Huffy Dial-a-Ride

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jd56

It's all about the tanklights
Pro Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
704
Reaction score
986
Location
Norfolk Va
Rating - 100%
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This is my most recent pick up. Worked out a deal on this 1954 Huffy Dial-a-Ride ballooner. This was purchased from the original owners son and it was his dads daily rider and used for his newspaper route. I was told that before his dad passed he said he only rode it for 3 years before he got his license and then hung the bike up in the barn.
13+ hour round trip drive for this one. Va. to West Va.
But I had to have it. It's one of the few Huffy balloon tire bikes on my wish list.
Not a super rare bike...even though I've only seen three listed or showcased during my short Web research.
So maybe it is fairly rare.

I took it for a short ride this morning to test out the springer....amazingly a smooth rider even though it needs a bearing servicing.
Also the horn and headlight trays were like new. That's a big plus.

The son with a pose before I loaded it on my car. He said he was afraid to try to clean it as he has watched American Pickers and knows dirt sells.
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Before I did a beauty side wipe down with WD40.
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Then a quick rub down...wow I was overjoyed to see the red pop.
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And after I got it home...just the beginning of the revival.
Daggum this is a nice looking bike!
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It's all about the rescue!!

How did I run out of room so fast?
 
wow, what a great score!
I actually have most of the parts to build up one of these. Just missing the rack and light.
Look forward to see you finish cleaning this up
 
:praise:

Wow, that is nice.
Where's the drooling emoticon??

You realize of course that applying the WD-40 reduced the Antiques Road Show value from $3 - $5000 dollars.. :crazy::p

He didn't toss in the Schwinn? Should have told him nobody wants them kids toys anymore now that the racing ten speeds are here.. :whistle:
 
WOW! GREAT SCORE!
 
[emoji14]raise:

Wow, that is nice.
Where's the drooling emoticon??

You realize of course that applying the WD-40 reduced the Antiques Road Show value from $3 - $5000 dollars.. :crazy:[emoji14]

He didn't toss in the Schwinn? Should have told him nobody wants them kids toys anymore now that the racing ten speeds are here.. :whistle:
The Schwinn is in the wings and waiting. Just didn't want to scratch the Huffy on the tight fit rear bike carrier.
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It's all about the Tanklights!!

How did I run out of room so fast?
 
That picture is great! It looks like the dog is saying..."will you PLEASE stop taking pictures of that bike, so we can get back home!"
Great score on this BTW, jealous.
Cheers,
Dr. T


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
That's a great looking bike! Cool score!
 
Thanks for the kudos guys...this one model has been a real challenge to find.
But, couldn't have done it without help from one of our members here.
Thanks George.

It's all about the Tanklights!!

How did I run out of room so fast?
 
Disassembly done, bearings soaking and ready to repack.
Now the bad news....went to do a thorough WD40 bath and found the rear fender and lower frame stays to have extensive paint loss and some pitting. What a disappointment that was to find.
I usually won't do a repaint of any kind, if even to do touch up but, the damage was too much to let go as is.
So sanding the rusty areas, trying to remove the pits, some filler primer and then a light coat of semi gloss to attempt a match of the undamaged original black.
Probably will take a few days to get it all right on the paint and probably will need some clearcoating of the entire frame so the blend doesn't look too bad or noticeable.
If done correctly, the value shouldn't diminish too much.
Original paint is my thing, and scratches are ok but, pitted metal is not. ...just saying[emoji15]

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Some primer
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Test run on matching paint with DupliColor semi gloss rattlecan.
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It's all about the revival!!

How did I run out of room so fast?
 
Looking good! I must have a different perspective being from the rust belt tho cause I did not think the frame looked bad at all as is... :D
 
Yeah, the rust was affecting the steel frame. I couldn't leave it like that. The rear rack and chainguard have rust issues too but, I'm leaving that alone.for the moment.
Some rust and wear is what should be left alone. But steel damage shouldn't be in my opinion.


It's all about the Tanklights!!

How did I run out of room so fast?
 
Great looking old huff I've never seen one of those models be for very cool !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Redid the frame again last night. Trying to get a smoother finish. Should be clean enough coat for a coat of clear. Then a little scuffing to keep the sheen down.
Now what to do with with this rack. Definitely don't want to repaint it. Guess an acid bath might be in order.
The chainguard and tank paint damage is acceptable. It is 60 years old afterall.

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Some of the pitting 8 still visible but bondo wasn't an option I would consider.
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And the other parts
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It's all about the Tanklights!!

How did I run out of room so fast?
 
I love the beefiness of these tanks. It's cool the way they wrap around the top and mid bars.
 
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