# AMF Debutante and unknown Huffy girls' bikes ID, Value and Potential



## Bike from the Dead (Dec 2, 2022)

Picked up these 2 girls' bikes for free a few months apart. I got the AMF Debutante back in August, and I picked up the blue Huffy just this Sunday. The AMF Debutante looks to be mostly complete, with either the front or rear wheel replaced at some point. The blue Huffy meanwhile is missing a few parts, and it looks like it was in the process of being converted to either a cruiser or a muscle bike. 

Normally, I build bikes for myself and no one else, as this is a hobby for me, but I'm strapped for cash right now. After the positive response I got from my last RRBBO entry and my current ORBBO entry, I figured I could try building a bike for the sole purpose of selling it and making some much-needed cash. That said, there are some things I'd like to figure out about the 2 potential candidates for this "Free Marketplace Flip" before I begin.

*1.* What is the year, make and Manufacturer (mostly for the Huffy, but I'd like to know how old the AMF is too.)
*2.* What are they worth as they sit right now?
*3.* What are they worth if I put some work into fixing them up? (The Huffy would probably have to be a custom build given the missing parts and ruined fork. The Debutante mostly just needs a wash and new tires and tubes.)
*4.* Are the parts worth more than the complete bikes, or is the complete bike still worth something?
*5.* In the case of the Huffy, would it be better to try and build this bike using only original parts that I'd need to find and purchase, or would I stand a better chance of turning a profit building it up as a custom bike using what parts I already have, while adding some tasteful artistic touches?
*6.* Would the AMF Debutante be worth more as a custom boy's bike, if I cut and welded a new top tube onto it?





Candidate 1: AMF Debutante. Here are some details about it that I know:
1. The crank, chain, pedals, wheels and fork all seem to turn freely, though they could probably use new grease either way.
2. The banana seat has a tear that goes right down to the bare metal seat pan.
3. The seat and sissy bar are not currently tightened down in place.
4. Either the front or rear wheel is not original to the bike. Not sure which is original.
5. Paint and chrome are both in decent shape, and could easily shine back up with a good wash (and in the chrome's case,) some steel wool.
































 




I'm not sure what this plate's for, but I guess it housed a reflector?










Sticker on base of seat tube. Not sure what the info's about.




Serial number found on headset.


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## Bike from the Dead (Dec 2, 2022)

Candidate 2: Unknown Huffy.

Here's what I do know about it:
1. It's missing the original crank, pedals, chain guard and chain ring.
2. The fork was destroyed by a previous owner when they cut through the steerer tube and pried it open for unknown reasons. It would have to be replaced for it to ride again.
3. The banana seat and sissy bar could be aftermarket, given the full fenders, 20-spoke wheels, and cruiser handlebars. Not 100% sure of this though.
4. The fork and wheels do turn.
5. The tubes hold air, at least long enough for a few quick photos.




















































Found stamped on kickstand.




Serial number under bottom bracket. Number appears to read "2047."


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## furyus (Dec 3, 2022)

Unfortunately neither bike is desirable or made up of any desirable parts from my perspective. Any investment will be a loss. They’re scrap.


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## Drosentreter (Dec 3, 2022)

Bike from the Dead said:


> Candidate 2: Unknown Huffy.
> 
> Here's what I do know about it:
> 1. It's missing the original crank, pedals, chain guard and chain ring.
> ...



By the time you count your hours you would be much better off getting a job for the time spent. You’ll most likely lose money even if you don’t count your hours.


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## Freqman1 (Dec 3, 2022)

Yep I see no money there. Employment is probably your best option and the job market is strong right now so it shouldn’t be too hard getting something.


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## Bike from the Dead (Dec 4, 2022)

Ok everyone, thanks for all the feedback. Between the replies I got on here and ratrodbikes.com, I think I got the info I needed. These 2 bikes are clearly not worth the effort to fix up to sell. That's actually something of a relief regarding the Debutante, as I've got bikes that could use most of its parts. The Huffy on the other hand... well, I actually kind of like the frame and the paint. Plus, I'm sure I have most everything needed to build it into a decent rideable bike. Maybe I could try building this bike super cheap, like under $25, mostly using whatever parts I got for free!

To be honest though, after all the feedback I received on this post, I mostly want to build that Huffy out of spite. Having people call a bike "scrap" or "a money pit," no matter how right they may be, just makes me want to prove that point wrong. I like to believe that just about any bike can be made into something cool, no matter how bad it looks at first, and that you don't always have to spend a ton of money to do it. Heck, that's the whole point behind my username; I like to bring broken and castoff bikes "back from the dead!"

Just to prove my point, here are a few bikes I've built so far:

Here is the first bike I ever built, my 1950 Snyder-built Montgomery Ward/Hawthorne, _Dumpster Diamond_. I paid $20 for this bent-up frame at a swap meet back in 2019, but some who saw it in its rough state thought I "pulled it out of a dumpster." Between that unpleasant comment rubbing me the wrong way, and wanting to participate in the 2020 Rat Rod Bikes Build Off, I decided to turn this "dumpster bike" into a "diamond," hence the name. Did it cost more that I would've liked? Yes. Did I make some mistakes along the way? Absolutely. Did I finish it the way I had initially planned? Not yet. But in the end, I got a cool bike and a good learning experience that's helped me with my latest builds. That, and placing 17th out of 65 finished entries in my class during the Build Off wasn't too bad either, especially for a beginner.







My next example is my latest Rat Rod Bikes Build Off entry, a 1961 Murray Meteor Flite I call _Shoestring._ I bought this for $40 at the Kellyville swap meet back in April from a guy who thought this bike was good for nothing but yard art. Hard not to see why, but all that did was give me more motivation to fix it up with all that sweet patina intact! Having learned from my previous builds, I managed to build this bike just the way I wanted, on time, and within my $50 budget! And to top it off, I made it into the top 10 of my class for the first time, finishing 7th place in the 2022 Rat Rod Bikes Build Off! I even won an award for it too! Between all the positive feedback it's received from those who have seen it both online and in-person, and just how fun it is to ride, _Shoestring _has easily become one of, if not my all-time favorite bicycle build to date!







Lastly, here is my current project, a 1952 Schwinn Hornet I call _Kasual Klunker._ It's not done just yet, but I was able set a personal record by tearing this bike down and getting it rideable in just under a month. Like _Shoestring, _this was another $50 budget build, with the bike costing $40, and the chain an extra $10. I was just throwing it together so I could ride it while I saved the funds to build and paint it the way I wanted, but I ended up loving the bike just the way I've built it. I even fell in love with the original paint and patina after shining it up with some rubbing compound! I've since ditched the $50 budget for this bike, as I want to add a few small personal touches to really finish it off and make it my own, but this bike ended up proving its worth to me in the end. It also helps that I've already received a bunch of compliments on how it's turned out so far.







So are these 2 girls' bikes worth the trouble to fix up for a profit? Probably not. Will that stop me from fixing up at least one of them, and maybe adding some custom enhancements to spice things up a bit? Also probably not. Heck, I may just enter that Huffy into the Muscle Bike Build Off going on at ratrodbikes.com right now, just to see if I can build it faster than my Schwinn straight bar!

Either way, thank you all for your advice! I appreciate it.


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## razinhellcustomz (Dec 5, 2022)

Bike from the Dead said:


> Picked up these 2 girls' bikes for free a few months apart. I got the AMF Debutante back in August, and I picked up the blue Huffy just this Sunday. The AMF Debutante looks to be mostly complete, with either the front or rear wheel replaced at some point. The blue Huffy meanwhile is missing a few parts, and it looks like it was in the process of being converted to either a cruiser or a muscle bike.
> 
> Normally, I build bikes for myself and no one else, as this is a hobby for me, but I'm strapped for cash right now. After the positive response I got from my last RRBBO entry and my current ORBBO entry, I figured I could try building a bike for the sole purpose of selling it and making some much-needed cash. That said, there are some things I'd like to figure out about the 2 potential candidates for this "Free Marketplace Flip" before I begin.
> 
> ...



I bought a really nice AMF girls bike similar to yours a few years ago as a donor for a Flameout project that was a $40.00 bike that is a bit nicer than yours, maybe worth $50.00-60.00 on a good day...


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## videoranger (Dec 6, 2022)

Sure looks like you're enjoying the old bike hobby. If monetary gain is your aim, the two girls high rise bikes could be a hard sell for profit. They could be fun projects that some youngster would enjoy riding.


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## Robert Troub (Dec 6, 2022)

Some of the parts DO sell....buts that's all they are worth ....parts bikes.....


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## Bike from the Dead (Dec 6, 2022)

videoranger said:


> Sure looks like you're enjoying the old bike hobby. If monetary gain is your aim, the two girls high rise bikes could be a hard sell for profit. They could be fun projects that some youngster would enjoy riding.



Thanks, I am! Well, that was the aim for these 2 bikes, but admittedly, I knew they probably wouldn't be worth all that much, even after I fixed them up. Still, that Debutante has plenty of good parts that could help fix some of my better bikes, and that Huffy would still be a fun bike to put together using what parts I have available. Maybe if I find a better bike to start with, I could try fixing and selling that to someone who'd appreciate it.


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## Bike from the Dead (Dec 7, 2022)

I've got a small preview of some progress I've made on the Huffy. I got the original fork off the bike, and I found a 20 inch fork in my stash of parts with the correct steerer tube length to replace it. I also got the seat post out of the frame, and found that it was only inserted about 2 or 3 inches into the seat tube!








Here's the plan: I need to figure out if I have replacement bearings and bearing cups in stock so I can mount the bottom bracket assembly and fork. I also need to find out if the Debutante's seat post is longer than the Huffy's, so I can use that instead of this far too short seat post. If the seat post isn't long enough, I have an idea to work around that, but I really need the right combination of bearings and bearing cups if I'm going to make this bike rideable again. If it turns out I have the parts I need, then I may just enter this Huffy into the Muscle Bike Build Off on RatRodBikes.com. If not, then I'll just save this project for a later time and work on something else.


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## videoranger (Dec 8, 2022)

Just shows how much fun can be had without spending down the cash. I think you're creative instincts will lead to some interesting customs. RatRodBikes is a great source of inspiration.


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## Bike from the Dead (Dec 9, 2022)

videoranger said:


> Just shows how much fun can be had without spending down the cash. I think you're creative instincts will lead to some interesting customs. RatRodBikes is a great source of inspiration.



Thanks dude, I appreciate that!


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## Bike from the Dead (Dec 9, 2022)

Made a little progress on these 2 bikes last night. I took apart the Debutante so I could use the parts on my other bikes, chief among them being my 1962 AMF Western Flyer Sonic Flyer, which is just barely visible on the far left of the picture below.




Can't recall the last time I saw the coaster brake arm mounted this way...




I was hoping to use the seat post off the Debutante on the Huffy, but to my surprise, the seat bolts directly _through the seat post!_ It doesn't even use a clamp; it just bolts into the seat post! So unless I use the Debutante's seat with it, I can't really use this seat post.







The end result: a pile of parts, perfect for repurposing.




As for the Huffy, I lucked out and found I had the bearings, bearing cups, and races necessary to get this bike rolling.







And it even has a near-nonexistent gap!




I had to take apart this $5 Huffy parts bike to get the other headset bearing, as I only had one good Hartford 52 bearing loose up to that point. I've had the chance to ride this bike a bit, now it's time to use it the way I intended.




Fortunately, it had exactly what I needed! The bearings need cleaning of course, but they should be totally useable.







I also took apart another parts bike for the bottom bracket bearings and cups, though I've got enough of those parts loose that I'm covered regardless.

So here's the good news on the Huffy: aside from the seat post, I have everything I need to make this bike rideable. I've got wheels, tires, tubes, sissy bars, banana seats, bearings, bearing cups, cranks, chain rings, handlebars, and I've got a fork and chain guard that all can go on this bike. I could build this bike _super _cheap... but there's a catch.

I've got everything I need to make the bike rideable, but I don't have everything I need to make the bike _look_ _good_. Just about every part I have for this bike is a different color, and most of them are rather unsightly. The fork is pink, the chain guard is grey, the seat is either a worn-out white or a mint condition black depending on which one I choose, the good wheels I have are some shade of pink or purple, the rear fender is chrome, I have one 20" slick but no other good 20" black tires, and the rest of the good 20" tires I have are either whitewalls or just plain white. Basically, if I throw this bike together using just what I have, it'll look like a mess. Worse yet, I only have a few different colors of spray paint to work with, and the weather's not ideal for painting either.




I could ask Dad to powder coat this bike for me so the fork, frame, fender and maybe the chain guard match, but the rest of the chrome parts I have aren't all that nice and shiny, and it'd be hard to get them to shine up as well as the rest of the bike after powder coating. I think the best option I've got is to try and use the original, color and patina-matched fork that came with the bike, and weld a new steerer tube on it. As long as the fork matches the frame, it'd be easier to either leave or paint the other parts the way I want.




I have an idea of how I'd do that, but I need to do some serious research on how to cut and weld steerer tubes before I try that. I do not want a repeat of what happened last year with _The Schwinn Dixie Dreamcycle. _That hurt in more ways than one. If anyone knows the best way to cut and weld a new steerer tube to a fork without it resulting in utter disaster like what's pictured below, please let me know.
_




_

At this point, I'm not going to enter the MBBO this year. I've got other bikes to work on right now that don't require as much effort or cash. I know I can still build this Huffy into something cool, but between the weather, the parts that need repairing, the parts that need painting, and the parts that I just plain _need, _I think it's best if I wait to build this bike until the time is right. Now just isn't that time.


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## razinhellcustomz (Dec 9, 2022)

Instead of 


Bike from the Dead said:


> Made a little progress on these 2 bikes last night. I took apart the Debutante so I could use the parts on my other bikes, chief among them being my 1962 AMF Western Flyer Sonic Flyer, which is just barely visible on the far left of the picture below.
> View attachment 1748035
> 
> Can't recall the last time I saw the coaster brake arm mounted this way...
> ...



Instead of cut and weld, find a buddy to rethread the matching fork so you don't have a repeat performance of the Dreamsicle disaster... Good luck..


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## Bike from the Dead (Dec 9, 2022)

razinhellcustomz said:


> Instead of
> 
> Instead of cut and weld, find a buddy to rethread the matching fork so you don't have a repeat performance of the Dreamsicle disaster... Good luck..



Yeeeeaaaah that's not gonna happen.

The fork was already split on the threads when I got it, and I had to cut them off and mangle the rest of the threads just so I could get the fork off the frame.
















If I'm going to use this fork again, it needs a whole new steerer tube.


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## razinhellcustomz (Dec 9, 2022)

Bike from the Dead said:


> Yeeeeaaaah that's not gonna happen.
> 
> The fork was already split on the threads when I got it, and I had to cut them off and mangle the rest of the threads just so I could get the fork off the frame.
> View attachment 1748157
> ...



WOW,that was over kill..Now you kinda limited your options going that route.. Well I guess a new fork is definitely in the works now... Good luck Austin.....


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## Bryan Akens (Jan 1, 2023)

The  rear  wheel  on  the  Debutante  looks  to  be  a Huffy  wheel.....If  it  is  a  28  spoke  it  does  have  some  value......I like  to  save  bikes  also....but  I  think  the  blue  Huffy  is  probably  strictly  a  parts  bike.....Good  Luck!!!


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