1987 Schwinn Heavy Duti

[Starnger]

Hello everyone!
Just scored this 1980 Heavy Duti for 80 euro from Germany (less then 100$), and paid another 60 for delivery.
As far as i know, that was the first year for them to be made in Asia, not Chicago, please correct me if i'm wrong.

Anyway, the bike quality is awesome, 40 years old chrome is flawless, not a single spot of rust on the fenders, while the rivets are rusted through
Also, that's the first time i see the lubrication holes on the frame! I am totally amazed.

Really, the reason for that build was that i have few wheel sets in my garage that i am not using, so i wanted to get rid of most of my unused frames and parts for the spring. I was looking to buy cheap frames, and found that bike. I wanted to get some older parts like bb and stem, and also front hub for my CWC build, so here we go, bought this one.
One of the inspirations for color combination was that picture i saw online once:

So here is the bike standing on Project 346 cruiser wheelset and Classic-Cyle tires i purchased at the Choppedrome final sale.

Also featuring nice profile cranks from Electra Jeremy and original GT sprocket. I still need to change chrome parts like kickstand and seatpost clamp for black ones, also may change the stem for the black one. And i still need to make a roller brake adapter for the fork. More things to be done, but as you see, the bike comes together already.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I agree, a black stem would fit better, as the crank and pedals are black too. The alloy block stands out

 

[RustyGold]

I believe what you have there is a mid-80s Hungarian Schwinn.

 

[RustyGold]

I think the fenders are stainless steel on at least some of the Hungarian Schwinn's.

 

[Starnger]

Some minor updates on the bike.
Got the black stem installed instead of the chromed one. Also changed the saddle for the one with Schwinn lettering found for sale locally.

Now i am waiting for the repop dia-compe seat post clamp that i have ordered and for the front roller brake body to get powder coated. Then i need to pick up the black kickstand from local Electra dealer, and put that or one of few i got to powder coater too. Then i need to attach the shifter, and i consider this build done. Maybe i should also change the sprocket? Now when there are almost no chromed parts left, i am thinking to switch to pure black, even though i like the GT sprocket looks.

Thanks, @RustyGold, i'd check the frame number and hopefully can learn more about my bike with it.

 

[Starnger]

Got the clamps delivered today!

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I know you said you were thinking pure black, but can we please see it with the red clamp? Would really pop with the rims n tires.
Warning: the results might cause pedal shopping!

 

[JaxRhapsody]

Yeah, I'd throw just a teeny bit
of red to play with the red tires. That clamp and grips, then no further.

 

[Starnger]

@MattiThundrrr, @JaxRhapsody, huh, that's exactly what i did And then i saw your comments this morning. Does this mean aesthetics are universal, or are we a conforming group?

I have put the cable guides through a frame using threaded rivets. Had to drill the frame, but better that then leaving the cable hanging on tie-wraps I learned Heavy Duti has really thick wall tubing. My estimation is about 2 - 2.5mm comparing to normal 1.5 used in many cruiser bikes.

I put on the yellow matching cable, nexus shifter and a set of red Electra Schwinn style glitter grips. I wanted to use original ones tbh, but they were too thick to use with twist-shifter.

And also i have installed the black kickstand i got from my local Electra dealer.

Looks great. Only lacks some lamps and front brakes now.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I don't think we're conforming, if we were, it'd be black and yellow like most Heavy Duties. The red seems obvious to me! That thing gonna shine like a ruby

 

[JaxRhapsody]

Great minds think alike. I did the same thing to spruce up my prelude that was all gray/silver; red bar tape, housings, saddle(when I find one)... maybe pedals.

 

[Wildcat]

It's looking good!

The 80 Heavy Duti was a Chicago bike:

I found an 87 frame for sale, looks like yours. Made in Taiwan. A good frame.

 

[Starnger]

It's looking good!

The 80 Heavy Duti was a Chicago bike:

I found an 87 frame for sale, looks like yours. Made in Taiwan. A good frame.

Thanks for info! I'll look closer into that. What @RustyGold said up there about stainless fenders is probably true, so that made me investigate if it could be Hungarian Schwinn indeed. So far i found out, that all Taiwanese Schwinns of the period had frame numbers starting with G, and mine starts with Y. I also found info that the stamp on the head badge codes the date of production, i will take a closer look there today as well.

 

[RustyGold]

The welds are the most visual reference. Chicago, smooth transitions....Giant, tight precise welds. If you search for Hungarian Schwinn's... you'll see those big weld beads at the headtube and coarse cantilever tube welds.

The G codes for Giant frames aren't the serials...it is a different five digit code. Giant Schwinn serials start with year-month or month-year two digits...and Y isn't in the 12 months

 

[RustyGold]

The '7' is probably year, however...so 1987 is likely.

 

[Starnger]

Thanks for everyone's input, i have checked the head badge, the bike is from 1987 indeed

I got some nice little details to finish the build now, the sprocket is here and most of the roller brakes parts. The only one left is roller brake cover, then it is done

 

[Starnger]

Hello everyone! Did not post many updates lately, bit busy at my internship right now. However, the bike is almost finished by this moment.

The Felt aluminium machined chainwheel have arrived, the last part i wanted to change about the looks of the bike! 39 is a bit small, but that was the only one i could find.

Here it is installed on its place.

Here is how the bike looks with it.

Got the shimano roller brakes from the powder coating. I learned that while the newer ones are super easy to coat and they come together nicely, the older ones are bit harder to build back together. Since the outer shell fits tightly on the frame of the brake, after coating it won't stay at its place. Here it is solved with adding a small m3 bolt on the top part of the brake shell to hold it in place.

Now i only need some yellow braking cable to match the shifting one and i consider this bike done. Well, maybe i add a lamp too, i don't yet know really.

 

[Starnger]

So, the brake setup is one, therefore i consider this bike finished As you see i have used another one of dia-compe seatpost clamps i got to attach the brake lever to the fork.

So here are some final result photos:

 

[Late To The Party]

Now I want one, you done good.