Firestone speed cruiser

[STEVE SAYLER]

I am restoring a Firestone Speed Cruiser. Anyone know the vintage of these bikes what company produced them etc? Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Adamtinkerer]

Welcome to the forum Steve! We'll need some pics to ID your bike, as Firestone, Western Auto, Good Year, Sears, and most other dept. and hardware stores used many different companies for their bikes. Some had several different co.'s bikes at the same time! Offhand, I think the 'Speed Cruiser' name was used from the 50s through the 60s.

 

[STEVE SAYLER]

Here is a picture of the bike.

 

[pedal alley]

thats cool looking ride.

 

[Firestone]

I've got a Firestone cruiser. They were built in the '50's by Monark for Firestone.
Check www.nostalgic.net and you will find pictures of a '53 Firestone Super Cruiser. Pretty sharp.

 

[STEVE SAYLER]

I noticed that the tank on the "speed cruiser" was very similar , if not the same as a Monark tank on ebay so I thought maybe the 50's Firestones were made by Monark.

Thanks,

Steve

 

[Adamtinkerer]

I noticed that the tank on the "speed cruiser" was very similar , if not the same as a Monark tank on ebay so I thought maybe the 50's Firestones were made by Monark.

Thanks,

Steve

Many of the late 40s-mid 50s Firestones were made by Monark, but some were also built by Murray and Huffman. Steve, your bike was built by Harris/Snyder, makers of Rollfast. The chainring with the triangular cutouts around the crank as well as the rear frame stays and chainguard shape ID it as made by them. There's a 1959 Firestone ad in 'Evolution of the Bicycle, vol. 1" which shows these Harris/Snyder built bikes. Sometime in the early-mid 60s, they started selling AMF and Huffy built bikes, so yours is likely from 58-63ish.

 

[STEVE SAYLER]

Thanks for the info Adam. I'm certainly enjoying working on this old bike.