“It’s only original once” is true, which would have been nice for this very early example of a ‘66 Huffy Rail. The corrosion damage, however, really made it look like crap. So Im going to work some shine back into it.
Early ‘66 huffy Rail
- Thread starter CRASH
- Start date
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As you may have guessed, 57 years have really dulled the spokes. New spokes really make a huge difference in the look of a restoration in my opinion, so I always re-lace the wheels. But before I lace them, I’ve got to clean up the hubs and rins. Hubs look rough so they are getting an Evaporust bath.
And the rims look worse when you really look at them.
For big pieces like this I use an Oxalic acid bath.
The undersides of the fenders are really bad, so I threw them in too.
So we’ll let those about a day.
And the rims look worse when you really look at them.
For big pieces like this I use an Oxalic acid bath.
The undersides of the fenders are really bad, so I threw them in too.
So we’ll let those about a day.
Matched the color, so now I can blast and prep the frame.
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Man I gotta get me some of that Evapo rust, and that special acid stuff too! looks to save thousands of calories in went n dry rubbing!
And can I ask , do you mix your own paint and have an air comp n gun! I got those things but havnt dabbled in mixing paints for yrs. ya got a great match on the color!
And can I ask , do you mix your own paint and have an air comp n gun! I got those things but havnt dabbled in mixing paints for yrs. ya got a great match on the color!
I’ve perfected a tried and true technique: I’ve made a friend who owns a body shop.
Took the fenders out of the oxalic acid and scrubbed up the undersides a bit.
They look a lot better without the rust, but they are still rough underneath. So to prevent rusting up again, I hit them with some Rustoleum.
I’ll let that cure then I’ll polish the tops.
They look a lot better without the rust, but they are still rough underneath. So to prevent rusting up again, I hit them with some Rustoleum.
I’ll let that cure then I’ll polish the tops.
Got the hubs out, polished them up, and put them back together. The front axle threads were beat up from age, so I thought chasing the threads would be a good idea.
And here they are, waiting for spokes.
And here they are, waiting for spokes.
Sandblaster at work won’t fit the frame, so have to find a cheaper place to get it done, but I got the seat clamp, forks and chain guard done. I would have primed them today, but Hurricane Hilary is on the way, so it’s raining in August, which is unheard of here.
So I’m polishing. Here’s the brakes with their hundred little bits.
From this
To this
To this.
So I’m polishing. Here’s the brakes with their hundred little bits.
From this
To this
To this.
Man, that stuff looks like new!
Spokes arrived! I got too excited and laced the rest before I realized I forgot to take a “before” pic.
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They will be.@CRASH...Outstanding bro, every single nut , bolt n washer... polished!
Assembly is underway
Piecing together and taking care of this and that along the way. For instance, this reflector mount was a rusted mess. Luckily I had a NOS mount, so went with it.
The reflector face had a lot of scratches, so I spent some time polishing them out. You can see the reflection of my car on the smoothed surface.
The reflector face had a lot of scratches, so I spent some time polishing them out. You can see the reflection of my car on the smoothed surface.
While assembling the bars I noticed the tightening nut for the stem was really worn out.
Turns out, the center bulge on the bars is gone, so a shim was added. But the shim is too thin. So to get the bars “almost” tight enough, the nut would have to be cranked all the way down with a lot of force, stripping the nut and damaging the threads on the bolt.
I didn’t have an extra bolt but I did have a new seat bolt. It was the same size, essentially, but the shank on the head was too wide.
So…
Then I needed a shim. My LBS didn’t have the right size, of course. Luckily I had a seat post shim that would work. It just needed cut down, cut in half and cleaned up.
After all that, the stem/bar combo fits a lot better.
Turns out, the center bulge on the bars is gone, so a shim was added. But the shim is too thin. So to get the bars “almost” tight enough, the nut would have to be cranked all the way down with a lot of force, stripping the nut and damaging the threads on the bolt.
I didn’t have an extra bolt but I did have a new seat bolt. It was the same size, essentially, but the shank on the head was too wide.
So…
Then I needed a shim. My LBS didn’t have the right size, of course. Luckily I had a seat post shim that would work. It just needed cut down, cut in half and cleaned up.
After all that, the stem/bar combo fits a lot better.
Finished it up. Final pictures soon.
Wonderful job, Crash. Very sharp and great attention to all of the components from the bits and bobs to the paint. Tremendous build.............
