# What is this?



## cjskura (Aug 9, 2015)

Hi,
My new ride.
What exactly is this bike?
Year and make?
Thanks


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## partsguy (Aug 9, 2015)

I'll need the serial number off the rear dropout to be sure but this looks like a 1964 Monark El Camino, built by the Huffman corporation. Huffman bought out the struggling Monark Silver King Co in 1958 and built Huffy bicycles out of their plants under different trim and badging. These later Monarks are sometimes call "Huffarks" by some snooty collectors.

They're not especially valuable, in fact I'd say they're worth less than their Huffy-badged counterparts because most people don't remember any 1960's Monarks. They just weren't marketed very much. They're somewhat rare but the nostalgia isn't there to drive prices.

I own two of these later Monarks myself, a '61 Spartan and a '64 Silver King. They're cool, uncommon, and affordable. Unfortunately, finding original painted parts and decals is not easy. Your bike is far from original. I wouldn't worry about putting it back to stock, I'd enjoy it as it is.


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## cjskura (Aug 10, 2015)

Hey Partsguy,
Thanks for the reply.
It's good to know. 
I paid 20 bucks for the frame, fork, rims 
and put the rest on myself.
It's fun to ride and it gets a lot of attention
from not snooty bike enthusiasts.

I suppose finding a replacement light light lens is going to be difficult?
Best,


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## partsguy (Aug 11, 2015)

With this bike, I'd almost not even try to find the headlight. These older bikes don't look bad without the headlight and a new LED unit on the handlebars will be much better. On my late '64-'66 Huffys, the headlight contains the batteries and tray, wiring, etc and are heavy and prone to break especially on mens' models. They also cover up the unsightly mounting bracket for the tank.

Yours is an early '64 and uses the older style tank and an older style headlight that typically doesn't break so easily, since the batteries are stored inside the tank itself. The mounting bracket is inside the tank and screws into the back of the headtube. You don't see it.


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