Schwinnster

[blacksheep]

I bought this '60 Speedster a couple days ago from fellow RRB member "economessed". I would like to clean up some of the surface rust without damaging the paint too much. I know it can be done, but I can't seem to find the right posts on how to do it. Anyway, once that is done I'm going to tear it all down, push some dents out of the fenders as best I can, and then clear coat all the painted parts. I couldn't help installing the way-too-clean S-7 wheelset with 2-speed kickback, but it's my first kickback and I didn't want to ride the ladies bike they were on.


Here it is when I first got it home.

And shortly after...

And now with the clean S-7 wheels w/kickback, a few stickers removed, and a reflector to fill the hole in the rear fender.

 

[blacksheep]

I need to replace the grips on this. The grips that are on it now are rock hard and loose. What would the originals have been...black or blue glitter/sparkle?

 

[scrumblero]

Barkeepers Friend is great for cleaning frames...

 

[Rustinkerer]

I need to replace the grips on this. The grips that are on it now are rock hard and loose. What would the originals have been...black or blue glitter/sparkle?

Black Schwinn logo grips, I had a green '60 that had the older style script grips, but I can't say for sure it was original. It also had an AS bolt stem, with the nut and bolt instead of the thread-in bolt. I want to say both too early for it, but they started using the "new " logo in 59 or possibly late 58, so they probably had some backlog of parts, which they likely used on the lower end bikes. -Adam

 

[blacksheep]

Mine's got the AS stamped stem bolt as well as the AS stamped handlebar bolt w/separate nut. I'll have to keep an eye out for a pair of those old black grips.

 

[economessed]

Hey Blacksheep -- that bike looks fantastic! What a transformation!

 

[blacksheep]

Hey Blacksheep -- that bike looks fantastic! What a transformation!

Thanks! I'm going to have to give that Barkeeper's Friend a try. Maybe some of that rust will come off. Either way, I'm loving the rattiness of this bike.