Undecided: 1947 Schwinn

[NLCTVWguy]

So back when we went to the Monson Mass swap meet, I didn't buy any bikes. My buddy did, and came home with a sweet 1930's Elgin. But on the way home, we stopped at this little roadside antique store, and there's a balloon tire ladies Schwinn.

The price was right, even though it was pretty tired from a lot of outside storage, shall we say, and I got it and put it aside for later.

The wheels ended up being borrowed for the first ride on the Elgin, with some nice new WW knobbies on them, while the original Elgin wheels get rehabbed.

In the meantime, everything has been stripped, the frame, fork, chainguard, and rear fender.

I opened up the seat, blasted and cleaned the pan halves, and will be recovering it in brown leather.

The serial number is on the bottom of the crank, C 01030. That's earlier than the 1948 date codes, the first listed in the available date guides. I estimate it would have been mid-1947. The bike has a welded-on kickstand tube, so it's post-war. The style of the bike is found in 1946, 47, and 48 catalogs, and it doesn't really matter to me which it is, it's just something of that era.

The parts are now all primered and ready for finish paint work. (Though I still do need a front fender.)

And now I'm at an impasse. Usually I know EXACTLY what I want to build, or I'm restoring something to original so I have at least an idea of how it should come out. But this bike was spray paint blue, over an original light purple that I don't care for at all. And I'm not sure what color I should paint it.

My intent here is to have a nice riding original Schwinn- coaster brake, full fenders, working skiptooth setup. I have new decals for the guard and seatpost quality circles... I just have to figure out what color(s) to do it in.

What are your thoughts? Can some of you post pics of finished bikes of this style? Maybe something will just grab me. Or maybe we can have a vote on the color. I'm leaning towards a candy red, like the Stingray flamboyant red, with cream accents on the head tube and seat post... but I've got a lot of different ideas too.

I could ask my wife, but that's too easy.

--Rob

 

[ratrodman39]

candy red with cream accents would be sweet!!!!.....or i saw a bike on the strand the other day it was brown with cream accents... ....

 

[Wildcat]

This is a 64 Starlet, but about the same style. I converted it to 6 speed and painted it medium blue with light blue accents, gloss enamel. I restored it to order for my college prof neighbor. She loves it. I now think white would have been better for accents because it would provide more contrast. However, red and cream sounds pretty good.

 

[rgallen]

They are both great looking rides. I like em. Nice

 

[rat royale]

So back when we went to the Monson Mass swap meet, I didn't buy any bikes. My buddy did, and came home with a sweet 1930's Elgin. But on the way home, we stopped at this little roadside antique store, and there's a balloon tire ladies Schwinn.

The price was right, even though it was pretty tired from a lot of outside storage, shall we say, and I got it and put it aside for later.

The wheels ended up being borrowed for the first ride on the Elgin, with some nice new WW knobbies on them, while the original Elgin wheels get rehabbed.

In the meantime, everything has been stripped, the frame, fork, chainguard, and rear fender.

I opened up the seat, blasted and cleaned the pan halves, and will be recovering it in brown leather.

The serial number is on the bottom of the crank, C 01030. That's earlier than the 1948 date codes, the first listed in the available date guides. I estimate it would have been mid-1947. The bike has a welded-on kickstand tube, so it's post-war. The style of the bike is found in 1946, 47, and 48 catalogs, and it doesn't really matter to me which it is, it's just something of that era.

The parts are now all primered and ready for finish paint work. (Though I still do need a front fender.)

And now I'm at an impasse. Usually I know EXACTLY what I want to build, or I'm restoring something to original so I have at least an idea of how it should come out. But this bike was spray paint blue, over an original light purple that I don't care for at all. And I'm not sure what color I should paint it.

My intent here is to have a nice riding original Schwinn- coaster brake, full fenders, working skiptooth setup. I have new decals for the guard and seatpost quality circles... I just have to figure out what color(s) to do it in.

What are your thoughts? Can some of you post pics of finished bikes of this style? Maybe something will just grab me. Or maybe we can have a vote on the color. I'm leaning towards a candy red, like the Stingray flamboyant red, with cream accents on the head tube and seat post... but I've got a lot of different ideas too.

I could ask my wife, but that's too easy.

--Rob

Rob,
Do you have the kickstand? That would help to confirm the year to a degree. I have a known '47 model with a number slightly higher than yours, and a '46 with one under. If the kickstand is NOT tapered, it will fall into '47. I also notice the angle of the kickstand tube is not as offset as the later models, and that is consistent with the '46 model as well. I bought a kickstand a while back from another '46, that I used in place of the one that was out getting shiny on my '46 "X Project." They don't fit quite the same as the later ones, as the stand would be hitting the wheel when retracted into the riding position. I think the later one would stick WAY out on the frame you have. I also notice the drop center wheels, and I have a '49 that came with similar ones, but chromed (and complete with rust!).

Colors.... I like the red/cream or tan on the one posted earlier. Or if you have someting for yourself already, do hers to match.. If that doesn't work, they had some typical '40s/'50s colors for ladies that were kind of cool (or is that "kool?") One of the ones that looks the least appealing on the color charts is a mint/lavender combination, however, in person it is quite nice. She'd probably like that if she is ... er.... well, lets just suggest she might like older stuff and leave it at that.

Keep posting progress shots on it as you go. It looks like it will be nicely done regardless of what color you end up using.

Rat Royale
REC Elsewhere

 

[user 135]

Not enough yellow bikes out there. Try that with some cream.

 

[NLCTVWguy]

Thanks Royale-

That's great info! Just the kind of thing I was hoping for.

I do have the kickstand, I'll have to post a picture of it. I didn't know there were differences in the tube angle but I knew there were changes made among different models.

One of the cool things this came with is on the front of the basket, 1954 bike reg renewal tags, metal tags crimped onto the basket bars. But nothing really to prove the build date, unless I can find a number on the hub or something.

The crank is stamped A S & CO but no numbers on it that seem to make any sense. I've looked for other possible dates stamped into parts but no luck on any of that. The stem, bars, crank, everything seems to be original. Definitely not in bad shape considering its condition and the length of time it probably was "yard art". The spray paint did help preserve it to some extent.

The chrome was painted silver, over a lot of original rust, but most will clean I think.

Thanks for the ideas and help guys. More pics to come...
--Rob

Rob,
Do you have the kickstand? That would help to confirm the year to a degree. I have a known '47 model with a number slightly higher than yours, and a '46 with one under. If the kickstand is NOT tapered, it will fall into '47. I also notice the angle of the kickstand tube is not as offset as the later models, and that is consistent with the '46 model as well. I bought a kickstand a while back from another '46, that I used in place of the one that was out getting shiny on my '46 "X Project." They don't fit quite the same as the later ones, as the stand would be hitting the wheel when retracted into the riding position. I think the later one would stick WAY out on the frame you have. I also notice the drop center wheels, and I have a '49 that came with similar ones, but chromed (and complete with rust!).

Colors.... I like the red/cream or tan on the one posted earlier. Or if you have someting for yourself already, do hers to match.. If that doesn't work, they had some typical '40s/'50s colors for ladies that were kind of cool (or is that "kool?") One of the ones that looks the least appealing on the color charts is a mint/lavender combination, however, in person it is quite nice. She'd probably like that if she is ... er.... well, lets just suggest she might like older stuff and leave it at that.

Keep posting progress shots on it as you go. It looks like it will be nicely done regardless of what color you end up using.

Rat Royale
REC Elsewhere

 

[deorman]

Quite a few bikes of that style were a similar blue w/white tips on the fork and fenders, along w/the white steering head. A similar scheme in just about any non-clashing colors could look good, as long as they don't clash with your labels, of course.

 

[NLCTVWguy]

Yep, this one was white on the frame head, with the little curlicue stencils where the color met the white along the frame tubes. There were also bikes made with a straight spear or point down the tubes. I'm thinking maybe pinstripes that go the length of the tubes now. Matching double lines on the fenders. The bike definitely had white pinstripes on the fenders.

The tube decals I ordered are kind of a red/gold sprocket logo. The barely-surviving chainguard decal looked like that, where I could scratch off enough paint to see a bit of it before it was gone. It was a very OLD spraypaint job.

BTW I need a headbadge for this bike. I have lots of the regular white ovals, but I would love to find a brass large one. IF anyone has one, let me know. Maybe a trade for something...

--Rob

Quite a few bikes of that style were a similar blue w/white tips on the fork and fenders, along w/the white steering head. A similar scheme in just about any non-clashing colors could look good, as long as they don't clash with your labels, of course.