My winter project - 1964 Firestone 500 2
12-22-11, 09:19 PM
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My winter project - 1964 Firestone 500 2
Was looking for a carbon race frame and bought this. Not sure how that happened! 
Anyway, it's in pretty good shape to be almost 50 years old. Paid $80, so maybe a little much, but I really thought it was cool.
Anyway, it's in pretty good shape to be almost 50 years old. Paid $80, so maybe a little much, but I really thought it was cool.
12-23-11, 03:07 AM
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Slap a NR Gruppo on there and call it a day.
12-23-11, 03:42 AM
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That's a neat old bike and ought to be a fun ride. Looking at the pictures, it appears that the bike is in good condition. What are your plans for the bike over the winter?
12-23-11, 05:17 AM
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Wow, that looks a lot like my first bike, a Murray, also with a tank on it. I got hit by a car five days after Christmas after I blew through a left turn at an intersection. I still remember rolling over the hood of the car and sailing through the air in slow motion, into a deep ditch. That ditch looked like the Grand Canyon. Knocked me cold and broke my shoulder. The car ran over the Murray but we had it repaired and I rode it for years afterwards until I got a Schwinn Collegiate. Good times...
12-23-11, 09:03 AM
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Thanks for all the "suggestions". I do have a spare Ultegra group in the garage!
Seriously though, I bought it to do something custom. Powder coat the frame/parts, tricked out wheels, etc....the problem is that it really is in decent shape for almost 50 years old. Now I'm temped to clean up the chrome, buff the paint and see how she shines up in the "original" condition. If it looks good, I'll leave it.....if not, maybe a maroon metal flake frame, off white/beige tank, fenders, racks, etc.
Seriously though, I bought it to do something custom. Powder coat the frame/parts, tricked out wheels, etc....the problem is that it really is in decent shape for almost 50 years old. Now I'm temped to clean up the chrome, buff the paint and see how she shines up in the "original" condition. If it looks good, I'll leave it.....if not, maybe a maroon metal flake frame, off white/beige tank, fenders, racks, etc.
12-23-11, 09:13 AM
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Beyond cool, that is a sub-zero winter project.
12-23-11, 07:08 PM
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Love the fork crown and the "spirograph" chain ring. +1 on trying the clean-up first. You may well decide it's just too old-school cool to powdercoat it after giving it a good going-over. What a nice project.
12-23-11, 07:52 PM
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Thanks for all the "suggestions". I do have a spare Ultegra group in the garage!
Seriously though, I bought it to do something custom. Powder coat the frame/parts, tricked out wheels, etc....the problem is that it really is in decent shape for almost 50 years old. Now I'm temped to clean up the chrome, buff the paint and see how she shines up in the "original" condition. If it looks good, I'll leave it.....if not, maybe a maroon metal flake frame, off white/beige tank, fenders, racks, etc.
Seriously though, I bought it to do something custom. Powder coat the frame/parts, tricked out wheels, etc....the problem is that it really is in decent shape for almost 50 years old. Now I'm temped to clean up the chrome, buff the paint and see how she shines up in the "original" condition. If it looks good, I'll leave it.....if not, maybe a maroon metal flake frame, off white/beige tank, fenders, racks, etc.
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You see, their morals, their code...it's a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these...These "civilized" people...they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve
You see, their morals, their code...it's a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these...These "civilized" people...they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve
12-23-11, 08:13 PM
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Yeah, I'm thinking it is too cool as it is. Gonna give it a complete clean/shine and see what she looks like. Just tons of potential
12-23-11, 08:45 PM
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It's built by Huffy, I had a similar Western Flyer as a kid but it was the cheap one without the tank and racks. I think the rims and fenders were painted as well.
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12-23-11, 10:34 PM
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12-23-11, 11:58 PM
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I don't see it. His frame is more streamlined, the fork crown is different, along with the rear drops, chainring, chain guard tank.......
Heres my little mule. 24 inch, the fork has been straightened. ;0)
Heres my little mule. 24 inch, the fork has been straightened. ;0)
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You see, their morals, their code...it's a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these...These "civilized" people...they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve
You see, their morals, their code...it's a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these...These "civilized" people...they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve
Last edited by ilikebikes; 12-24-11 at 12:03 AM.
12-24-11, 09:57 AM
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Better check if it has Firestone 500 tires on it : )
https://www.autosafety.org/firestone-...belted-radials
https://www.autosafety.org/firestone-...belted-radials
12-26-11, 08:17 AM
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I rode a Western Flyer similar that, new in 1963. It was a great ride for several years, till the Sting Rays became the popular ride.
No one wanted a tank, or rack, or even fenders and chain guard back then, the weight held you back.
Later, in my 20's I picked up another one for my sister, with a child seat, and was disappointed at how loose and flexible the entire frame/fork/wheels were, and have never wanted another one.
They do look great though.
No one wanted a tank, or rack, or even fenders and chain guard back then, the weight held you back.
Later, in my 20's I picked up another one for my sister, with a child seat, and was disappointed at how loose and flexible the entire frame/fork/wheels were, and have never wanted another one.
They do look great though.
01-08-12, 06:13 PM
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So, I decided against restoring, repainting, etc. I found a '63 Huffy for a donor bike for anything I couldn't salvage, so all the parts are stock early-mid 60's Huffy. The only "new" thing is the Kenda tires (and the Skully light!)...although I still have the original Firestone tires. Didn't want to ride the bike on the old tires. Figure they can go on when it is in "display" mode.
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