Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & FINISHED!

[motopsyco]

You've all seen this one before. It got a little damaged after I left the Tour De Fat in Durham N.C. today :x so go to the end for a pic and a story.
Hi everyone,
This is the bike that brought me here in the first place. I actually rode it as I found it for a few months until some of the spokes snapped while I was attempting to true the front wheel, so I parked it for a full tear down and re-build.
My question is this I have been completely unable to find a serial # or country of origin stamp anywhere on it. The sticker on the head say's "Huffy Dayton Ohio" Does anyone have any idea about what year it is? I don't want an exact date but it would be nice to know what decade it is from.
It was lying in the woods behind a friends place for years but when I brought it home all I had to do was put air in the tires and oil the chain to ride it!

Anybody want this seat? You can have it for the postage (priority mail flat rate box) A friend gave me another seat that I'm going to use.

My goal for this one is to see just how good of a job I can do on this one. As many alloy parts as possible, removal of all unused brackets, the slickest black paint I can lay down, and maybe a triple tree fork.

Thanks in advance for any help that you give.
Floyd

 

[DonQui]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

nice bike.
i have a huffy myself and i was unable to find a serial # also...

 

[deorman]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

Early to mid '70's, I think any number would be on the left rear dropout? :? I need the front spring off that saddle let me know what the shipping on the f. r. box is.

 

[LowpowerD]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

My guess would be mid 70"s also. It looks alot like my Murry made bike. Sometimes the manufacturer and date where on a sticker by the bottom bracket. Looks like you've got a good start for a klunker, going on there.
'

 

[motopsyco]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

deorman p.m. sent

 

[motopsyco]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

Seat is spoken for.

 

[spectratone]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

I just bought one of these today; well the frame and fork...

The serial number is on the bottom of the frame, stamped onto the tube section that the crank passes through.

My serial number is split into two groups of numbers, the first group is six digits, and the second is five digits.

The number appear to have been stamped after the bike was painted; if the paint is gone they may be very difficult to read.

Good Luck!

Bill

 

[motopsyco]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

I haven't done much with it since I started this thread except to tear it completely apart and buy a few things for it.
Got a nice looking Humpert alloy handlebar, and scored a Femco wheel set on Ebay last night. Still trying to decide what to do for a fork, should I use a late model mountain or road bike fork with brakes or just get a set of triple tree forks?
The color is already settled though it will be black of course.

 

[noeyesonme]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

This might give you some ideas.

 

[motopsyco]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

Cool bike you got there. Stick around, I have plenty of ideas & tools. Time is what I am short on!

 

[motopsyco]

Re: Back in the shop at last!

Too much work and not enough play has made me an ill little boy.
So I took it out on this bike!

Here's that previously invisible serial number;

If thy bracket offends thee...

Cut it off!

With the new drop outs welded in.

Can't wait to get another free afternoon.
Peace Y'all,
Floyd

 

[motopsyco]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

It''s been a busy couple of weeks for the UPS guy. Got the fork, tires, etc. to go with the wheels I bought a while back. Here's a quick mock up.

Have been planning all along to use the triple tree fork cut short to make the bike as low as I wanted it. I bought Duro 26 x 2 tires instead of 2.125 or larger. I like the look of these tires plus they have a rounder profile and a motorcycle style tread pattern.

Still when I looked at the bike before sliding the triple clamps down I had to fight of the urge to grab the sawzall and chop it.

Feel free to let me know what you think

 

[masterpoop63]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

i like it up and choppery cause everybody is making em low make it high it looks better and you can have bigger cranks so you go faster :mrgreen:
+more wheelies(always cooler)

 

[greg66]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

ME AND A FRIEND HAVE BEEN CHOPING THE HEAD TUBE TO RAKE CANTILEVER FRAMES OUT WITH LONG FRONT ENDS.TAKE A LOOK AT THE 2 WE HAVE DONE ON THE PEDAL GRINDERS SITE THEY ARE IN THE BIKE GALLERY UNDER SAT. AT GREG'S. THEY ARE NOT DONE YET BUT YOU CAN SEE THEM IN MOCK UP. MINE 7'3'' OVER ALL LENGTH.

 

[Graylock]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

Early to mid '70's, I think any number would be on the left rear dropout? :? I need the front spring off that saddle let me know what the shipping on the f. r. box is.

Just found this thread and I wished I had seen this post and helped with the serial #. I also have a Huffy and it took me over a year to figure out that it was a Huffy. In my research. I found this on the interweb and a little copy/paste we have this:

"Huffy Serial Numbers
Determining a Huffy's age requires two steps:


The last digit of the year of manufacture can be determined by the first digit of the serial number.
Then you have to look for other characteristics to determine the decade of manufacture.
Example:
Your serial number starts with "5"
Your cycle has 26 x 1.75 tires
Your cycle has a built in tank
This would be a cycle manufactured in 1965"

Looking at yours with that chainring I would also say it's a 70's

Mine here...Percs', Graylock, and Huffy.......Don't do this at home ,I'm a trained professional http://home.comcast.net/~ppcorbett/pwpimages/OldGuyRod001.jpg

Your bike is looking good, I love the dropouts 8)

Graylock

 

[motopsyco]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

Graylock,
I actually wrote down the serial numbers from the dropout just in case someone could document them.
P80962
36422

Tonight I also found another number stamped on the side of the head and painted over. HP6544883
I'm not really interested enough in finding the exact age to do much research but if someone out there knows already and could tell me, that would be great.
Your bike looks like it started out identical to mine, so they are probably close in age.

Masterpoop & Greg,
The choppers appeal to me but I am going to go with a low hot rod look for this one, because that's what I had my heart set on to start with. But some day soon I'll build one now that I know just how long these forks are. It would really be great to chop something old, rare, and valuable. ( just imagine a raked, stretched, and chrome plated Elgin Bluebird with neon paint :shock: )

No one around here does custom cruisers or Rat Rods of any kind so my wife and I enjoy hitting the local bike paths with our old bikes & mixing it up with the spandex britches crowd.

 

[motopsyco]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

Here are a couple of shots of the bike loosely assembled for a mock up. I decided to assemble it before sliding the forks down and cutting them. It turns out that I didn't shorten the forks as much as I thought.

The new sprocket is a 42 tooth (original was 44). The drive pin on the original crank arm was twisted at a 45 degree angle and will not engage the slot on the new sprocket. The replacement that replacement that I had on hand is shorter. I'll just ride the bike first and see if I need to get another one.
I really wanted a stout layback seat post and was about to breakk down and buy one when I literally stumbled across the solution. It was the handle from a dead floor jack, I threw away the jack years ago but for some reason kept the handle. 13/16" in diameter made with some really stout tubing! Gotta weld it up and paint it.
Now it's time to to tear it back down and get ready for painting!

 

[motopsyco]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

No pics yet but I got the paint done today. Used Valspar tractor and implement enamel with a little extra hardener poured in due to the fact that is was "only" 65 degrees here in SC today. After 2 weeks of consistent below freezing temperatures (and snow :shock: ) I was amazed at how many insects materialized to attempt to embed them selves in the paint. I'll just wait until after re-assembly to post pics.
Happy New Year to All!

 

[12gaugesage]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

I'm liking this bike. A simple classic look, still seems very rideable. Just curious, are those the ChoppersUS forks?

 

[motopsyco]

Re: Crusty & Rusty, Huffy & Puffy

12gaugesage,
I bought these from an ebay store called "fuhua store" I had originally planned to purchase forks from ChoppersUS but they were out of stock on the 1" threaded.
Thanks for the compliment, my main goal was to lighten this bike up and make it more comfortable without needing a sky high seat. Of course it was important to get the look right too. Hopefully it will be finished next week.
Happy New Year,
Floyd