Schwinn Deluxe Cruiser

[frankthetank62]

I pulled my grandpa's old Schwinn Deluxe Cruiser out of the barn where it sat for at least the last ten years and spruced it up last weekend. My grandpa bought it new but I do not know what vintage it is. I am assuming that it is not very old based on the pedals and reflectors but if anyone knows about what year it is I would appreciate any info on it.

After about a half hour of scrubbing with a SOS pad and a quick wash, the bike cleaned up pretty well! The tires are shot but I picked up a new set today and I will update with more pictures once they are mounted. I also mounted the headlight I had for it and I am currently looking for a taillight that I like. I will run the wiring and mount the generator for the lights as soon as I get a taillight. Other than that I plan on keeping the bike clean and simple and to start cruisin!

After I pulled it out of the barn and aired up the tires:

Cleaned up:

Headlight installed:

 

[Wildcat]

It's looking good. There should be a serial number on the left dropout by the rear axle. It looks like a Chicago made Schwinn. I'll guess 1978.

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Wow, that's like new! Great looking bike :wink:

 

[Carbon]

Sweet! That thing really shined up, got yourself a nice rider there.

 

[sleepy]

Very nice transformation! 8) Looks like a keeper!

How did you mount your headlight?

 

[chiwawa]

I dig the gold headlight. Is the lens gold or is it the reflector?
I'm thinking of gold leafing the reflector in the headlight I have for my project.
I tried gold paint and it just isn't shiny enough.

 

[Quanah]

Really nice! I like the high flange front hub, looks like the ones Schwinn used on their Scrambler. Graphics are beautiful! 8)

 

[Night Watch]

That is a beautiful bike!

 

[frankthetank62]

Thanks everyone! The headlight is just an amber fog light I picked up at a swap meet and I utilized the mounting bracket on the light to mount it to the stem. The light is a 6 volt and I tested it before I put it on the bike and it should light up as soon as I get the generator on. The lens is amber not the reflector.

 

[subi4life]

Awesome bike!!! Great work!

 

[frankthetank62]

After some research I determined that the bike was built in Chicago in March of 1980. I found this website to be pretty handy for decoding the serial number: http://oldroads.com/sh_sn.asp

 

[frankthetank62]

This was another good website for decoding serial numbers:
http://re-cycle.com/History/schwinn/SwnB_Serial.aspx

 

[Wildcat]

The price list from 1980 shows it going for $206.95. The illustration doesn't show fenders, so maybe it cost more than that.

 

[Rat Rod]

Great job!

That bike is probably worth $300-$600 on Ebay. :wink:

 

[frankthetank62]

Thanks Wildcat that classic add is pretty cool! It is also good to know that the bike is worth a little bit but it isn't going anywhere since it is one of the few things I have from my grandpa.

 

[frankthetank62]

So I got the new tires mounted up. I originally was trying to find a set that were similar to what was original to the bike but I was having trouble finding anything with the same tread pattern in a gumwall. Then I stumbled upon these Bell Streamliner tires and instantly knew that they were the right choice!

Also a better picture of how I mounted the headlight.

 

[kingsting]

I've been waiting to see a set of those Bell tires mounted up. Looks good! 8)

That cruiser is a pretty rare bird. One year only model, I believe.