Saturday, March 20, 2010

1980`s Huffy USA Ten Speed Like New

Left click on pics to enlarge, Use back button (<) to return

Above: The Huffy shows some signs of aging but no signs of wear

Above: The Huffy head badge looks brand-new

Above: The rear derailleur looks like it just came out of the box.

Above; Front derailleur looks great! Is that mold growing on the tire?

Above: One of the few flaws, slight scratching on the top-tube

Above: The Schwinn Style kick-stand, that`s about as good as Huffy ever got.

Hello and Welcome. After a long drought the bike-hunting has been better lately. I found this Huffy 10 speed at one of my favorite Thrift-Stores. Normally I would consider passing on a Huffy. But this bike appears to be barely ridden. Also it has none of the usual surface rust on the chrome. Not only was this bike kept inside, it was kept dry. I would normally cut-off the pleather handlebar wrap and change the saddle. But everything is so unmolested, I`m thinking it should be kept as original as possible. You just don`t find them this unused and undamaged very often. It would seem criminal to change everything, even if upgrading. So maybe I`ll find some Huffy fan out there that will appreciate this pristine example.

I am still waiting for delivery of the parts order for the Trek. So nothing new to report there. I am expecting those to arrive any time now.

Also I am getting my parts order together for the Nishiki. It will be getting a new saddle, most likely a WTB Speed V. The Rusty seat-post will be replaced with a alloy or aluminum micro-adjust post.I`m considering swapping the stem, handlebars, shifters and brake-levers and grips. With a in-tact twist grip unit that was salvaged off a damaged bike. It should work out fine as the threaded stem size is the same. And the donor bike was a 21 speed as well (7 back 3 front). The salvaged unit looks like new and everything is there. And both being 21 speeds I think the swap will be fairly easy. Plus the twist-shift is a little more modern. If the derailleurs are compatible this will save me a ton of work. I will be working on the Nishiki tomorrow and I will take some pics of the progress.

At some point I`m gonna squeeze the Huffy in for a day. That should be all it will take to get it looking new and tuned. So I believe that is about it for now. I will post the progress as soon as I have some to show. The weather here in Michigan has cooled down again. But it ain`t snowing and that`s good enough for now :) Till next time RIDE SAFE and remember to always RESCUE,RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh

8 comments:

  1. Clean up that Huffy and submit to OTSG!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey J,
    I intend to do just that :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Hugh,

    Again, very nice work here. Do you sell the bikes you work on? They are worlds nicer than a ton of other used bikes I've seen recently. If you do, please let me know so I can keep a look out in case something catches my eye.

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks Everett,
    I really haven`t done anything other than clean-up the Huffy. I will be putting a fresh set of Gum-Walls on it. And also some fresh brake-shoes. I will definitely disconnect all the cables. And put a few drops of oil in the cable covers.Then just re-insert the existing cables.(they look like new) I will also be re-
    greasing the axles and the crank and head-set.I would like to put cork on the bars and up-grade the saddle. But being a Huffy, it would be a loosing proposition. Let me
    know what type and size bike you are looking for. And I will let you know if I have (or find) one.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm not really in the market for a bike right now, but I like to know where to look. Plus, I love bikes and window shopping is always fun. I ask because I'm not always the best about checking your blog to see what you may have to sell.

    I just picked up a city cruiser for my wife and have to admit, I enjoy riding it and will probably try to pick one up next year.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Everett,
    I think the best place to shop for bikes is your local craigslist. E-bay is great. But shipping bikes is expensive. So I think keeping it local is a good idea. There are other local online market places you might want to check-out. like kijiji or usfreeads. Although craigslist seems to be the most popular (around here anyway)If you are looking for a fixer upper try your local thrift-shop or flea market.Bike hunting is like anything else, you get better with practice. But be careful it is habit forming..lol

    ReplyDelete
  7. I had this exact bike (same colors and everything) as a kid! 1988 I think.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Adam,
      That's cool, I was 32 in 1988. Damn I feel old!...... ltms

      Delete

 
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