Custom radio flyer wagon pics and ideas???

Quick question, what's the difference between a Radio Jet and Radio Flyer? Is it age, model, what? Thanks in advance.

 

I think that different companies made the two wagons. I'm not sure, however. I also have a Norge Jet wagon.

The wagons appear to be the same in design and parts use, except for the name.

 

Thanks, confusing.

 

Radio Jet was made by Radio Flyer.



Here's some others with a "Radio" prefix that were made by Radio Flyer.



If it says "Chicago" on any of the tire sidewalls it's generally a pretty safe bet that it was made by Radio Flyer.

 

Aceuh, do you have any idea what year that catalog page came from? I'm trying to determine a year, and mine has the exact same logo on the side as the model #18 in the upper right hand corner. Thanks in advance!

 

I was showing these to my wife last weekend and she thinks our son definitely needs a wagon. I'm jonesing to build him one, but there is one problem: I don't have a welder. Anyone done one without welding up custom parts? I'm thinking my answer will be to get creative and find pre-bent metal pieces that fit the bill. A trip to Home Depot with an open mind might do it, or maybe Harbor Freight.

 

This page is from the same catalog and there is a mention of having been building wheeled goods for over 50 yrs.



Sources state that the founder started making wagons from wood in 1917 so that puts this printing at 1967 at the earliest (for a dead even 50 yrs). If I had to guess I'd say it's from 68-71. Over 50yrs but not 55 since being founded....Anyway...that's just a guess.

 

Cool man, thanks!

 

Is there any website where you can identify your Radio Flyer?
5 yrs ago i was in swapmeet in Sweden and bought Radio Flyer from there.It was really useful in that same event.I didnt buy much stuff,but me and my friends needed some way to transport beer cases from place to another...
Anyway,that Radio Flyer looked like really used and i'd liked to know how old is it.
I still have it and i've used it to carry bike parts from car to sales area few times when i've been selling bike parts in the swapmeets.

 

My wife collects wagons and there isn't any really "good" source for reference material about them. What we know about them we've learned by collecting some advertising material and catalogs with wagons in them. Post up a pic so we can see what you've got. Maybe we can at least narrow down the time frame for you on it's history.

Edit
Probably the closest thing to a history that you'll find. Click on the icons to the left.
http://www.radioflyerlink.com/apps/history/heritage_beginning.asp

 

Your safest bet is a trip to Harbor Freight for a set of Pneumatic tires. That'll give it a custom look without breaking out a welder and still retain the functionability of the wagon.

 

Thanks man,i am going to dig up my wagon from the garage at tomorrow and shoot some pics.

 

Here's few pics of my wagon.I know it looks like a bit crappy,but i am not going to do anything with that.You just cant buy patina with money

 

If I had to guess I'd say it was made anywhere between the mid 80s and now. It's got the "pinch free" plastic piece where the handle hinges that wasn't brought out until the 80s. They're still using that same style logo today, so it could be anywhere in that time frame. It still has the possibility of being 20-25 years old which is a long time for a yard toy to last. I'd roll it with pride! It's a cool little wagon.

 

I had one like this when I was a kid.
I think it was painted Maroon
I wore the right toe off several pairs of leather shoes using them for brakes.
I remember it always bugged me that there wasn't a "stop" on the handle to keep it from scraping the paint off the front of the body.
Sometimes we'd go catch frogs and tadpoles in the storm channel (before they cemented it in and fenced it off, spoiling all our fun) and we'd half fill the wagon with water for the tadpoles to swim in.
Alas, it's gone.

I do have one of the foot-long Radio Flyers Harbor Freight was selling a short while back.
They were on sale for about $6 so I bought about a dozen of them and gave all but one away for Birthday or Xmas presents.

 

I had a Radio Jet when I was a kid. 53 now, had it in England, still confused. Have the wagon and will save the wagon, just wish one of you guys could place the wagon.

 

I love this thread.

 

Thanks for the information.I guess it wasnt really a vintage piece,but i thought that it was from middle of 70's or something.Anyway i am not going to sell it,paint it or do anything else with it.I dont have kids so far,but i am sure that it will be my niece's or her kids headache in the future when i am gone.
Thanks man,i really appraise your answer to my question.

 

Here's one I came across at the lawnmower races up in Englewood TN this past summer.

 

Looks to me according to the ad listed above that the Radio jet is the next size smaller(or model) than a radio flyer, then under the radio jet is the next smaller radio super, then radio pal, and the smallest that is listed above is the radio tot.

 

UPDATE~~~~~ I scraped the steel frame that I built due to weight issues....had a light bulb moment one day while working with a hand cart...FRAME!!! PERFECT!...Anyway, its rolling now and my 9month old son Aiden loves it allready! steering wheel, cool paint, and a cooler dressed up as the motor to still to come!

 

Man oh man i love this thread!!!! I got a trike i just built for my daughter and a fire truck im custom makin into a lil lead sled for her. Ill put up sum pix in the next coming days!!

 

my buddy built this one recently, though the motor ended up blowing up on him unfortunately





proof of a good time:

 

All finished...for now...lol

 

This is my next project. I found it half buried in my uncles backyard. It was an electric pedal car, but I think I'll just make a new floor,new wheels and add a pull handle up front. I'll leave it ratty and throw down some pinstripes.

 

glad to see this thread is still alive. i found a few new wagons to do and they had a killer sale the other day on wheels over at tractor suply

 

Heres some wagons I custom built this week! The first one is for a customer and the second one is for me. They are not finished and just mock up pics but you get the idea. More pics up later this week.

 

Here's one that I put together for my daughter awhile back.

 

Spotted in Pigeon Forge yesterday...

 

Picked up more wagons today for $40 from CL.





My soon-to-be 4 year-old son got in on the action. He helped me clean the wagons and then move them into the backyard.


He then decided that he wanted to be a "tow truck fixer guy" and started to put the wheels on one of the wagons.



Also going to look at another old radio flyer tomorrow that is only $5.

EDIT:

Picked up this wagon for $5 today. Looks like the prior owner started rat rodding it.



Also, forgot to post this one. I picked it up at a swap meet about a month ago. It's a small wagon and appears to be a salesman sample...???



I have so many wagons now that I don't know where I'm going to store them.