# I Never Promised You A Rose Garden 2017...A Huffy Tale



## Saving Tempest

The title is in honor of *partsguy* telling me he was thinking of making this bike YARD ART when I offered to buy it from him. This is what it was like before parts were stripped for his other projects. There were no fenders, chain or rims and no seat left and the basket is not part of the deal. I'm also unsure it the rack had arms once or was supposed to hold the center of the fender. There was a problem though...the rack and seat tube collar were put together wrong by the previous owner (who apparently had NO CLUE how to go to the hardware store and do it right) so the whole affair if in need of a saw and the collar got torn off when partsguy tried to get it out...oh well...I can get one like it with arms if needed and start over.

So from now on until completion I will simply call the project Holly Huffy (I won a karaoke competition on New Years Eve 2000 singing Holly Holy, thank you Neil), Holly for short. When I finish I hope to simply GIVE HER AWAY.


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## HIGGINSFOREVER

Put the basket on blow up the tires and ride it may be my old eyes but it looks like the forks are bent forward,Probley just the way its leaning against the building


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## Krakatoa

Bent out not in like some one did commander lander....:eek: Mad rake now she'd be stable at high speed!!


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## Saving Tempest

HIGGINSFOREVER said:


> Put the basket on blow up the tires and ride it may be my old eyes but it looks like the forks are bent forward,Probley just the way its leaning against the building




You didn't red the first post. It was partially parted so PG could fix another Huffy or two (maybe the SILVER ONE he posted and sold to a lady). The fork WAS curved. Rosa's old fork is going on in it's place, there are no wheels yet.

That could well be why it's posted in PROJECT bikes?


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## Saving Tempest

By the way, the seat wasn't part of that but I'm planned to buy one like it that the LBS has one just like it that I'm going to take off his hands. I'm going to get the proper bearing grease as well and learn to install all my bearings on both bikes this year.


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## Saving Tempest

I'll be sending off for the rest of Holly Monday that partsguy had and I'm working on getting the wheelset together.


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## Saving Tempest

That will be in the mail in the morning...and I went to the NAPA auto parts store and got a can of a nice blue...can't really find an exact match so I may just document the graphics, send tom on to Bruce Crawford and give Holly a new kind of blue.


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## partsguy

The seat and rear fender went to the '69 Camaro I sold
The fork and headset went to a '63 Silver Jet that is under full restoration
The front fender went to a '63 Avanti that will be mildly restored (hopefully by the winter I'll start on it)
The rear and front wheels were set aside as spare parts...that will likely be used quickly come summer.

I am glad to see the remains go to a worthy cause.


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## partsguy

Yard art in itself is not a bad thing...for the truly rusted hulks, it is a peaceful grave.


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## partsguy

Also, the forks are not bent. It's my camera angle. Not much room between the building and the fence. I used to have a whole mess of junk out there...I've been selling, giving away, and scrapping things slowly for quite sometime. All I have left in the side yard is a 1984 Columbia Charger that i will rebuild to go with my 1984 Santa Fe Blue Dodge Charger Shelby when it is done. Same year, same colors 

I have some old allow wheels for my Stratus back there too, some bike wheels, and a big brake fluid drain pan.

I have the garage cleaned out pretty well too. I have sold three bicycles in the last couple of weeks. I have one other for sale currently, and another one almost wrapped up and will be for sale also. More to come in the following weeks.


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## Saving Tempest

partsguy said:


> Yard art in itself is not a bad thing...for the truly rusted hulks, it is a peaceful grave.




I have saved much worse that that one.

Got the headbadge decal from Bruce Crawford today! I should retake the picture later.
I'm also going to try and clean the top of the chainguard up and save the main painting for the replacement rack. That would mean all I need to do it reproduce the H logo and twin stripes on the rack, paint and stripe the tank, find a bezel and get a seat and I'm about there.


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## partsguy

If I come across I spare headlight assembly for the Camaro tank I sent, I'll let you know. I thought I have a spare tank bracket for it but I did not. Let me know if the Camaro tank even fits this. It was a freebie so no harm no foul if it doesn't, it was worth a try.


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## Saving Tempest

_Thank you, zedsn!_


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## partsguy

Saving Tempest said:


> View attachment 449744 View attachment 449745
> 
> _Thank you, zedsn!_




1964-67 Silver Jet rack. I don't have any spare bits for it, but you can make a bar to go over that shaft and have yourself a springer rack. If you don't have the tail light, you can fill in the mounting holes for a smooth finish when re-painted. 

You might be able to make the basket legs in the pic work as legs for it.


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## Saving Tempest

The spring is underneath tho...I assume that it helps to hold the taillight assembly in. Ed said it's from a Hawthorne and yes, I taillight will go there, no sense in messing around.


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## partsguy

Saving Tempest said:


> The spring is underneath tho...I assume that it helps to hold the taillight assembly in. Ed said it's from a Hawthorne and yes, I taillight will go there, no sense in messing around.




Remember, I own four Silver Jets, and have bought and parted out three others. These racks COULD fit other bikes, so it is possible that it came off a Hawthorne. This will mate right up to any 26" Huffy rear fender from about 1959-1970 (assuming it has the bracket on top of the fender). The spring is for a bar that would clamp down on your cargo. A thin metal washer went on both sides of the bar, on each end. Then you had chrome metal legs that went from the small fender mounting holes to the shaft. The tail light tray screws into the two holes on top. The tight-fitting trim bezel that went over it screws into the u-clips on the sides.


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## partsguy




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## Saving Tempest

What I'm not getting is that the spring is on the BOTTOM

http://thecabe.com/forum/attachments/449744/


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## partsguy

Saving Tempest said:


> What I'm not getting is that the spring is on the BOTTOM
> 
> http://thecabe.com/forum/attachments/449744/




The spring is on the bottom because as you pull up on that chrome bar over the top, the spring is pushing against the backside of the rack to maintain tension. The bar has square holes in it so it fits firmly around the square rod. This allows it to grab and turn the spring.


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## Saving Tempest

Don't have that part anyhow, the bar is for attaching the arms to as well.


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## Saving Tempest

I gather that is all that was left of the Huffy.


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## partsguy

The theme song for this build:






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## Saving Tempest

I thought it would be






note that kids never seem to dance very well, then or now...


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## partsguy

Both are fine tunes....

But I think these bicycle *bicycle bones* were dug up *in the rose garden*


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## Saving Tempest

Now what I need to do is find a way to remove the grime from the nice blue paint on most of the bike without harming the blue. Most of it looks perfectly good and salvageable.

I need a complete light bezel and taillight assembly for the Hawthorne rack that is also a Huffy rack and we are almost there just as we are on Beryl. I want most of the summer free to have most of the summer...


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## partsguy

If I find a light, I'll let you know. The tail light for that rack is going to be impossible to find. It took me two or three years to find a nice one for my bike.


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## Saving Tempest

I bought a used seat a couple days ago at the LBS, not the one like came with it originally when you bought it, but at $9 it's intact...if I can just find the camera cards I'll get back to snapping.


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## partsguy

Hey! Parts rack!!! Ebay no.

272666225768

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## Saving Tempest

I've got almost exactly the same thing from a Hawthorne from zedsn, and I have the seat post clamp as soon as I cut that bolt free. Same two vertical holes at the end for a taillight as well. The one major difference is that the Huffy rack has an open back, the Hawthorne's is closed.


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## Saving Tempest

partsguy said:


> If I find a light, I'll let you know. The tail light for that rack is going to be impossible to find. It took me two or three years to find a nice one for my bike.




Mind posting what it looks like here for reference? There is also the chance some clever skills can fashion a good facsimile.


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## partsguy

*I thought you were missing the chrome legs?? The rack itself in the listing is bent, or maybe it is just the camera angle. For $10, it's a good deal for this rack as parts. Looks like the one you have and this are both open at the end of the tail light.*


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## Saving Tempest

I have normal Hawthorne legs, not chromed like that but I also don't know how soon I'll have money and I still don't have Paypal. It's not going to happen, period, I explained it to you.

If I have enough left after I sold the last batch of new cassettes I possibly could (IF, overseas shipping no longer has ground, air mail was gone long ago and everything over 4 pounds is strictly Priority now, let's just say it's a wee bit more than the last time I sent to them)

IF that happens I may have enough to get SOME of the paintwork for Beryl. All I need to do on this bike is clean the crud off and paint the rack and tank, then find lights. That's after buying.an electronics item, then selling one and maybe getting tickets for two concerts in June and July.

If is not an affirmative word, it's a contingency


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## partsguy

Saving Tempest said:


> I have normal Hawthorne legs, not chromed like that but I also don't know how soon I'll have money and I still don't have Paypal. It's not going to happen, period, I explained it to you.
> 
> If I have enough left after I sold the last batch of new cassettes I possibly could (IF, overseas shipping no longer has ground, air mail was gone long ago and everything over 4 pounds is strictly Priority now, let's just say it's a wee bit more than the last time I sent to them)
> 
> IF that happens I may have enough to get SOME of the paintwork for Beryl. All I need to do on this bike is clean the crud off and paint the rack and tank, then find lights. That's after buying.an electronics item, then selling one and maybe getting tickets for two concerts in June and July.
> 
> If is not an affirmative word, it's a contingency




I forgot about the PayPal thing. EBay's PayPal-only policy puts off a lot of buyers. Tell you what...I am considering bidding on that rack because my Monark Silver King has dulled chrome. If I end up bidding, I'll ship the extra legs to you for free. They'll fit much better than what is there presently.


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## Saving Tempest

Okay.


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## Saving Tempest

MEANWHILE...what sorts of compounds are recommended to remove grime from the paint and clean it up?


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## partsguy

Rubbing compound usually works for me. Just watch the decals!

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## Saving Tempest

What exactly IS rubbing compound? And no, there is only one decal involved (on the chainguard) which is not where the grime is at, only on the top of that.

Remember that you are talking to someone who has never had to do this.


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## partsguy

Saving Tempest said:


> What exactly IS rubbing compound? And no, there is only one decal involved (on the chainguard) which is not where the grime is at, only on the top of that.
> 
> Remember that you are talking to someone who has never had to do this.




I'm sorry about that. Rubbing compound is a cream or paste, that you dab onto a rag and use to buff old, faded, at times rusty paint. I also use it on dull chrome. It cuts deep into the grime and brings out the shine. It can get very abrasive, so would buff the paint for a short while, then clean off all the residue and inspect it. It will lift off old grime, light rust, and dirt.


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## Saving Tempest

Any particular brands you favor? I remember waxing a Hawthorne before giving it as a present with some leftover Turtle Wax paste I had from when I drove a car but it was never that bad...it's covered in Part 3 of Tempest The Grey Bike Grows Up Part 3 (Her Friends) in my You Tube videos.


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## partsguy

Saving Tempest said:


> Any particular brands you favor? I remember waxing a Hawthorne before giving it as a present with some leftover Turtle Wax paste I had from when I drove a car but it was never that bad...it's covered in Part 3 of Tempest The Grey Bike Grows Up Part 3 (Her Friends) in my You Tube videos.




I used to swear by No. 7 and I have not seen that in stores for years. I now use Turtle Wax or Mothers' brand rubbing compound, they work but not as good as No. 7. I have one can of No 7. left, and I use it SPARINGLY on higher end bikes.


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## Saving Tempest

Is this what you mean?

http://cyclo.com/cyclo_distributors/united-states/

https://www.walmart.com/ip/No-7-011...lectedSellerId=1194&adid=22222222227040699810

ACE Hardware is another place to look...maybe True Value? Autopia I think...


DuPont no longer makes it,  Cyclo is the successor.


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## Saving Tempest

Like THIS?






This was at the weekend corner yard sale they have on the lot of the neighborhood grocery store...fifty cents. A bit caked up but about a third of the 8 oz. can left.


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## partsguy

This is what I was talking about:





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## Saving Tempest

I know, but it's out there if I found THAT for fifty cents


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## Saving Tempest

Holly Huffy's story is on a short hiatus while Beryl gets the attention I can give her. Stay tuned (Radiobike joke)!


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## Saving Tempest

I'm looking for that No. 7 rubbing compound now and I'll see if I can clean up the parts.


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## Saving Tempest

I had no luck at all on the No. 7 so I got a can of Turtle Wax Renew RX for under six bucks. The rubbing will commence over the weekend!


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## Saving Tempest

That was a very short hiatus. About 5' 2"...


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## Saving Tempest

Here is a problem. I've had TWO previous cans of Dupli-Color Metal Specks Ocean Blue (MS 200) just QUIT. I can't see anything I've done wrong trying to paint the Huffy's rack, fork and I thought about the chainguard, also the replacement correct Rollfast rack for Tempest.

Can number three.

I waited to try and do as much as I could...shake shake, all business. Popped the cap off.

NO BUTTON! GRRRRRRRR

I wonder if I'm being played with! I've wasted a lot of time and I'm about ready to call a Boise store with this same chain and get it straight.

Either that or see if True Value has the spray buttons.


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## Saving Tempest

@partsguy I could sure use those arms like maybe next month...and I found a boy's 1968 Camaro on eBay in green for more references.

I have better dark blue spraypaint that is non-metallic and close enough to the frame color that I could finish painting.


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## partsguy

Saving Tempest said:


> @partsguy I could sure use those arms like maybe next month...and I found a boy's 1968 Camaro on eBay in green for more references.
> 
> I have better dark blue spraypaint that is non-metallic and close enough to the frame color that I could finish painting.




I sold my Silver Jet parts rack on eBay sometime ago man. I'm sorry!


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## Saving Tempest

Well, darn, because I got the paint done on the rack and took the old one, photographed it and the chainguard and sent measurements to Bruce Crawford for decals.


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## Saving Tempest

The chainguard and original rack, painting...


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## Saving Tempest

All but the chainguard are painted with Rustoleum Painter's Touch 2X Gloss Navy Blue over Rustoleum Rust Restorer.


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## partsguy

What was once old and put out to pasture is new again!


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## Saving Tempest

I finished the blue on the crank housing of the Huffy and got the rest of the rust reformer on the chainguard last night and brought them in before bringing them in to finish drying overnight...good thing because I knew I was chasing rain by morning. It did just that. I still have the tank and chainguard to finish painting.I hope it will be sunny soon like the weather report hints at, but not painting is only an inconvenience, the cold front is welcome after mostly 90-100F all summer, and just trying to finish the painting before it gets too cold and then we have the winter to come and guess about and be prepared for whatever happens.


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## Saving Tempest




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## Saving Tempest

PS The flash doesn't help the picture, it's by no means dull where it looks it.


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## Saving Tempest

Here we go again, cold and rainy...the clock is winning this week.


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## Saving Tempest

Bright and sunny again! Looks like I'd better get a move on!


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## Saving Tempest

I doofussed a little and when going to put a second coat of the blue on the chainguard I grabbed gloss BLACK to paint the outside.

Whoopsie! That can was nearly empty and it was somewhat dark at the time...I'll do that over with the blue later today.


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## Saving Tempest

Did that, and had some for the Camaro tank. Now I need that bezel someday.

Inside done right






OOPSIE!





Tank and outside are now correct





All my painting tasks are nearly finished now. If you looed at the corner of the last image you see I painted the Shelby's chainguard Rustoleum Painter's Touch Colonial Red to match the fenders.


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## Saving Tempest

Building will stop at the frame in October and this project will be on hiatus for about a month while I catch up on a place to chain all my bikes, house cleaning/cleanng and getting ready for winter


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## Saving Tempest

I was told I could look through a pile of bike parts and see if I can find rims.

The tank is painted. I need the rest of the decals and to break the incorrect non-carriage bolt in collar and remove the remnants of the former collar.

That's where I'm at on projects right now (see Building Beryl).


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## Saving Tempest

I've still got the problem with the seat collar bolt, I think I'll have to find some way to get that collar off (the bolt and but both turn freely and cut the bolt in half I gather.


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## rustjunkie

Saving Tempest said:


> I've still got the problem with the seat collar bolt, I think I'll have to find some way to get that collar off (the bolt and but both turn freely and cut the bolt in half I gather.




Maybe vise grip the bolt in the middle of the clamp and turn the nut?


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## Saving Tempest

Vise Grips would be nice, I just don't have any, or they're lost somewhere. All I can try is to grab it with the center of my pliers and bite down hard.


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## vincev

Saving Tempest said:


> Vise Grips would be nice, I just don't have any, or they're lost somewhere. All I can try is to grab it with the center of my pliers and bite down hard.



Ya may have to break down and purchase vice grips.lol ya got to have tools to work on bikes.


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## Saving Tempest

I got a large wrench a month back...right now I have enough for my remaining insulin refill this month. I'll either get it done or get help getting it done.


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## Saving Tempest

I went through a friend's pile of bike skeletons, no luck on the rims.

I did see that they had a girls 24? inch with a tank and good bezel that was similar to the Huffy I have, it might be his brother's property so I asked if he would ask him and he said he would.

Got the red chubby grips from Bicyclebones.com for my Hornet today as well, they are PERFECT!


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## Saving Tempest

@partsguy I got the decals on the rear rack.Maybe not the most centered but it looks good. No arms, it's really a Hawthorne rack and there has to be a taillight for it.




 

 


The chainguard will be next, tomorrow, I had to touch a chipped paint spot up. The frame got some paint up front too and is also drying inside after a short time outside, the weather cooperating for that time. The bike can be put together soon.


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## Saving Tempest

Needs arms now and if those two holes above and below the H on the HAWTHORNE rack that is masquerading as a Huffy part are for a TAILLIGHT I want to find it.


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## Saving Tempest

I forgot to mention that the LBS removed that incorrect bolt and badly stuck nut as well.


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## partsguy

Saving Tempest said:


> Needs arms now and if those two holes above and below the H on the HAWTHORNE rack that is masquerading as a Huffy part are for a TAILLIGHT I want to find it.



That rack, as I said before, was originally from a 1964-67 Huffy Silver Jet. It was put on a Hawthorne much later as a "jerry rigged" replacement.

The holes are for a tail light, but it is very rare and can cost well over $100 in nice shape. In my opinion, I would cover the holes up somehow.

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## Saving Tempest

Got all winter I suppose. Still need arms.


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## partsguy

Saving Tempest said:


> Got all winter I suppose. Still need arms.



Maybe try making them out of some aluminum rod stock?

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## Saving Tempest

Don't have enough room in the second bedroom after all the LPs.


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## Saving Tempest

It's been a long, long time as the song goes but Holly Huffy has a mission. I have a niece without a bike.  I talked to her father and that's my goal. I have a project for one of her brothers as well for Christmas.

They all have vintage stereos courtesy of me anyway. Uncle Saving Tempest has good work to do.


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## Saving Tempest

We're just waiting, there are three bikes in my living room right now!


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## Saving Tempest

Still waiting, Can't get to a tank bezel and the electrical guts just yet, I have four going at once but I get more done than DC.


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## Saving Tempest

Received a Huffy speedometer courtesy of @John Gailey *THANK YOU!*

I still need a bezel/guts for the tank and a lens, hoping a member had one they said they would search for. Otherwiaw onw is on eBay (no Paypal and broke for the month) and cindi_vette has a lens the MAY work...not sure.


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## Saving Tempest

Think a member has this one for me...hope so!


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## Saving Tempest

Didn't pan out...


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## Saving Tempest

Coming up next after her brother's Schwinn is done.


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