AMF Roadmaster Javelin, Girls Junior Cruiser (with pictures)

[Bikezilla]

Today I salvaged an old AMF Roadmaster Javelin from a basement prior to it being thrown in the trash. It's maybe 80% original. Someone repainted it badly, making IDing it harder.

I'm hoping some of you may be able to assist me in finding the year of manufacture and the value.

The bike is a girls junior cruiser with 24" wheels.

It has a standard, non-skip tooth sprocket.

For some reason everything except the "head" decal (which is not on the head tube, but instead the top front of the "gas tank" above the stamped fake headlamps) was painted over. This decal is triangular and says, "Roadmaster AMF".

The only decals I can see through the paint are on the tank, where the word "Javelin" and what looks like the Olympic rings are plainly visible.

The serial # is (or appears to be through too much paint) J31273

It has a white rubber seat, molded very nicely to resemble leather. Its footbrake is stamped "Perry B100 England"

Its tires are matching, dry rotted and unbranded, making me think they are original.

Here are some pictures:

Thank you

Tom / Bikezilla

 

[Bikezilla]

UPDATE:

In my quest to dig up some information on this old AMF bike, I also wrote to http://ChesterCycles.com . I am cutting and pasting the reply sent to me by Duane, in case it may be helpful to anyone else.

------

Hello Tom

Thanks for inquiring!

I'll be perfectly honest and say that the bike in question isn't worth very much unless you have a sentimental attachment to it. Small-wheel bikes, and girl's bikes in general, just don't generate the interest (and money) that boy's bikes do. I'd imagine, even in perfect condition, that bike to be worth $125-150, tops.

On top of that, because of condition and all the parts, it'd be a good bit more than 200 to repaint that bike; with fenders, chain guard, and removing the existing finish, you'd be somewhere in the $350 range. certainly not worth it

As for removing the black finish, that's probably going to be impossible without damaging what's underneath. There is one product that *might* work, but might be hard to find. It's called 'bumper stripper', made by SEM. What bumper stripper does is remove 'refinish' material, but doesn't attack the factory finish underneath. It may work, but I'm not completely sure (I;d guess that the factory finish on your bike is lacquer, which may come off with this product). Could buy a can (it's an aerosol) and try it on the chain guard or something.

This is the stuff, I'm sure you can find it cheaper somewhere else, too.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/smm-77713?seid=srese1&gclid=CMDx7KmJoLkCFbBDMgod0AMASQ

Regards
Duane

 

[Bikezilla]

I finally found out the bike's model year, thanks to the guys over at http://www.NBHAA.com.

It's a 1959 1/2.

 

[Bikezilla]

Here's my early paint adventure related to this bike, for those of you who maybe be in a similar fix.

I wanted to get a positive on the SN (which I ended up not needing, but found out too late). So I applied a product called Zensser's Stripfast Power Stripper to the area where the SN was buried beneath too much paint (mostly black spray paint).

I expected it to ruin the original factory blue and leave just metal.

Apparently the black spray paint is very cheap and easily removed. I'm also guessing that the factory paint was baked on.

That is, the factory BLUE paint. The white, not so much.

No, the white paint, for instance in the area of the groves in the middle of the the back 'book rack", turns to goo. In other places I'm guessing that the white detail isn't paint at all, but decals (which I'm only now detecting because I'm taking a much more detailed look at things).

Tonight I just tested things out, after my accidental discovery with the stripper. Next I'll take all the bits and bobs off of the frame and get to work more broadly.

I'll post pictures when I'm done.

 

[Rustinkerer]

Most folks in the hobby use easy-off oven cleaner to remove repaints, fyi. You're lucky to even get a response from NBHAA, hes one very eccentric dude, to say the least! -Adam

 

[Bikezilla]

I've never attempted this before. Had no idea that was even possible. Thank you.

Yeah, he seems a little . . . well, we'll leave it at eccentric.

Thank you.

 

[Bikezilla]

I've never attempted this before. Had no idea that was even possible. Thank you.

Yeah, he seems a little . . . well, we'll leave it at eccentric.

Thank you.