Ratty Schwinn Varsity - ID the seat?

[Toeslider]

Picked up this Schwinn Varsity today...need both hands to turn the bars.

Don't know if it's standard or not, but I thought the front hub looked kinda cool:

Can anyone tell what kind of seat this is? The clamp says Mesinger, but I don't think it is the original seat. In the embossing I can make out "Made in France", "39", and a name that looks to be N-U-?-E-N...anyone familiar with it?

 

[Toeslider]

From looking around the 'net, everything on it looks like an Ideale seat, but what is the big word embossed in it? Usually that would say "Ideale"?

 

[Wildcat]

Great find. That looks like a 65-66 Varsity. In coppertone to boot. Front hub looks original. The illustrations show a leather saddle like that one. Any 1960's 10 speed is cool. From the trfindley webpage:

 

[Metal Militia]

Looks like an early Varsity, mostly orignal, including the saddle I believe. Nice find.

 

[Toeslider]

From what I've been able to gather, the bike appears to be a 1966, and the seat is a Norex 39, which appears to be styled after the Ideale 39 and was sometimes found on older Peugot bikes. I didn't realize it was that old.

 

[MBblue6]

Stock seats on varsitys that I know of were Sprint leather Seats. Matt

 

[Wildcat]

And you have the fender equipped model also. I'd try to find a front fender and keep it stock. Check the serial number on the left dropout, it should start with 2 letters, then 5 numbers follow. The first letter is month, second letter is the year, beginning in 65. AA is Jan 65, AB Jan 66 and so forth.

On the seat, I think it is a replacement, the mounting hardware should hang down from the rails, not upward. That is "uncomfortable" the way it is.

 

[Kreep]

Is there a hole in the backside of the stem? facing the seat? Could be the AVA stem.
-kreep-

 

[Toeslider]

Is there a hole in the backside of the stem? facing the seat? Could be the AVA stem.
-kreep-

Yes, there is. I believe it has "Sprint" embossed in it.