# Firestone tank bicycle



## rideahiggins (Sep 30, 2012)

Is this original or did someone piece this together? If it's original post a pic of a complete bike if you have one.


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## npence (Sep 30, 2012)

Cool bike it is a 1939 Firestone flying ace. Built by Huffman


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## JAF/CO (Sep 30, 2012)

it is orignal built by huffman  1938 i think

flying ace


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## Freqman1 (Sep 30, 2012)

Based on the straight downtube I will lower the bet to 1937. I defer to the experts though. V/r Shawn


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## rideahiggins (Sep 30, 2012)

*Chainguard*

Looks like I'm going to have a hard time finding a chainguard.


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## npence (Sep 30, 2012)

I'm sticking with 1939. And yes that is a tough guard to find so are the fenders.


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## scrubbinrims (Sep 30, 2012)

I think the integral tank hull was 1939 only, flying ace 40-41 was a blister tank.
In the nearly 5 years I have been in the hobby, I have not seen that firestone guard for sale...I traded a green phantom for one last year.
Still a great find and lmk if you are selling it.
Chris


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## npence (Sep 30, 2012)

Here is a pic if mine sorry but this is the only one I could find at this time.


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## 37fleetwood (Sep 30, 2012)

Firestone Flying Ace, one year only, 1939.


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## cyclingday (Sep 30, 2012)

rideahiggins said:


> Looks like I'm going to have a hard time finding a chainguard.
> View attachment 67915




 You and me both!

 I can see it now. It will be like Steve Martin and Kevin Bacon hailing the cab in Planes Trains and Automobiles.
 We will see the chainguard at the same time and it will be an all out sprint to see who can snag it first.
 I'm usually the last to know about stuff, so I'm sure you'll have better luck with that guard than I will.


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## OldRider (Sep 30, 2012)

cyclingday said:


> You and me both!
> 
> I can see it now. It will be like Steve Martin and Kevin Bacon hailing the cab in Planes Trains and Automobiles.
> We will see the chainguard at the same time and it will be an all out sprint to see who can snag it first.
> I'm usually the last to know about stuff, so I'm sure you'll have better luck with that guard than I will.




Cycling Day......I think that was John Candy in the movie with Steve Martin


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## cyclingday (Sep 30, 2012)

OldRider said:


> Cycling Day......I think that was John Candy in the movie with Steve Martin




 Well, it was John Candy's steamer trunk that Steve Martin took a header over. But the foot race was with Kevin Bacon.

 Later in the film Martin accuses Candy of stealing his cab, and Candy says," I've never stolen anything in my life! Come to Think of it, it did seem awfully easy to hail a cab at rush hour."

The set up for that scene though was the the stare down and foot race from across the street with Kevin Bacon when they both spot the cab with its light on. 

It's an absolute all time classic. No Thanksgiving Day is complete without watching that movie. I crack up everytime I see it.


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## OldRider (Sep 30, 2012)

CD my friend, I stand corrected!I had forgotten that scene.....and yes, it is a classic, my all time favorite in fact. Almost died laughing the first time I saw the scene where that big dude picks up Steve Martin by the gonads.


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## cyclingday (Sep 30, 2012)

A few months back, somebody on here mentioned using shower curtain rings for the trim rings in Bluebird grips, and the only thing I could think of after that, was; 

                        Dell Griffith. American Light and Fixture, Shower Curtain Ring Division.


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## Slik Rick (Oct 1, 2012)

*Firestone Archer or Flying Ace?*

This looks like an Archer badge and not a Flying Ace on your frame. Did Firestone sell this bike with more than one badge? In 39 Dayton/ Huff.  offered this bike  with no rack or chainguard as per their catalog. I will dig it out and find out the model # they had for it.


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## 37fleetwood (Oct 1, 2012)

the archer badge was used on early bikes, the Flying Ace badges were used later. the Huffman version was called the Model 51-X


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## cyclingday (Oct 1, 2012)

Yeah,
 I think John Candy rode one of those in Uncle Buck.


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## cds2323 (Oct 1, 2012)

So, did Huffman use the archer badge and Firestone the Flying Ace badge for this frame? Might save $ if no rack or chainguard needed.
BTW one of my sons' favorite movies is P, T & A since the age of 4, he's 6 now.


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## 37fleetwood (Oct 1, 2012)

No, the Archer badge as well as the Flying Ace badge are Firestone exclusives. as a Huffman it would have had one of the Huffman brand badges. problem with that thinking is that your bike is serial numbered as a Firestone. all 1939 Firestones we've found so far and collected the serials have the FAH in the serial.
My Flying Ace had the Archer badge.


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## 37fleetwood (Oct 1, 2012)

and here's a photo of the Flying Ace I had.


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## cds2323 (Oct 1, 2012)

I should have looked at my catalogs before posting. The Archer is shown in them. I've only seen 2 or 3 of three of those frames in person, all w/ Flying Ace badge. I don't own the frame in this thread.


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