Classic & Vintage - Another yard sale find, Monark Silver King "RAT ROD"

Here's a Monark Silver King I bought at a town-wide yard sale festival in July of 2011 -
Paid the asking price of... ..... :innocent:

After an ethics debate newbie-me "got sucked into" on the CL thread, I'm a little gun-shy on telling the prices I pay. - :twitchy: - Sorry folks, I'm just that way. I'm always "preying on the ignorant" by paying them what they want for their stuff. - My excuse this time is that I'm a Schwinn collector, so honestly I have no idea about Monark values.

Says "Silver King" on the front head badge. Obviously it would have had fenders and a horn tank at one time. I haven't even tried to date it. I figure 1950s since not inch-pitch chain.

Just for grins, I took it all apart and got it going 100%. Even got the frozen bronze front fork bushings free and working. That "cushy suspension" is kind of fun.

It's original paint, has a nice patina. I guess one might call this a "beach cruiser" or "Rat Rod".
(Rear wheel is original with New Departure hub, front wheel is Schwinn.)

Photos as found - after service

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/262314_1824902982363_1233902534_31536690_5289910_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/260129_1824903062365_1233902534_31536691_6082341_n.jpg

I know Monark was a Chicago company and they have their following in the collector hobby. But from my perspective it isn't even close in component/build-quality to a Schwinn. The kickstand on the Monark is bogus as are the butt-welded frame joints which are iffy IMHO.

For example, my same era Schwinn-built B.F. Goodrich Challenger.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/46804_1383002655131_1233902534_30876274_5749832_n.jpg

the workingbikes.org co-op in Chicago has a metric buttload of old Chicago made bikes if you are ooking for parts for a restoration

Cool, but not what I expected - I thought the Silver Kings were usually aluminum with big cast joints and deco styling?

Cool, but not what I expected - I thought the Silver Kings were usually aluminum with big cast joints and deco styling?

I thought the same, but the head-badge says otherwise. Maybe the newer ones are like this? Weren't the aluminum ones from the 1930s or 40s?
Mine seems to be from the 1950s era.

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=13847&d=1288238757

I agree, the aluminum model were from the earlier time range. I spotted one of the "hex bar" versions at an antique show a few years ago, just as another customer was handing over his money. Beautiful bike, but I'm not sure what I would have done with it had I got there first...

This hex tube aluminum Silver King was at the 2010 Alameda Car Show. I believe the owner said it was from the late thirties. He said the frame is really flexy.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7/k4drd/Bicycles/CIMG6834sm.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7/k4drd/Bicycles/CIMG6839sm.jpg

I think that when collectors refer to a Silver King they most often mean the aluminum models. Monark did use the silver king name on later steel framed models I think mainly on middleweights.

My Silver Kind was most definitely steel. It was classy enough that I though it would replace the old Schwinn but in the end the Schwinn won out for ride quality.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll299/sailorbenjamin/IMG_4011.jpg