Schwinn Varsity Party Bike

[Jude Ephesus]

This late 1980's Marin was from the backyard haul I had last Summer. The paint looked like chalk until some Meguiars liquid cleaner wax was applied two times with a metric ton of elbow grease yesterday. If working on something closer to show quality, I finish up with Harly brand paste wax.

View attachment 197622

Ha! Looks awesome: anything baby blue, I’m all in on!!!

For this project, i traded elbow grease and pressure for chemicals and abrasives. I’m curious to see how the varsity paint comes out.

what specific model was that bike? I have a buddy that had a black Marin road bike….. there was a lot of technology on that thing for a very fair price….. and he bought it new.

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

what specific model was that bike? I have a buddy that had a black Marin road bike….. there was a lot of technology on that thing for a very fair price….. and he bought it new.

I'm not sure and my guess is that it's a 1986 or 1987 Muirwoods,. There is no serial number and appears to be Giant Taiwan fabricated.

 

[Jude Ephesus]

Ok, had some free time tonight so I thought I’d get after the rain dance on the varsity!

As I klunked around looking for wax, I stumbled across a headlight restorer kit I had purchased and never used.

It was super cool actually: all sorts of chemicals, sanders and buffers in there that are basically bike size!!!!

 

[Jude Ephesus]

I’d done such a good job rubbing the wax into the finish and globbed it on so thick, the buffer could not be used until the end, after all the heavy wax was removed

 

[Jude Ephesus]

I pulled 99% of the wax off with a rag, then hit it with the buffer.

I’m pleased with the outcome. The paint was pretty wasted.

I’m most pleased and I moved the bike inside to try to show, but the paint actually has some depth to it and is almost putting off a glow.

The pictures don’t do it justice.

I’m sure not like factory new, but a pretty decent shine on a finish that’s 61 years old.

 

[Jude Ephesus]

Close before and after

 

[Jude Ephesus]

 

[Captain Awesome]

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

Ok, had some free time tonight so I thought I’d get after the rain dance on the varsity!

As I klunked around looking for wax, I stumbled across a headlight restorer kit I had purchased and never used.

It was super cool actually: all sorts of chemicals, sanders and buffers in there that are basically bike size!!!!
View attachment 197788
View attachment 197789

Thank you!

 

[kingfish254]

That's purdy now! Nice Mr. Myagi work!
That UHaul bike is pretty cool too. Never heard of those.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

More on that...
https://ratrodbikes.com/forum/threads/u-haul.112833/

 

[Jude Ephesus]

That's purdy now! Nice Mr. Myagi work!
That UHaul bike is pretty cool too. Never heard of those.

Thanks! I hadn’t seen one either until 500 bike Bruce showed up with it!

im stoked on the varsity…. Nothing quite like shiny patina!

 

[Jude Ephesus]

$20!!

-it’s a little tall for me

About an hour and a half of scrubbing

I‘ll tune and lube it tomorrow

-built August 1971

 

[Jude Ephesus]

It has this funky odometer on it!

-never seen one of these before!

 

[Tallbikeman]

View attachment 197806View attachment 197807

Really nice job on such old paint. Schwinn paint is fairly tough but year after year of being ridden is tougher. This is a really cool early Varsity.

 

[Tallbikeman]

$20!!

-it’s a little tall for me

About an hour and a half of scrubbing

I‘ll tune and lube it tomorrow

-built August 1971
View attachment 198103View attachment 198104

Good looking Varsity. This looks like a 24" frame. They made 23" frames also. One or the other. I always like the upright position with fenders. Good durable, reliable bicycles.

 

[Tallbikeman]

It has this funky odometer on it!

-never seen one of these before!
View attachment 198105

I've used these a lot. After a certain length of time they sometimes locked up and when that trigger came around interesting things happened. I just noticed that they used the Continental style fork on this model. I always liked the forged blade fork better because it is stronger. I bent a leg on one of these forks trying to ride up a small ledge where the asphalt ended and dirt began. The leg nearest the asphalt bent up, front wheel hit side of fork and stopped turning, I ended up sliding along half on the asphalt and half on the dirt. I was about 16 at the time.

 

[Wildcat]

It has this funky odometer on it!

-never seen one of these before!
View attachment 198105

We all got one of those odometers for our bikes back in the early 70's.

 

[Jude Ephesus]

Really nice job on such old paint. Schwinn paint is fairly tough but year after year of being ridden is tougher. This is a really cool early Varsity.

Thanks!

 

[Jude Ephesus]

We all got one of those odometers for our bikes back in the early 70's.

@Tallbikeman and @Wildcat : I’m not sure the odometer is hooked up right, but it looks ok: the thing makes a pretty loud knock every time the wheel makes a revolution!!!!

I get it it’s a mechanical counter, and I get the design concept, but man! That knocking drives me crazy!