# A Fool and His Rust are Soon Parted....



## partsguy (Feb 9, 2014)

I rather enjoy restoring Huffys because they are quite plentiful where I live and are mechanically just as good as Schwinn. But I _typically_ pay a fraction of the price. The only down fall is the mid-level to high-end 1964-1969 Middleweights which had a poorly designed tanklight and was easily broken on the men's models. They are plentiful here because they were built here; the same reason why people around here swear by GM. A company becomes part of the community and suddenly if you didn't buy a GM car or a Huffman bike you weren't supporting your father or your neighbor who worked there.

So I'm scouring eBay for parts and I find a beat, ragged out, cobbled-together, and rusty Monark El Camino. This was a Huffman-built bike. A couple years ago I could buy heaps like this for $20 at a swap meet and part it out or clean it up and ride it if possible. It's going for $81.00 with a week to go and five bids. At this rate, it will reach $250 if these people keep at it. The tank is full of rust and probably pitted, the fenders don't match, the rear fender and rack are just as rusty as the tank. The seat is off a balloon tire bike and it's all trashed and needs restored itself. Now as I look it, this bike isn't even an El Camino. It's an unknown early 60's chromed Huffy frame and front end with other crap mounted on it. It was likely either a Tempest or a Silver Jet. It's a rusty frankenbike and it looks terrible. There's a NICE Huffy F-85 COMPLETE WITH FREE SHIPPING for $250 BUY IT NOW and these people want to pay almost that much for this heap of junk? This Monark is $81+$65 shipping = $146. It's not worth it and I don't see the point.

I can appreciate character and patina but there is difference between a nicely-aged original with scratches, light fading, and a couple of dents and a heap thats full of rust that I would put in my boneyard and part out. I'll never understand this new craze of paying more money for some rusty or broken item while passing up a very nice example of said item. So what do you guys think?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1960s-HUFFY...717?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d493657cd


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## skindel (Feb 14, 2014)

*I think the point*

is to be the seller--at least on ebay but i also think that them %$# american pickers got everyone thinking every bike is gold


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## rustjunkie (Feb 14, 2014)

That ain't rusty, here's one of my favorite bikes:






Glides, all bearing surfaces are crisp, and bike gets as much or more attention than a shiny resto or clean good original.
I like them all, but the crusty ones hold special interest for me.


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## Jennifer Parker (Feb 14, 2014)

alw said:


> That ain't rusty, here's one of my favorite bikes:
> Glides, all bearing surfaces are crisp, and bike gets as much or more attention than a shiny resto or clean good original.
> I like them all, but the crusty ones hold special interest for me.



Amen! Shows where it's been and someone loves it now.


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## tailhole (Feb 16, 2014)

Yes!  That is some sweet deep pit love right there.


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## Jennifer Parker (Feb 16, 2014)

*Well!*

Someone's gotta love the uglies!


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## partsguy (Feb 24, 2014)

"Oh you're gonna take me home tonight
Oh right beside the red fire light
Oh you're gonna let it all hang out
Fat bottom girls you make
The rockin' world go 'round

I was just a skinny lad
Never knew no good from bad
Ain't no beauty queens in this locality
But her beauty and her style
Went kinda smooth after awhile
Hey big woman!
You made a bad boy out of me

Are you gonna take me home tonight?
Right beside that red fire light
Are you gonna let it all hang out?
Fat bottom girls you make
The rockin' world go 'round"


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## partsguy (Feb 24, 2014)

I've been considering selling my 1961 Monark Spartan with tank, rack, and NOS fender light. Two tone red and white, very classic. If this went for almost $100, can I get $250 for my nice classic with good original paint and chrome?


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