Schwinn Hornet or Starlet?

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I found this schwinn and I am not sure if its a hornet or a starlet. Any feedback would be great! Disregard the paint job it will be better!!
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Buster1 said:
What's a skiptooth? I'm learning this stuff.

Look at your chainring (sprocket with the crank and pedals) can you fit your finger between each teeth? If you can than its a skiptooth. From your picture looks like a skiptooth but the angle of the pic doesn't help.

Skiptooth was the american standard (most use) chain system on pre war bicycles.
 
ok i took a few more shots
the original color looks like blue and white
i am able to take that yellow off and get to the original paint but it looks like parts have been sanded. So I'm thinking a total repaint.
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and here is the serial
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Thank you for all the help
 
thats what has been throwing me off.(chain guard) when i have been trying to compare with other pics.
I know this is going to sound silly but how do i measure to see size?
Why is it weird?
Thank you for your help
 
look for the size on the tires, if its a 24 it should say 24 x whatever number.
its weird because its a skiptooth, you dont see a lot of bikes that are post war and have a skiptooth and that it survived as a skiptooth and was not changed.
 
I'm leaning toward Panther, Starlet didn't come in blue, according to the catalog. Does the middle of the cranks have a 2 digit stamp on them? Like 51 or 52? That would indicate the year of the cranks, I think Schwinn offered skiptooth in the 50s.
 
That's for sure a Schwinn chainguard and it is correct for that bike. Here's a Tornado with the same guard. Gary
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My point exactly because didn't the tornado come out on the late 50's and I didn't see any bikes with that chainguard on the catalogs for 51 and 52 and that's why I thought that maybe somebody changed the chainguard. I think this bike was a spitfire since the panther had a springer fork and the meteor didn't have a rack nor the truss rods. Not sure but I don't know if there where a blue hornet also. Then again I could be completely wrong since most of the schwinn experts I've talked to in the past has always told me that schwinn didn't make any bikes with skiptooth after the war, guess they where wrong.
 
Thanks you all. I was thinking spitfire at first too.
There is not any numbers stamped on the cranks that i could see.
here are a couple more pics I took down the paint on the tank and now I am thinking hornet? but the chain guard looks different to me?
It is a 24
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I don't think this frame is that early, whether it's a skiptooth or not originally.... the serial number should be under the crank if it's a '51. It's on the left dropout. That's '52 up.

I was thinking a '61 frame with the A1 number, but it's supposed to be 6 numbers then and it's not, or doesn't appear to be.

If it was, I'd say it's a 24" girl's Flying Star, the smaller frame version of the blue one in the top right here:

http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1961_1970/1961_04.html

But again the serial doesn't match that unless there's another digit out by the fender bolt hole... even then the Jan 61 numbers don't go high enough.

But a little closer look at the code list DOES turn up August 1953...

08/18/53 to 08/19/53 ------- A11749 ------------------ A19495

So that's a possibility. Darn those repeating sequences of serial numbers.

Which brings us back to what is it? The catalog pages, while such a great reference, don't show every model made. They'll typically show the 26" or more deluxe models and just mention off-handedly that they also offer a 24" model, a ladies model, a 2-spd or coaster brake model, or many other variations.

There don't seem to be any 24" models shown in 53 using that specific chainguard, but it's certainly in production if you look at some of the other offerings.

In '52, they built this exact bike:

http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1951_1960/1952_07.html

I think it just wasn't shown in the '53 catalog. The catalog pics weren't always 100% accurate anyway- the text all says these bikes came with a rear carrier and clearly its not shown in the illustrations.

I would go with it being a Hornet but maybe some paint-color detective work will turn up something contrary to that.

It's nice but not worth a great deal of money, and I'd probably sandblast it, repaint it, get a set of repro decals, whitewall tires, and put it back on the road.

--Rob
 
Yeah! I would have to say that sure looks like it to me.
Thanks everyone for your input
Now time to find a few parts and get it painted and on the road :)
 

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