Ratty Roadmaster and a couple of Schwinns

[Spokeshave]

I won this on ebay fairly cheap because of local pickup only. Beat old Cleveland Welding Roadmaster that was painted over and oddly enough received some nice old school pin striping. The top bearing cup is beat(anybody have one laying around PM me) and either the fork or fork tube is bent. I'm really stoked as this is my first skip tooth bike. I can't wait until it warms up to tear into it. Anybody have a ball park guess on what year it may be?
While picking it up the seller had two Varsities I needed like a hole in the head but he gave them to me for next to nothing. The orange '73 will be flipped but the "68 green one might hang around awhile. I have a soft spot for Schwinn lightweights. This makes number seven in my collection. :lol:
Thanks for looking,
Spokes

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Nice finds spokes, That red varsity looks minty compared to some others I have seen, little WD-40 and some OOO steel wool and it'd look new. The green one is a little ratty but still cool and the roadmaster is boss, I wonder if it would have had a tank.

 

[Road Master]

My estimate for the Roadmaster is 1937-39 (straight down tube). If you post the serial number Phil might see it and pin point the year more accurately.

 

[65rat]

That roadmaster is pretty sweat 8)

 

[Unchained]

The roadmaster is killer.

I love the old stripe. Is the lower cruiser bar rusted through? I just noticed a bad looking patch in your second picture, up towards where it meets the downtube.

My guess is that your front end issue is a bent fork / fork steer tube. I think it would take a LOT to ever bend the headtube of the frame itself, at least on something older and more rugged like this :mrgreen: With a little crude engineering I'm sure you can true whatever is actually bent.

SWEET BIKE.

Edit: What's the deal with the bracket under the downtube, right where it meets the headtube? I just noticed that.

 

[Spokeshave]

The roadmaster is killer.

I love the old stripe. Is the lower cruiser bar rusted through? I just noticed a bad looking patch in your second picture, up towards where it meets the downtube.

My guess is that your front end issue is a bent fork / fork steer tube. I think it would take a LOT to ever bend the headtube of the frame itself, at least on something older and more rugged like this :mrgreen: With a little crude engineering I'm sure you can true whatever is actually bent.

SWEET BIKE.

Edit: What's the deal with the bracket under the downtube, right where it meets the headtube? I just noticed that.

Yeah that's what meant by tube meaning fork steer tube. I 've only given it a quick once over due to the crumby weather but I think the fork itself is bent.
I'm not sure on the rust maybe I can get a better look when and if it ever stops sleeting here.I ran my thumbnail on the headtube and it looks like the original paint is lurking underneath . I'm torn between leaving the ancient repaint on or trying to strip it down to factory paint.
I have no idea what that bracket is.
Spokes

 

[Unchained]

The roadmaster is killer.

I love the old stripe. Is the lower cruiser bar rusted through? I just noticed a bad looking patch in your second picture, up towards where it meets the downtube.

My guess is that your front end issue is a bent fork / fork steer tube. I think it would take a LOT to ever bend the headtube of the frame itself, at least on something older and more rugged like this :mrgreen: With a little crude engineering I'm sure you can true whatever is actually bent.

SWEET BIKE.

Edit: What's the deal with the bracket under the downtube, right where it meets the headtube? I just noticed that.

Yeah that's what meant by tube meaning fork steer tube. I 've only given it a quick once over due to the crumby weather but I think the fork itself is bent.
I'm not sure on the rust maybe I can get a better look when and if it ever stops sleeting here.I ran my thumbnail on the headtube and it looks like the original paint is lurking underneath . I'm torn between leaving the ancient repaint on or trying to strip it down to factory paint.
I have no idea what that bracket is.
Spokes

Well if you do try to strip it, I found a seemingly great way to do it...

If you leave housepaint / spray bombed bike frames, forks, and parts in a tub of "Simple Green" cleaner, the crappy paint comes off as a sludge and floats to the surface in a few days time. The factory paint, which is much harder and of better quality, is not harmed in the least. If anything, it will benefit. Simple Green is an eco friendly, non-toxic cleaning solution which I trust for everything bike related. I wash bikes, greasy parts, everything. I was introduced to it by a machinist who cleans up a lot of his stuff with it. I just love the stuff. When it gets too gunked up to clean stuff with, I pour it into plastic jugs to clean frames with later. Even the gunky stuff will do wonders in a tub with a spray bombed / house painted frame. Any paint which didn't get taken off the factory paint ususally comes right off with a little scrubbing using a dish sponge or plastic bristled brushes.

$.02 :mrgreen: That said, I'd encourage you to leave this guy alone. It looks sweet as it sits!

 

[Spokeshave]

I hear you. Somebody put a lot of time and effort striping this thing decades ago.
I'm thinking of getting it road worthy mechanically and riding it as is.

 

[B607]

The green Varsity has a cable Master lock wrapped around the seat post. If you get the serial number off the back of the lock and go to a lock shop, they have a book with the serial numbers and can fix you up with the combination. Those cable locks were around in the 60's and 70's. Gary

 

[roadmaster]

sweet finds! the chainring on that roadmaster looks like a monark's though. and a few bonus schwinns are always nice, too.

 

[ratina]

sweet finds! the chainring on that roadmaster looks like a monark's though. and a few bonus schwinns are always nice, too.

Similar but its original

 

[Spokeshave]

Hey Ratina,
Any idea what that bracket on the down tube is?

 

[ratina]

No idea. I would remove it and see if there is any damage underneath.