Being brand new to the hobby of vintage bikes, I value all the opinions that have been expressed with regard to my initial query. I initially set-out with the intention of obtaining a G529 bicycle thinking I could enjoy it both at home and take it with me to the various air shows and living history events I regularly attend. The relative rarity of "original" bicycles (to say nothing of their price) quickly served to adjust my thinking, and like many participants in the hobby of reenacting, I started thinking in terms of an accurate reproduction. By and large, within the hobby of reenacting, most of the uniforms are reproductions, as is much of the equipment people utilize. With the passage of time, more and more of the "original" things that participants routinely brought into the field are becoming far too scarce/rare/valuable to subject to the wear and tear most events subject them to. On top of that, I've known many people who have started with a "base foundation"; say an original rifle stock, or Jeep framework, or what have you, who have then used a combination of original and reproduction parts to assemble a highly accurate reproduction. These aren't built to fool, trick, or defraud the public or would-be buyers. Rather, I think in most cases, they are used because the originals simply aren't available or are far too rare to bring out. They are, for lack of a better word, props with which to participate and/or encourage the beginnings of a dialog - why something matters, or how something was used.
Such was my thinking at least when I purchased the bicycle I did. It was/is a Huffman frame, of the appropriate time period. With the addition of some parts - be they original or reproduction, and a proper paint job, I thought I would have not only the bike I could enjoy, but that would also serve as a preliminary "talking point" to spectators. Ah, but then I began reading and posting here...
I've come to realize however, that what I in fact obtained is, in many respects, perhaps more-interesting than simply a G519, or even a very good reproduction/tribute bike. For the time being, my plan is to simply clean it up and enjoy it. But the other thing I've come to realize is that this hobby isn't really all that different than most others. I'm sure if I were to take the time to look, there are other forums in which members argue the comparative worth of restoring, say a '57 Chevy to it's original glory versus leaving it in it's current condition, or some other group debating the merits of restoring war-era helmets to newly-issued condition - wait a sec, that is my group. Heck, I once saw two elderly volunteers at a museum I worked for come to blows over what constituted "real" chicken pot pie. (for the uninformed, "real" chicken pot pie doesn't involve crust - just big old square noodles). Sorry, I'm rambling here.
Again, the opinions, thoughts, and advice this forum have offered are very much appreciated and considered. The bike - a Huffman-made early '45 frame and late '44 dated forks, badged as a Western Flyer, will remain just as it is (maybe cleaned-up just a bit and given a nice coat of wax) and will be enjoyed to the fullest.
Cheers,
-Guinness
