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Huffman: Firestone Supreme Streamline Help Needed Please!

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The fork has the crown profile of the 1937 per the image Shawn posted. I was able to remove some paint on the fork and the original is also the Opalescent Maroon. The bad and the ugly is the paint burn on both sides (from the repair that occurred) and total loss of paint where the fork legs meet the crown. I quit with over-paint removal on the fork to return later but I have my doubts that that anything can be saved under the burn. If anyone has suggestions on how to handle this area I am "all ears!"

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I don't think the chainguards were ever offered in chrome, but who knows, and I'm pretty sure that the torpedo light was aluminum. So no paint on that part.

Thank you Marty! Those aluminum torpedos are tricky to secure and pricy, ugh! I was so happy to find one this year at Memory Lane for my 37 girls Super Streamline.

What is interesting with the ads/catalog pages John posted, especially the first and last, the copy states at the end: "all accessories are rust resisting chrome" or "all accessories are chrome plated." Then shown in the small boxes are the tank, chain guard, putter stem, torpedo light, and luggage rack illustrated in white. Is it being implied these parts may upgraded to chrome so a kid could customize his bike or are the Mad Men just highlighting the bicycle's features? It would be fun to see an entire catalog to see if clarification exists within.

Does anyone own one of the Firestone exclusive handlebar compasses? They look sweet, I would have loved to have one of those as a kid!
 
Thank you Marty! Those aluminum torpedos are tricky to secure and pricy, ugh! I was so happy to find one this year at Memory Lane for my 37 girls Super Streamline.

What is interesting with the ads/catalog pages John posted, especially the first and last, the copy states at the end: "all accessories are rust resisting chrome" or "all accessories are chrome plated." Then shown in the small boxes are the tank, chain guard, putter stem, torpedo light, and luggage rack illustrated in white. Is it being implied these parts may upgraded to chrome so a kid could customize his bike or are the Mad Men just highlighting the bicycle's features? It would be fun to see an entire catalog to see if clarification exists within.

Does anyone own one of the Firestone exclusive handlebar compasses? They look sweet, I would have loved to have one of those as a kid!

I believe John has a compass. I believe the ads were just highlighting the parts. Generally speaking the Firestone bikes were plainer than the Huffman line products. V/r Shawn
 
The compass offered in the Firestone catalog was made by Hull.
They were/are? a well know maker of compasses for marine and automobile use, so not too hard to find, but that bicycle specific compass is just about impossible to find, but one lucky collector here is SoCal did manage to find one.
Totally bad ass accessory!
 
The compass offered in the Firestone catalog was made by Hull.
They were/are? a well know maker of compasses for marine and automobile use, so not too hard to find, but that bicycle specific compass is just about impossible to find, but one lucky collector here is SoCal did manage to find one.
Totally bad ass accessory!
I've been looking for four years now! You can find the Hull boat or car ones all day long but I've yet to see a bicycle one. V/r Shawn
 
It's interesting that your chain guard was cut to resemble the profile of a Firestone Twin Flex, because as John pointed out in another thread about this bike, that it does appear that it started out life as a genuine Fleetwood Supreme guard, and most likely original to this bike.
Are you sure that the guard was chrome plated?
If so, that may have been done when the guard was modified.
 
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(I meant to quote Shawn about the hunt for a Hull bicycle compass, but it didn't take for some reason.)
I did find one that was made to mount on the deck of a speed boat, that looks to be the same egg shape as the bicycle model, but the pedestal is only about an inch long and has a mounting flange with two small wood screw holes.
The handlebar clamp and pedestal for the bicycle compass looks a lot like the Magna handlebar mirror, so my plan was to combine the two and try and put one together.
Although, I'll still always be on the hunt for the genuine original that was offered in the Firestone catalog.
 
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It's interesting that your chain guard was cut to resemble the profile of a Firestone Twin Flex, because as John pointed out in another thread about this bike, that it does appear that it started out life as a genuine Fleetwood Supreme guard, and most likely original to this bike.
Are you sure that the guard was chrome plated?
If so, that may have been done when the guard was modified.

Ok, Bicycle CSI reporting with all the forensic news! The guard is definitely chrome-plated over a copper(?) under-plating. I believe the said trimmed corner occurred sometime later as the cut seems a bit home-style. Interestingly the down bar guard bracket retains some of the original Opalescent Maroon paint over a cadmium plating (this bracket was also painted with the cherry red and green but not the dark burgundy; there is some original paint remaining on the rear of the guard (see images). There is also evidence of burning/heat exposure mostly to the rear of the guard. The surface has also been abraded, my guess to add in the adhesion of the green paint.

So, here is what I think happened:
-The guard started out chromed in the Huffman factory.
-It was painted Opalescent Maroon to satisfy the Firestone order.
-The bike was getting shabby and maybe the chrome was showing through on the guard so the bike was painted cherry red. Before the paint-job the guard was hit with the torch to remove most of the OG paint and leave the chrome exposed.
-The bike was painted burgundy red, the guard was left in its chrome finish.
-The guard was abraded/wire brushed and then completely painted the dark green color.
Anyway, I wish we knew the true history. Brady bought the bike from the son or grandson of the original owner.

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