Fixing up a Schwinn

[Bikenutscott]

I got a Schwinn really cheap since it was painted all gold for a parade. I am trying to take a little time restoring it. I would like to identify it as well. I managed to not get too impatient and see if there was anything hiding under the gold paint on the chain guard. I managed to get the following pictures. The frame ID number is HA103915. One identifier said it is a 1965, but the rims are steel and made in Taiwan with heavy duty spokes.

Closest chain guard I could find is a cruiser/spitfire, but I couldn't find any with this color or paint style. Ideas? Thanks BikenutScott

 

[Wildcat]

That's a frame made in Oct 1965.
That's a later model lettering and may have been added along with the wheels. Some pics of the whole bike is needed.

 

[rickpaulos]

I've seen many Schwinn middleweights with non-oem wheels. The 26 x 3/4 S6 tires weren't always available or the price was too high for the owner so they would swap for S2 wheels in the now industry standard 26 x 1.nn or 2.nn. The tire size is usually molded into the tire sidewall or printed on. Newer tires would have the ISO size: 559 for S2, 597 for S6.

Schwinn used "heavy duty" spokes and rims on the Heavy Duti, the Twinn tandems and the older Town & Country tandems. "Heavy duty" is a relative term. They are typically thicker than 14g (.080") in several sizes up to 0.120". You could measure the spoke diameter. Schwinn used Bendix coaster brake 1 speed hubs in the 1960s.

 

[musclebikemadman]

I got a Schwinn really cheap since it was painted all gold for a parade. I am trying to take a little time restoring it. I would like to identify it as well. I managed to not get too impatient and see if there was anything hiding under the gold paint on the chain guard. I managed to get the following pictures. The frame ID number is HA103915. One identifier said it is a 1965, but the rims are steel and made in Taiwan with heavy duty spokes.

Closest chain guard I could find is a cruiser/spitfire, but I couldn't find any with this color or paint style. Ideas? Thanks BikenutScott

That guard is off a Cruiser made after the Chicago plant closed down in 1982. It is not a 1965 guard thought it may fit.

 

[DesmoDog]

Between the guard and the wheels I'd be skeptical that the frame is an old school Chicago Schwinn frame.

I seem to recall that later "Schwinns" had serial numbers that confused the Schwinn date decoder schemes. What does the fork look like and where is the serial number?

For reference, here is a picture of an '89 Schwinn Cruiser. I'm going to bet your fork looks the same? Also, the tag on the front used to have four digits stamped in it, you can find the year from that.