# '39 Huffman Tank



## ohdeebee (Feb 28, 2015)

Chrome or paint? The bike itself is all original, obviously the tank is not. I no longer have the time or facilities to paint the tank to match the bike, I know that chrome tanks were an option, but I hate the look of new chrome. What do you kids think?


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## gwheeler (Feb 28, 2015)

That bike is beautiful any way you look a it.... My vote would be paint but the chrome is going to look stunning as well.

cheers


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## Sped Man (Mar 1, 2015)

My vote is for chrome.


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## tripple3 (Mar 1, 2015)

See if there is 1 to trade?? Maybe someone has a chrome 1 for your nice painted 1.... Chrome would look awesome on that bike. Its an awesome bike!


ohdeebee said:


> Chrome or paint? The bike itself is all original, obviously the tank is not. I no longer have the time or facilities to paint the tank to match the bike, I know that chrome tanks were an option, but I hate the look of new chrome. What do you kids think?


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## Freqman1 (Mar 1, 2015)

I'm sure Scott will chime in but I believe that bike originally had a painted rack and tank. V/r Shawn


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## ohdeebee (Mar 1, 2015)

This bike had neither a rack or tank. Catalog shows chrome tank/rack/guard/dual lights. I'm not willing to chrome the guard, but I have the dual lights.


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## Freqman1 (Mar 1, 2015)

If the bike is original without the tank and rack I'd just take them off and keep it original. If you want to build the upscale version then you will need to do some chrome. V/r Shawn


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## bentwoody66 (Mar 1, 2015)

"It's your thang.....do watch wanna do!"


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## bentwoody66 (Mar 1, 2015)

I vote chrome......


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## scrubbinrims (Mar 1, 2015)

I am not a fond of new chrome either and I use best available chrome for restored bikes.
In this case you ain't going to find an original chrome tank anytime soon and the paint on our bike is strong with some sheen left, so I would rechrome the tank.
At least you have a tank available and a couple hundred invested to finish it off ain't bad and goes with the rack.
Chris


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## vincev (Mar 1, 2015)

I would go with paint.


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## ohdeebee (Mar 1, 2015)

I should add that this tank is not original paint and also that I am not opposed to finding/painting a black rack.


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## bikewhorder (Mar 1, 2015)

Its obvious to me that you're never going to be happy with this bike no matter which road you choose so might as well just ship the whole clustercoitus my way.  I'll even pay the shipping.


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## Oldnut (Mar 2, 2015)

Painted tank and b/w tires


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## ohdeebee (Mar 7, 2015)

So I started stripping the paint today. Still unsure where this is going to end up, but the tank did appear to have pretty nice original LIME GREEN paint and Western Flyer decals under the red repaint.


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## 37fleetwood (Mar 7, 2015)

let's start with what you have, which looks like a low end '39 LaFrance. it most likely wouldn't have had a tank or rack. which brings us to the tank and rack. the Huffman racks have flat legs, and in 39 they didn't use the 9 hole rack, and your tank is a 1940 Western Flyer tank. this bike went by on ebay last year didn't it?
I have to agree with whoever said take the tank and rack off and just enjoy it as it originally came, there's no shame in having a really nice original lower end bike.
....but if that's not what you want to do, do whatever you like.
in 1939 the only model with the chrome tank was the Champion model which also has the chrome rack and guard, not to mention the super rare headlight set up.
if you go with paint you will need the painted rack, since you need a rack either way, this isn't a problem. let me know if you want some options for painted tank models.

here's the catalog page for the Champion if that's where you're headed. the top one is the 39.


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## ohdeebee (Mar 7, 2015)

Problem solved.


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## Ralph51 (Mar 7, 2015)

Super cool bike!!


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## bikewhorder (Mar 7, 2015)

ohdeebee said:


> Problem solved.




More like "first world" problem sloved  Nice spare fenders ya got there.


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## ohdeebee (Mar 7, 2015)

bikewhorder said:


> More like "first world" problem sloved  Nice spare fenders ya got there.




That old scrap metal in the background? I've been meaning to throw those off my porch...


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## ohdeebee (Mar 24, 2015)

Imagine that. You could get things on your bike that didn't fit the catalog pics. Amazing. Maybe this bike _did _come with a chrome rack, chrome tank, painted guard. Crazy, just crazy.


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## Oldnut (Mar 24, 2015)

Nice you could order options and deletes hmm build what you want I like it


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## bikejunk (Mar 25, 2015)

when I worked in a bike shop years ago we once put a 160 dollar suspension stem on a 200 dollar bike its what the customer wanted that's why we were their to sell stuff not  to say that's not right.


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## 37fleetwood (Mar 25, 2015)

ohdeebee said:


> Imagine that. You could get things on your bike that didn't fit the catalog pics. Amazing. Maybe this bike _did _come with a chrome rack, chrome tank, painted guard. Crazy, just crazy.




you go girlfriend, maybe you could have ordered it with a Schwinn badge too!
seriously though, you have to realize that the sheet you posted came out of a catalog I bought and scanned, so I'm aware of it's existence. 
it still doesn't address the fact that what you have is a 1940 tank, and an aftermarket rack
also, these catalogs were for the Huffman representatives to use when selling the Huffman line to retailers. it's not like someone would go into Bob's corner store and fill out an order sheet, they weren't made as one off orders. the corner store filled out the order sheet, had a certain range of options, and then it was sent to Huffman and the bikes were produced and shipped to the store. 
so, your smart little remark still doesn't work, your bike came as you got it, no tank, no rack, as is evidenced by the fact that, a, we've seen it before you glammed it up, and b, you've as usual added the wrong parts to even make a convincing job of it, and as usual you have taken a nice original and made a multi-bike abortion out of it. I guess it's just what you do.
your bike is proof that it didn't come with a chrome tank or chrome rack! Crazy, just Crazy!


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## delgan (Mar 25, 2015)

Personally, I think it looks great as is.


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## ohdeebee (Mar 25, 2015)

bikejunk said:


> when I worked in a bike shop years ago we once put a 160 dollar suspension stem on a 200 dollar bike its what the customer wanted that's why we were their to sell stuff not  to say that's not right.




We did the same thing at my bike shop. For instance many people didn't care for the OEM seats so they were regularly swapped out. Pretty much every manufacturer I dealt with would allow us to send the unwanted seats back for credit. Handlebars, shifters and grips were often swapped also. Thats just on the lower end bikes. When dealing with higher end road and mountain bikes for instance entire drive trains were often swapped out per the customers wishes.


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## fatbike (Mar 25, 2015)

Their is also something about a tankless model that is cool, your Huffman is nice. Not every cool bike needs a tank, it's neat the see the lines of a frame. Still flows nice. Puts some accessorys on it. Leave the tank and rack off. Save them for the right bike or use for trading material. 

So is that an actual late tank, can't tell.


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## ohdeebee (Mar 25, 2015)

fatbike said:


> Their is also something about a tankless model that is cool, your Huffman is nice. Not every cool bike needs a tank, it's neat the see the lines of a frame. Still flows nice. Puts some accessorys on it. Leave the tank and rack off. Save them for the right bike or use for trading material.
> 
> So is that an actual late tank, can't tell.




Thanks! I've already got a tankless Huffman and have had the ribbed tank for a while. Didn't make sense to me to leave it sitting on a shelf with a perfectly good bike just waiting for it.


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## fatbike (Mar 25, 2015)

ohdeebee said:


> Thanks! I've already got a tankless Huffman and have had the ribbed tank for a while. Didn't make sense to me to leave it sitting on a shelf with a perfectly good bike just waiting for it.




So you have two separate generation cool tankless Huffman models. Nice!!! 36ish and 39. Your call.  I would would chrome it)) I have access to an earlier really nice original tank with your colors. Cream and black with red pinstripping It's too bad, I would offer up a trade if they were appropriate years for us both. I have a 37 SS that I would love a original red tank for)) I would use those colors to determine my resto on my bike.

Have fun with your nice bike.


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## Freqman1 (Mar 25, 2015)

fatbike said:


> Their is also something about a tankless model that is cool, your Huffman is nice. Not every cool bike needs a tank, it's neat the see the lines of a frame. Still flows nice. Puts some accessorys on it. Leave the tank and rack off. Save them for the right bike or use for trading material.
> 
> So is that an actual late tank, can't tell.




Yes it is a late tank. You can tell by the 'bump' on top to align/hold it to the frame. The earlier tanks have a pair of metal straps that hold the tank between the top bar and the down tube. V/r Shawn


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## fatbike (Mar 25, 2015)

Freqman1 said:


> Yes it is a late tank. You can tell by the 'bump' on top to align/hold it to the frame. The earlier tanks have a pair of metal straps that hold the tank between the top bar and the down tube. V/r Shawn




Exactly.


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