Firestone 500- Newbie

[erinjolly]

Hey everyone! I'm new here and I have been reading some of the threads about Firestone 500s. I recently found one at an Estate Sale for $95. I bought it for my father and I am hoping to clean it up and make it a Fathers Day gift. Only problem is, I have no idea what steps to take. My boyfriend rides BMX bikes professionally so dismantling, reassembling, greasing bearings, etc. will be taken care of by him. I have read about vinegar soaks, WD-40, and other cleaning methods. What do you guys suggest by looking at the bike. I want to leave as much original as possible. Would you suggest adding some Firestone decals?

I promise to post after pictures too!

Thanks everyone!

 

[Uncle Stretch]

Its a little hard to tell you how to completely restore a bike in a short post.
The best thing is trot down to your local Lowe's or Home Depot and buy some 000 steel wool.
Spray wd40 on the steel wool and go over all the chrome parts. Then wash the bike with
dish soap and a good sponge. Steve likes that green stuff. Almost any cleaning will make
it look lots better. Once its clean then decide what else you have energy to do. A light wax
on the painted parts helps. Don't get too carried away on the stickers. Have fun. :wink:
Oh and not sure but I think the vinegar with a little oil goes on a salad. :lol:

 

[erinjolly]

Thanks! I just didn't know where to get started on the cleaning aspect. I didn't want to ruin or scratch it. Going to go get the supplies you mentioned!

 

[Uncle Stretch]

That bike looks to be in pretty good shape. They say they are only original once.
The less you change the better you are. A couple tires/tubes and some cleaning
and it should really look nice.
As a side note....If you try to get that AAA sticker off with anything other than a
hairdryer you will probably mess up the decal under it.

 

[erinjolly]

Took your advice and I've started cleaning. Looking really good. Its amazing how easily the rust comes off. The sticker came off with no problem. There was once a red white and blue Firestone decal but it was 20% complete so I removed it. Would love to find the same decal but no dice on eBay. Other than that, I'm not going to add any decals. It looks too nice all cleaned up.

Really appreciate all of your help.

BTW, should I get new tires or leave the originals on there? I'm not sure if they hold air or not but assuming they do, would there be any way to get them back to the original white wall look? They're pretty yellow right now...

 

[Uncle Stretch]

You can check for cracks in the tires. If they aren't completely cracked , you might
try new tubes. Westles tire white works wonders. Soap on some of your steel wool
will clean them up pretty good too.

 

[sleepy]

If those are the original Firestone tires, they'd be worth as much as you paid for the entire bike. 8)

 

[erinjolly]

Sleepy- They are speed cushions. Owner said they were original tires. Looking at other bikes on the net, I think they are. Aired them up yesterday and rode around a bit. Seem to be holding air well. This whole process has been so much fun I think I may try my hand on another bike once I finish this one!

Any recommendation for chrome polish?

 

[kim_dude]

And another bike junky is born!!!!

 

[sleepy]

Turtle Wax chrome polish seems to work well and is readily available.

I was recently following an auction on eBay where the same Firestone, but only a frame and chainguard sold for $90.

 

[Terry66]

Huffy built Firestone 500 II. That is a PERFECT start into vintage bikes. In fact, it was my first vintage bike too! Yours is a little more complete and better shape than mine was, but it looks like the same year. Mine is a '64. Have a look at the serial number on the rear dropout. First digit should indicate the year. 3=63, 4=64, 5=65, etc. Looks like it is pretty much complete other than the seat, but the red/white ones are fairly common on ebay. Of all the bikes I bought, built, sold, etc...that is one bike I'll probably hang onto....Enjoy it!

Here is mine...I have the original Speed Cushions, but I have them in my workshop. I use these aftermarkets for riding around.