand new!!!
Would really build up her legs in that area. Our best friends live in Laguna Nigel!
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I'm so excited to give it to her, but I have to wait until the 19th. That's so hard!
She's such a hoot. She's decided to have her birthday party at Chuck-e-cheese because then the grandkids can run around like nuts, and she can be a big kid too! I'm thinking of bringing the bike there and finding a way to surprise her with it. I still need to get the new hand brake put on and have the gears looked at, but a friend said they'd work on it for me!
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Have a great time!!!!
(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:qrXR3P3KpcYiZM:http://www.bargainmeister.com/images/stories/Chuck.gif)
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Oh that is just too cool! Please tell us all about it afterward!
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Thanks for posting itmages of your cool gift !
Now you can get her some pants ("Capri" / "pedal-pushers") & some cat-eyed sunglasses & set her loose on Alki (beach) !
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Lol! Nice pic KC! I'll have to get those pants and glasses regjoe, and I'll be sure to tell you all about how the surprise goes seas! I just hope I can wait another week+. :D
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Hello! Just thought you'd all like to know that mom loved the bike. We gave it to her after spending about four hours in Chuck-e-cheese. She jumped right on it and rode all around the parking lot, sounding the bell the whole way. She was grinning from ear to ear and pretty soon we were loading the kids in the basket and she was giving them rides. It was great.
There is nothing better than seeing a grandma peddling around a parking lot on a giant trike with a basketful of grandchildren!
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Gizmo what fun!! So glad you found us and could share this wonderful event!!!! :D
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Gizmo, came across this site and thought of your mom. There are two other vintage related posts with links at the bottom......and lots of 'women on bikes' fun and interesting stuff. Don't know how old your mom is, but boy did these bring back memories for me. ;)
Tell her I wish her 'Happy Cycling' as well as Happy Birthday!
Part III
http://letsgorideabike.com/blog/2010/01/brooklyn-tricycle-chic-vintage-style-iii/
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Thanks Sapphire, that's awesome!
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Glad you had a wonderful time at her B-day!
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Thanks for sharing that Gizmo!!