Thanks, guys, for the heads up! I was away from the forum while riding my bike around Lake Ontario... again. Doh!
Anyway:
. . .
Okay, that said, what you really want is a Flyer in a better color, right? I suggest you Google "Angelus Leather Paint." It seems excellent stuff. If you go that route, get a jar of the color you want as well as the pre- paint conditioner, which is a solvent to remove anything that would prevent the paint from sticking. All this should cost about $7 at a craft store.
First, thank you for the folks who reached out to rhm.
And second, thank you very much rhm for your detailed post and for your very practical good advice.
If I end up painting the Flyer, I will post a pic.
Best to all!