Schwinn Tornado?

[John DelGato]

I believe my serial number is on the bb but has been obscured beneath thick paint. Not ready to sand/repaint yet. wondering if a bb serial number placement is evidence of a particular year or range of years.
I think this looks like a Tornado, but am not certain. Any ideas?

 

[Wildcat]

I believe your number is on the rear dropout, these twin bar frames were made late 50's to early 60's. Tornado, Skipper, and Flying Star. The numbers were shifted from BB to dropout sometime in 1952.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I dunno. I feel like I can see a few characters in the BB picture, right where the highlight is. Tough to tell though, my phone is junk

 

[John DelGato]

Thanks Wildcat!
It's a stir-crazy weekend. Waiting on the weather to start sanding/painting. Otherwise, I'm not making out anything but smooth housepaint on the dropout.
Mattithunder, give your phone some credit. I'm having the same issues looking at the bike real-time. Today I'm seeing different numbers there than yesterday

 

[Wildcat]

I did some more research. The twin bar frame came out in 59. It had two separate bars, like yours. Then, around 1961, the two bars were made continuous, and were part of the seat stays too. Then only offered on the Typhoon by 1962, that was it. So, my best guess is yours is 59-61.
So, your number will be on the dropout, a letter for the month, first digit the year (A9 for Jan 1959, C0 for March 1960, B1 for Feb 1961.) Should be 6 digits and one letter.

 

[John DelGato]

Looks like B143179. Feb 61?
I was hoping for 59, but that'll do!

Wildcat, you are the Yoda of bikes!

 

[deorman]

THE SCHWINN DATE CODES BY YEAR,MONTH AND DAY

Vintage Schwinn Catalogs 1899 to 1984

Vintage Schwinn catalogs online. These are not just catalog scans, they are fully transcribed real webpages with all the images.

bikehistory.org

 

[Wildcat]

Thanks, I have a friend up in ND that has a Skipper he was told was 50's, but it had 6 numbers in the serial number not 5, it also is a 61.
Finding things keeps me occupied while sitting at home.

Knowing it's a 61, it could only be a Skipper or Tornado, the catalog shows the Flying Star as a straight bar frame, not twin that year. The only way to tell between Skipper an Tornado would be the original white trim that Skipper had on the headtube. Under your repaint it might show unless it was sanded down or is a Tornado.

The other differences would be the chain guard and seat but you just have the frame. The head tube looks short, is yours a 24"?

 

[John DelGato]

Mine is a 24". Headtube is about 4".
I have the original white wheels, chainguard, fenders, and fork.

 

[Wildcat]

Mine is a 24". Headtube is about 4".
I have the original white wheels, chainguard, fenders, and fork.

The name may be visible on the chain guard. I hold them sideways to see the lettering even if they are painted over. The Tornado and Skipper both had white wheels, but Skipper had more white on the chain guard. Also from the 61 catalog:

 

[John DelGato]

Late this morning, stepped outside with my chainguard to shed some light on the subject. As the sun broke through the clouds overhead, I was able to make out "Tornado".

 

[Wildcat]

$40 in 1961 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $349.94 today.

 

[John DelGato]

Early to mid-90's, I paid $30 ea for this as well as another 60's Schwinn.

 

[John DelGato]

I've been calling this 26" a 62 Typhoon for years. Today I looked up the number (M114863) and got the following:
Your bike is an original Chicago Schwinn.
Built: 12/04 of 1961
So I'm confused now. Would this be a Tornado or a Typhoon?

 

[Wildcat]

The first Typhoon came out in 1962 with that style frame. One year only for Typhoon, then no more twin bar frames after 62. So, that's a Skipper or Tornado.

 

[RustyGold]

View attachment 151890
I've been calling this 26" a 62 Typhoon for years. Today I looked up the number (M114863) and got the following:
Your bike is an original Chicago Schwinn.
Built: 12/04 of 1961
So I'm confused now. Would this be a Tornado or a Typhoon?

December of '61 would be a '62 model year bike...so Typhoon is probably right.

Cool ride

 

[Wildcat]

RustyGold is right. All the Tornados would have been built and sent to the bike shops by then, So it was a 62 model. No Tornado in 62, and the skipper was using the cantilever frame after 61. makes it a 62 Typhoon.

 

[John DelGato]

Thanks guys!