CL find for a friend

[junkiestone]

Just picked this up for a co-worker. He found it on craigslist for 40 bucks. Wants to fix it up for his little girl.


I looked up the serial number and it matches May, 1958 but that doesn't make any sense. I don't think they put the numbers on the head tube till the 70's. I was thinking it was an early 70's and the forks had been changed but maybe they are original from the 80's. Can anyone help me ID the date of manufacture? E507528

 

[junkiestone]

I think I just figured it out. There is a 4 digit number stamped on the headbadge, ('1625') which is the 162nd day of 1985. That makes it June 11, 1985.

 

[ozzynut2]

Lots of parts that are not correct on that bike. The serial number should have two letters. The fenders are 75,76, or 77. It looks like the forks are BMX. Seat is correct. Handle bar grips are wrong. Has been spray bombed also. Wheels are not correct as Schwinn wheels would be S-7 and those Mongoose Tires would not fit.

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

I think those are exercise bike handlebars. They appear to be flat, no angled pull-back at the grips.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Plenty of potential there though, good to see a kid these days getting a bike with history!

Luke.

 

[CRASH]

What's his plan? If he wants to restore it to an original Schwinn, he needs to start over. Too much "wrong" with that one. If he just wants an old looking bike for her to get around on the cheap, that's not bad and has some flare. He could spray bomb it and make it "cute" for her, and there you go.

 

[ChicagoMuscle Guy]

Ok, First let me say nice find, lots of potential. $40 no bad for a older girls rider. The serial number thing has me stumped as you are correct they started putting them on the headtube in 1970, by then the second letter was F so E would mean 69 and then the number should have not been there unless it was some weird factory fluke at the end of 69. The first letter may have been sanded off or filled with paint, when it was repainted.

It could be an 80's bike as a lot of strange things were going on then. I have a 83 Lil Chik with a KU serial number but according to the catalogs and the serial number guides it never existed, the forks on your bike are 80's forks I have seen them on the late production bikes 83, 84 etc. The bars are not correct but I believe everything else is, these bikes may have been sold at department stores, I don't know but they exist. I have seen them before just like yours as Lil Chik's and Fair Lady's. Also another note to this is these bikes did not have the typical S-7 Rim configuration, all the ones I have seen had regular 20" rims that could hold the standard 1.75 tire or a 2.125 tire, the rims were smooth and there was no knurling. Fenders, Chaingaurd, Neck, Seat, etc all tie out to this type of bike.

Here is a picture of my Lil Chik,

 

[junkiestone]

Pretty sure it's "Post Chicago"... Probably a Taiwan Schwinn. the number on the badge makes me think 1985 which would make it pretty much stock other than the ugly bars and tires etc. (and good call on the exercise bike thing). I think they quit making the tubular (S-7) rims around '82 or so. Right?

Oh well at 40 bucks, I guess you can't go wrong. His girl wants a pink bike so I think he's just gonna rattle-can it, get some new bars and call it good.