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I don’t know much about old amf’s besides the fact I had a crappy amf 10 speed when I was a kid.

not sure of any details. One interesting thing that the logo is upside down. Was quality control bad even then?
 

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Love the Shelby-ish chainring! Great score! Higgins like wrapped fender braces too.
 
I took it apart to clean everything and I don’t think the fenders are stock there is a big nut between the front fender and the fork being used as a spacer. It’s also missing the clamp to hold in the seat post. The seat has seen better days and the hubs need overhauls but all in all it was a good purchase at $40. It supports a good cause too.
bworks stl has a “earn a bike” program that teaches kids to build their own bike. A lot of inner city kids can get a bike that way and it gives them something to do for a few months. The organization had a bit of bad luck recently- they were using an old brewery as a warehouse when the building collapsed destroying thousands of bikes. So any way I can help I will.
Now then, would it be a mortal sin against the vintage bike gods if I stick a Chinese motor on this sucker?
 
I took it apart to clean everything and I don’t think the fenders are stock there is a big nut between the front fender and the fork being used as a spacer. It’s also missing the clamp to hold in the seat post. The seat has seen better days and the hubs need overhauls but all in all it was a good purchase at $40. It supports a good cause too.
bworks stl has a “earn a bike” program that teaches kids to build their own bike. A lot of inner city kids can get a bike that way and it gives them something to do for a few months. The organization had a bit of bad luck recently- they were using an old brewery as a warehouse when the building collapsed destroying thousands of bikes. So any way I can help I will.
Now then, would it be a mortal sin against the vintage bike gods if I stick a Chinese motor on this sucker?
That's a 1956 AMF bike. Roadmaster bikes were Cleveland Welding Company until bought by AMF and moved to Arkansas around 53 or so. Thanks for posting your serial number, it IDs your bike as 56 and shows a straightbar frame with forward dropouts. I'm trying to find when they went to cantilever, I think 57 but haven't seen solid proof. I would keep your paint job as it because of the upsidedown emblem, that's an oddity and the pinstriping looks good. A coat of wax may make it shine, just be careful about the emblems and striping while cleaning it. That would have had peaked fenders, so those aren't original. The braces look custom made and heavy duty. The seat looks like an original would have.
There's no clamp for the seat because the stem tightens up like a handlebar stem, on the top. You'll have to take the seat off, adjust the post to the right height, then put the seat back on. The early AMF's were like that.
It may work well with a motor, but from my experience, a newer frame with suspension is the way to go. The ride on a regular bike is pretty rough with no suspension. Here's a deluxe model from 56, a Flying Falcon:
1599174738008.png
 
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There are other options for front brakes that allow you to retain the original forks.

Drum brake hub...
images (9).jpeg

Roller brake...
Shimano-BR-C6000-roller-brakes.jpg

Band brake...
bicycl-band-brake.jpg

Vintage Schwinn clamp-on...
IMG_20180416_104017.jpg

Keirin/Dia-Compe style clamp-on...
images (8).jpeg

...or just some funky brackets...
052a5d86_531b_46f3_be2e_ade0ab3b0d4c_e05c8d73385c63631d55ca9b8354d9c17dcb73e4.jpeg

There has been a couple instances of a coaster brake put on the front on this site...but, that takes a bit more fabrication :grin:
 
Band brakes? Can I use a rear freewheel in front and screw on a band brake?
Should work...spacing will need adjusted. Anything that connects the brake to the hub...a disc front hub with an adapter would probably work. Band brakes are big in asia, front and rear...and used to be sold as kits in the states bitd as auxiliary brakes. I don't know how those kits attached to the hub, however.

The Shimano roller brakes are a similar setup, and they use Shimano splined hubs.
 
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Should work...spacing will need adjusted. Anything that connects the brake to the hub...a disc front hub with an adapter would probably work. Band brakes are big on asia, front and rear...and used to be sold as kits in the states bitd as auxiliary brakes. I don't know how those kits attached to the hub, however.

The Shimano roller brakes are a similar setup, and they use Shimano splined hubs.
That's what I'm using front and rear on my bike. Band brakes. They are both rear wheels.
big tires - Copy.JPG
 

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