Help with Schwinn Typhoon ID

[coldblu]

I've studied the Schwinn Serial Number charts to no avail.... My Serial Number just does not seem to be represented....

The serial # is located on the left, rear dropout and shows as - A62 90
I can assume this bike was built in Jan of 62 as far as I can tell.... But this sort of serial # is not consistent with anything I find on the Schwinn serial number charts.
I also know that Schwinn stamped the serial # on the left rear dropout from 1952-1969.. which is consistent with this bike

Perhaps I'm reading this number wrong.... or even looking at the wrong number...... If you have any incite... I'd love to hear it!

Here is a shot of the entire bike..

 

[CCR]

serial is screwed up, look at the seat post tube decal, if it has 3 stars on each side its a 67+, if not its a 63-66, im guessing its a 65 from the "A" looks like there was enough space before the "A" for the month stamp, but this is just a guess, with a serial that messed up you could guess for ever and not know, unless the screwed up serial was documented elsewhere too.

 

[coldblu]

serial is screwed up, look at the seat post tube decal, if it has 3 stars on each side its a 67+, if not its a 63-66, im guessing its a 65 from the "A" looks like there was enough space before the "A" for the month stamp, but this is just a guess, with a serial that messed up you could guess for ever and not know, unless the screwed up serial was documented elsewhere too.

Thanks for the response!

No stars on the seat post decal...

I guess I never really thought about the possibility of an error in the stamping of the serial.....

I'm pretty sure that the middle number is missing... I don't believe there would have been a letter or number before the "A"

According to this chart.... http://www.angelfire.com/rant/allday101 ... odes3.html It would appear that this bike is a 1953.

1953
09/05 to 09/08 ------- A62955 ------------------ A71782

I suppose it's entirely possible that my serial was not fully stamped..... That never crossed my mind.

 

[CCR]

if the chainguard is original to the frame, it's a typhoon, started selling them as a 62 model and the 62's were a straightbar, in 63 and up they used the cantilever style frame. so you can narrow it down to a 63-66. from the pic it looks like the rear wheel is painted ??? if that's right and it the original wheel you can knock off 66 from the list, painted wheels were standard on the typhoons from 62-65, in 66 they started using chrome wheels on them standard. in 63-65 it would have to be a "deluxe" typhoon to have chrome rims on it (would say it o the chainguard)

it also looks like the front wheel and stem have been swapped out at some point, with a missing front fender, i'm guessing it crashed at some time in it's life

 

[CCR]

Also they went from using (one letter followed by six numbers) to (two letters followed by five numbers) in February of '65. Maybe in the transition they hadn't gotten used to the new set-up for serials ??? According to "bunch o bikes" site, it could match a 2/23/65 bike if the first letter was left off and the third number got left off.

 

[Wildcat]

A misstamped serial number on a Chicago Schwinn. Unusual. That may add value to the bike. Which digit was left off? That's hard to say, I would pull, (and regrease) the cranks to see if it has the 2 digit year stamp on it.

 

[CCR]

A misstamped serial number on a Chicago Schwinn. Unusual. That may add value to the bike. Which digit was left off? That's hard to say, I would pull, (and regrease) the cranks to see if it has the 2 digit year stamp on it.

Agreed :lol: I completely forgot about the stamped cranks !!!

 

[coldblu]

if the chainguard is original to the frame, it's a typhoon, started selling them as a 62 model and the 62's were a straightbar, in 63 and up they used the cantilever style frame. so you can narrow it down to a 63-66. from the pic it looks like the rear wheel is painted ??? if that's right and it the original wheel you can knock off 66 from the list, painted wheels were standard on the typhoons from 62-65, in 66 they started using chrome wheels on them standard. in 63-65 it would have to be a "deluxe" typhoon to have chrome rims on it (would say it o the chainguard)

it also looks like the front wheel and stem have been swapped out at some point, with a missing front fender, i'm guessing it crashed at some time in it's life

The rear wheel is not original.... neither is the front. The bars and stem have been replaced and were missing when I got the bike... The chainguard is original and does not say "deluxe" on it...

 

[coldblu]

A misstamped serial number on a Chicago Schwinn. Unusual. That may add value to the bike. Which digit was left off? That's hard to say, I would pull, (and regrease) the cranks to see if it has the 2 digit year stamp on it.

I believe that on this serial the 3rd number was left off... My serial is A62 90.... according to the Schwinn production chart.. if that third digit was omitted.. it would make it a 1953 model..
1953
09/05 to 09/08 ------- A62955 ------------------ A71782

If there was a letter before the "A" that was omitted along with the third number .... it would make it a 1965 according to the Schwinn production chart....
1965
12/21 ------------------- MA62630 ----------------- MA64927


It appears that the only way to ID this one would be to pull the crank as you suggest....

 

[roadmaster]

I agree with pulling the cranks, assuming they are original, but they usually are. My money is on it being a rare mismarked 65'. It looks like your chainring is caught up on that chainguard. Get it that way? Cool bike reguardless, but doubt its a 52' or 53'.

 

[coldblu]

I agree with pulling the cranks, assuming they are original, but they usually are. My money is on it being a rare mismarked 65'. It looks like your chainring is caught up on that chainguard. Get it that way? Cool bike reguardless, but doubt its a 52' or 53'.

I'm fairly certain the crank is original.. Probably the only real way to ID this thing..

The chainguard is actually missing a piece of metal where it covers the chainring.... I have no clue how that could have possibly happened.... but yes... it was like that when I got it back in 98/99

Anyway.....looks like I'll have to pull the crank to solve this puzzle....

 

[NLCTVWguy]

Remove the front wheel and look for a stamp inside the left fork arm. Very tiny numbers. Something like 01+5 would indicate Jan '65 (or possibly '55, but the bike looks like a Typhoon middleweight so probably not a '55).

The numbers are very small and the code is MM+Y (M- month, Y- year). I confirmed dates on a late-66 Stingray frame this way to have been at least a Jan '67 bike.

Good luck, it will be a cool ride no matter what you do with it.

--Rob