# Help dating a Monark Firestone Girls



## jayrodrod (Feb 19, 2010)

Hey all, have not been on in a while been busy buying bike though. Mostly inexpensive fixers to give to my Grandaughters after I have gone through them. 

I recently bought a clean 55 Huffy girls customliner on Craigs, with a horn tank sweet delta horn, and Delta Tornado headlight. A score at 135.00 I think, just for the Delta pieces parts.

Yesterday I came across and bought on Craigs again, a Girls Monark Firestone, original including Seat, Bars,Struts, acorn nuts(all4), but no rack, tank or light. It was 125.00 talked down from 175.00. Rides beautifully, and great paint too.

So my question is how can I figure out the age of the Monark by the serial #. It does not have the  aluminum tag on the frame set like my Rocket does, but has vague serial numbers stamped. As best as I can make out, it is two sets of numbers #9A261A
and second set very hard to read, but I think its #3867077

Any help with this would be appreciated. 
Keep on Ballooning

JT


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## Adamtinkerer (Feb 21, 2010)

From what I know, they went to all middleweights in 1955, and in late 57 Huffman bought Monark's cycle division. Later bikes were just renamed Huffys. I have a Silver King 'Americana' that's pretty close to your bike.


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## jayrodrod (Feb 21, 2010)

*Monark Firestone bike*

Hey thanks for that info Adam. That is good to know and I like your bike, have not seen that model before. It is very close... So I have a couple questions. 

I'm probably splitting hairs here, but If you had to guess, would it be closer to a  '55 or '57?  Serials don't date them at this point?

Also do you think these ever had tanks and racks on them, or were they stipped down versions? I have a Monark grils rocket '52 model that has a tank, and it fits this frame like it was meant for it.

And where can you find some written Monark history? Any books out there? I have done search after search, but very little info, except on the NBHAA site, when they are mentioned in passing. I did not know that info about Huffy taking them over. I did read that they had a plant in So-Cal for a while, near Disneyland.

Thanks again for the help, Keep on Balooning!

JT


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## fasteddy (Feb 21, 2010)

I think they first put the jewels on the chain guard in 1953 or late 1952.

Steve.


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## Adamtinkerer (Feb 22, 2010)

"...would it be closer to a '55 or '57? Serials don't date them at this point?

Also do you think these ever had tanks and racks on them, or were they stipped down versions? I have a Monark grils rocket '52 model that has a tank, and it fits this frame like it was meant for it.

And where can you find some written Monark history? Any books out there?"  The info I have is mostly in "Newsletter By John, An Introduction to Classic Bicycles", and "The Monark Book", both published by NBJ, the long running newsletter. You may be able to get them thru the bookstore here, or ask Scott (sm2501) about them. The serial # list in there covers 1934-1954, so that leaves later models in guessland. I don't think they changed the frames much (if at all) for the mw series, so no wonder the earlier tank fits. There's a 1957 ad in "Evolution of the Bicycle Vol 1" which shows deluxe and super deluxe bikes w/horn tanks, racks, headlights, and the earlier style twin spring fork. I was looking at an ad for the 55 or 6 Silver King line, but I can't remember which book it was in!


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