My killer bike find and some questions.

[PhattCatBicycles]

My next find was about 2 or 3 weeks ago but just picked it up last weekend when I saw this bike on CL. They guy whose wife was the owner wasn't even sure if he wanted to sale the bike and it took me all this time going back and forth but persistence won out in the end and I have the bike. The story is that it's was a gift to his wife when she was 10 years old from her mom and dad and they got on from a Western Auto store in Portland. The only thing changed on it was the seat and I think the tires. It's in wonderful condition with hardly any rust. I've never seen a car on a bicycle tank before and fell in love with it. Does anyone know anything about this bike? Serial#8H163819 Did they put cars on the tanks for Westren auto sold bikes? What kind of car is it? Looks like the Batmobile!!

 

[udallcustombikes]

The bike was built by Huffy for Western Auto. Huffy serial numbers are kinda easy to decode, the first number (8 in this case) signifies the last digit in the year of manufacture. So it could be '48, '58, '68, or '78. To determine the decade you would have to look for keys from the bike. I don't believe they were using that sprocket or tank in '78 so we can rule that out. In '68 they had gone to the "space age" frames with the slim tanks. The Huffman Company didn't shorten the name to Huffy until '53 and the sprocket on your bike was introduced after that, '48 is out. That nails yours down to a '58.

 

[NewOrleansFlyer]

Nice...

 

[PhattCatBicycles]

Then 1958 it is. Have you ever seen a tank with a 1950'ish car on it?

 

[kngtmat]

I knew it when I saw it at The Cabe it had to have been either a 57/58 or a 59 bike because even though the body of the car was made for the bike it has a 57/58 Plymouth front without the bumper wings.

 

[PhattCatBicycles]

I knew it when I saw it at The Cabe it had to have been either a 57/58 or a 59 bike because even though the body of the car was made for the bike it has a 57/58 Plymouth front without the bumper wings.

I agree in it being a plymouth front end and maybe a Cadillac tail end with the big fins?