Need help ID'ing a middleweight Shelby

[Bobrowe]

A guy gave me this bike recently. Nothing special really. I'd like it a lot more if it came with the truss rods. BIggest problem, however, is that it uses a quill type seat post that is sort of short. I would need a longer seat post if I was going to ride it. I hate to modify it unless I really wanted to ride it and I don't think I will.

Can anyone give me an idea of the year, whether truss rods might be available, and if there is an easy work around to make the seat longer?

Thanks!

 

[Bobrowe]

Oh, and I got the original seat (pretty good shape), but not the original handgrips.

 

[Oilit]

I've got the identical bike in this thread, more complete but the paint isn't as nice as yours:

1957 AMF Shelby Airflo | Middleweight Bicycles

This bike has rust and wear, but is pretty complete, and this frame style only shows up for a couple of years. It's similar to the Schwinn cantilever frame at first glance, but probably different enough to avoid patent infringement. It seems to be AMF's Shelby middleweight, or at least I've...

thecabe.com

AMF bought CWC (Roadmaster) in 1951 and Shelby in 1953. The middleweight AMF's were introduced in 1955 and your style frame was only built for a year or two, in 1956 (maybe) and 1957. The "G" is AMF's code for 1957 and all of these frames I've seen have that mark. Your bike originally had truss rods, they mounted to the "mouse ears" bracket at the top of your steering head.
There was a 1957 AMF Shelby catalog/brochure on Ebay a while back, and I got outbid but I saved the pictures. I believe this picture shows your bike:

 

[Bobrowe]

Wow! Thanks for the shot of the catalog! I'd rather have the tank and truss rods than the nice paint. (In fact, like most of us, I like a little honest rust) How do you manage the quill seat post? I'm a little to tall for the post on the bike. And I'm the kind of guy that if I cant ride it I don't want it.

 

[Oilit]

Wow! Thanks for the shot of the catalog! I'd rather have the tank and truss rods than the nice paint. (In fact, like most of us, I like a little honest rust) How do you manage the quill seat post? I'm a little to tall for the post on the bike. And I'm the kind of guy that if I cant ride it I don't want it.

Unfortunately, I don't know of anybody making longer seat posts with the quill clamp. I don't think they were used by most other makers, so there's not much demand for longer ones now. Even AMF dropped them by the mid-'60's, and modern seat posts all use the clamp at the top of the seat tube, as far as I know. Somebody who works in a machine shop could probably make or adapt something to work, but finding somebody like that is the trick.

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

Wow! Thanks for the shot of the catalog! I'd rather have the tank and truss rods than the nice paint. (In fact, like most of us, I like a little honest rust) How do you manage the quill seat post? I'm a little to tall for the post on the bike. And I'm the kind of guy that if I cant ride it I don't want it.

Unfortunately, I don't know of anybody making longer seat posts with the quill clamp. I don't think they were used by most other makers, so there's not much demand for longer ones now. Even AMF dropped them by the mid-'60's, and modern seat posts all use the clamp at the top of the seat tube, as far as I know. Somebody who works in a machine shop could probably make or adapt something to work, but finding somebody like that is the trick.

Any chance a seat post clamp could be added? The quill is same size post? Maybe cut a slot and add the clamp

 

[Bobrowe]

It looks like that wouldnt be hard to do. I hate to do anyything permanent, though since it does have a nice clean look.

 

[Oilit]

It looks like that wouldnt be hard to do. I hate to do anyything permanent, though since it does have a nice clean look.

I'm thinking maybe a stepped seat post clamp, one diameter to clamp on the post and the other to clamp on the seat tube. It would take a little time to make and it might not be the slickest solution, but it might work.