Black Schwinn Ballooner Barn Find!

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Just picked this bike up today. Its original paint and looks mostly original from what I can tell. I am not expert on these bikes. Anyone here know more? :D

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Re: Black 1951 Schwinn Ballooner Barn Find!

Not sure why you are dating it 1951, def. a pre war DX model. bars, stem, and possibly seat look to be added later on. I cant tell about the wheels, should be drop centers for that frame. Appear to be painted S-2's if so, they were added later as well. Good find!
 
Re: Black 1951 Schwinn Ballooner Barn Find!

Could be a 40's bike, youve got the early style feather guard ... what size is the bike ?
 
Slick Rick said:
Not sure why you are dating it 1951, def. a pre war DX model. bars, stem, and possibly seat look to be added later on. I cant tell about the wheels, should be drop centers for that frame. Appear to be painted S-2's if so, they were added later as well. Good find!

It is what the guy told me, have no looked it up or anything. The serial number is H43261 8)
 
Re: Black 1951 Schwinn Ballooner Barn Find!

CCR said:
Could be a 40's bike, youve got the early style feather guard ... what size is the bike ?

26" Balloon
 
the serials are unknown before 48, just have to compare known models (catalogs / existing bikes). if the guy was going off the serial charts that number would match up with 51 if it was one # longer but it doesn't. plus the headbadge is older than 50's. I don't know if the crank would be stamped but that would be the first thing I would check for a year. It does look like some parts swapping was going on at some point but that's still a cool little bike
 
New to the big bikes but found this on a Date Code Chart online. Numbers on the frame H43261

1951 12/05 ------------------ H432235 --------------- H433570
 
CCR said:
the serials are unknown before 48, just have to compare known models (catalogs / existing bikes). if the guy was going off the serial charts that number would match up with 51 if it was one # longer but it doesn't. plus the headbadge is older than 50's. I don't know if the crank would be stamped but that would be the first thing I would check for a year. It does look like some parts swapping was going on at some point but that's still a cool little bike

I see! Your right it is missing a number. Hard to truly know what is changed when it has been over 60 years ago, lol It does have flat type s-2's on it. Any idea of value?
 
Yeah, that one extra number from the '51 era is a big difference.
I would have said '41 as well. I've known a handful of G, H, I '41 dated Schwinns and, other than the S-2s, it looks about right. Many prewar Schwinns had the year stamped into the crank.. looking at the picture, your crank looks like it could be newer.. worth a shot though and you can grease the BB while you're down there.
 
Great condition for a "barn" find...my book appears to date it to 01/29/1953...has the pre-war feather chaingaurd though & my book starts at 1948...P 8)
 
Cool, Thanks for the info.
 
Nice find! I love Schwinn's with original black paint. 8)

Your bike is a '41 D97X. Late '40, early '41 was the first year they used those graphics. The down tube on the '41 also has more curve to it than the '40 frame. The bird wing guards came out in '38 in chrome for the deluxe bikes and were used through '40. When the new deluxe guard came out in '41, they painted the bird wings and put them on the DX bikes...one year only...'41. I have a '41 BA-107 that is serial number H28926. Gary
 
Yeah, prewar frame for sure. Maybe the wheels and bars, etc. came from a 1951 doner bike.
I love it, I wouldn't do anything to it except regrease it and ride it.
Very nice score.
 
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