66 fastback questions

Advertise with us
Bike Wall
Shop deals on ebay
BOXKARS
Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Bluemustang21

Bluemustang21

Joined
May 2, 2013
Messages
72
Reaction score
40
Rating - 100%
7   0   0
I just recently picked up a violet fastback, the serial indicates it is a 66'. Seems to be mostly original except someone took off the stickshift and derailer. But it has a violet ribbed seat. Anyone know if this is original to the bike? All the photos Ive seen show a white ribbed glitter seat. I'll post some pics later today. WARNING she's pretty crusty... lol
On a side note, if anyone has a 5 speed shifter laying around let me know, I will also post in the wanted section.
Thanks!
 
The seat the 1966 Fastback would have been assembled with would have been a silver glitter tufted seat. But Schwinn did offer violet accessory seats during those years, so that might be the seat the bike was "sold" with. Schwinn dealers would sell you a bike with any seat you wanted!

So, could the seat be "original to the bike"? Yes, it could be original to the bike. But the "stock" seat that you typically see is a silver glitter tufted seat.
 
image_zpsqcspepcs.jpg
image_zpsqleabslq.jpg
image_zpsjfytakoy.jpg
image_zpspsmrf8cb.jpg
image_zpsgqyonrbi.jpg
image_zpswznioavk.jpg
 
Last edited:
The chrome is cleaning up decent, It's got a cut sissybar the seat cover is pretty cooked, needs brakes and a front fender, chain shifter and derailer. I'm still debating on repainting or not. the paint is pretty rough... Is it just better to leave the paint? Or pick up some hyperformace Urethane?
 
Nice find, congrats! It has the early Sprint sprocket, those are great on those early Fastbacks.

I see it has a Fastback front tire in the back too, the early Fastbacks had two front tires, with no slik out back. What is the serial number on the frame? It might be an early 1966 bike, which would be real cool.

The tires might have amber cord in them too, they would be worth keeping if they did.

I vote paint the frame. The paint is rough on that one, repainting it won't take away anything from the one.

Finally, I might have some parts for you, I know I have a front fender, I *might* have brakes. Send me a PM when your ready to hunt parts.
 
Cool start! I also would go with a repaint on that, but you really have to decide what you want in the long run with that bike. If you want to restore it to exactly original, then you are going to be dropping some coin on it. Schwinn parts have premium prices, and Schwinn collectors like to have very correct examples. So if you're going to restore it to an original condition you will have to do a good bit of research and searching, and be able to pay a good bit.
If you're just going to make it a rider for fun then you can get away with whatever you want.
 
Nice find there! Chrome looks like it's cleaning up well. I'd make it a 9 speed.:D

rfeagleye said:
I see it has a Fastback front tire in the back too, the early Fastbacks had two front tires, with no slik out back. What is the serial number on the frame? It might be an early 1966 bike, which would be real cool.

The tires might have amber cord in them too, they would be worth keeping if they did.
Click to expand...

More great trivia! I need to visit more often so I can get the inside dope. Last trip was quite informative.
 
One more thing I thought of...when you have a chance post a picture of the bottom of the seat, I can tell you more about what that seat might be.
 
image_zps2yx5iluh.jpg

image_zps7grvwcu5.jpg

image_zpsdzvkdfoc.jpg

image_zpsrbi16qzj.jpg

image_zpsdbqppx42.jpg

This was the front tube, still holds air.... lol I haven't checked the rear yet. I don't mind spending the money making it right if it is worth it. I really don't like having more in it than I could sell it for. How much do you guys think it could go for restored to original? I got it for a steal so I have room to invest lol. I saved it out of a rusty road bike pile. The guy only wanted 30 bucks for it.
 
$30 haha! That is a great price!

If it is restored well, I would bet you could get $750-800 for it. Possibly more to a buyer who had to have it. Restored bikes are great, but like other hobbies, mint original paint bikes bring the most money.

That seat is an accessory seat, but sadly that one isn't an early enough seat to be one that might have been sold with the bike. The earliest banana seats used by Schwinn had a flat bracket that held the seat post mount, different than the U shaped bracket welded on yours. Also, the seat sides were flat, without those buttons yours has.

Accessory seats sold by Schwinn also didn't have the welded on reflector tab, they used that cad plated wire that yours has for the reflector.

I would guess that seat is a 70's vintage, added after the original ripped or something. That seat can be re-tucked though, just pull the pan back and tuck that side in.
 
Hyperformance Rays sells paint for them. www.hyper-formance.com. He also has information on the site for Dave Erickson, one of the top Schwinn paint guys out there. His work is top notch.

I see some wheelie bars in that pile of parts...nice!
 
Last edited:
That shifter is correct, but with one qualification - that one is a VERY early model, with the first style stops for the arm travel. If you look very carefully at the pic of the rusty backside of the shifter body, you will see 2 square holes where the arm stops were punched out. This is the first type I have seen. They must have failed early (the stops bent) so Schwinn made improvements. The next version has posts welded into the square holes, and the final version is the one you usually see, with the half-moon stops punched out. I have examples of both early types.

Since your bike is from August, I doubt it came with this early style shifter. Also, this particular one is rather rusty, which will look like cr@p on a repainted bike. Keep looking for a better one, but be sure to get the one with the smooth sides on the shifter arm. The ribbed style didn't appear until late 67 for the 68 model year.

I also probably have some good used parts to help get that bike back together. Message me with a list if you like.

-Dan
 
rusty63 said:
That shifter is correct, but with one qualification - that one is a VERY early model, with the first style stops for the arm travel. If you look very carefully at the pic of the rusty backside of the shifter body, you will see 2 square holes where the arm stops were punched out. This is the first type I have seen. They must have failed early (the stops bent) so Schwinn made improvements. The next version has posts welded into the square holes, and the final version is the one you usually see, with the half-moon stops punched out. I have examples of both early types.

Since your bike is from August, I doubt it came with this early style shifter. Also, this particular one is rather rusty, which will look like cr@p on a repainted bike. Keep looking for a better one, but be sure to get the one with the smooth sides on the shifter arm. The ribbed style didn't appear until late 67 for the 68 model year.

I also probably have some good used parts to help get that bike back together. Message me with a list if you like.

-Dan
Click to expand...

Thanks so much, I'll message you my shopping list, anything you are willing to part with would be much appreciated.
 
GREAT info Dan! I did not know that about the early shifters, I learned something new today!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top