Speedster Turned into an Entire Load... + a Behive!

[Green P1]

I've wanted a CamelBack Schwinn for the longest time... so when this yellow Speedster popped up on Craigslist for a decent price I had to jump all over it.
Cables are missing, front brakes are gone, and it's got a too fat set of Schwinn ballooners on it but I'm in love with it all ready.

When I got there he asked if I'd be interested in a rideable Racer... I wasn't really interested at the price but then he said he had a crusty Higgins he'd throw in for free. Sold.

The Racer seems like its almost all there and original... outside of the handlebars and mismatched pedals.

The Higgins is 100% rusted solid and soaking in penetrating oil right now.

Then as I was leaving he threw in a sets of old white walls... I won't use them but took them just the same. They're actually in pretty nice useable shape.

Schwinn Studded Baloons

Now I need someone to tell me how to read these serial #s...
Not a bad haul considering I didn't really want anything but the Speedster!

 

[ohdeebee]

Re: Schwinn Speedster Turned into an Entire Load today...

The handlebars on the racer don't look original but are probably a nice upgrade actually. Clean looking bike as well!

 

[Jpromo]

Re: Schwinn Speedster Turned into an Entire Load today...

Schwinn serials are all over the web. Speedster looks early-mid 70s, Racer looks late 60s but you can date them for sure with the serials here: http://www.angelfire.com/rant/allday101/SchwinnCodes1.html/

The Higgins is a Monark-built bicycle. Most Sears bicycles were built by Murray of Ohio supply but the Murray factory went on strike around 1956. Thus, they were supplied by Monark as well as a German supplier for a year or so.

If you've got no interest in the Studded balloons, I've actually been looking for a pair to sport on a Schwinn ballooner of mine. I'd be interested in purchasing!

 

[dragnusa]

Re: Schwinn Speedster Turned into an Entire Load today...

I personally would have popped on the higgins before the other two.

 

[Green P1]

Re: Schwinn Speedster Turned into an Entire Load today...

I'm probably just as happy with the Higgins as the Speedester. I've wanted a men's Higgins to go with the woman's ColorFlow I restored for my girlfriend for quite a while. When he first told me he had a "crusty Higgins" he'd throw in I just assumed it was a frozen up old lady's ride.
Couple more pics:

The weld at the BB and seat tube has me a little worried because I wasn't wanting to disturb the patina with any grinding or welding... but I'll take a better look at it after I get everything loosened up and taken apart.

 

[Green Dragon]

Re: Schwinn Speedster Turned into an Entire Load today...

ALL nice, congrats.

love the old 'turn the bent fork around' trick on the HIggins.

 

[Green P1]

Re: Schwinn Speedster Turned into an Entire Load today...

Did a little searching on serial numbers.
Speedster: Kh075822
Racer: Aa16941

From what I can gather the speedster is from 1972 and the racer 1965.

Only problem is a look at Schwinn catalogs from 1972 tells me that the speedster didn't come in yellow in 1972? Am I doing something wrong?

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Re: Schwinn Speedster Turned into an Entire Load today...

Cool finds!

 

[Green P1]

Re: Schwinn Speedster Turned into an Entire Load today...

Got the Higgins sorted through and in ride able shape over the weekend. After a 48 hour oil bath the only part to really fight me was the wedge bold... a mini sledge, the biggest screwdriver I could find, and about 10 minutes of pounding was all it took. I replaced the bearings and cups in the bottom bracket and wanted to do the same with the steering tube but I soon realized it was a larger diameter than anything I had on hand.. The bearing cages were structurally intact so I smoothed as much rust away as possible and filled them with fresh bearings. The cups were rough too but I smoothed them up best I could, over packed everything with grease, and re-assembled. She spins nice and easy... if not quite smooth.

Also moved the wheels and tires that had been on the Speedster over to the Higgins. They fit this bike much much better.

I guess I'd never ridden a bike with bent forks... what a pig! The legs are bent unevenly it seems because the thing defiantly wants to veer to the right.

I'm dreaming of a bee hive to match the ColorFlow I restored for my girlfriend... but until then I'm definitely going to have to try and figure out how to straighten these if I want to ride this thing.

 

[Pappy]

Re: Schwinn Speedster Turned into an Entire Load today...

According to my resources your Higgins is a Monark built in 1949...thought you'd like to know...Pappy 8)

 

[Green P1]

Re: Schwinn Speedster Turned into an Entire Load today...

According to my resources your Higgins is a Monark built in 1949...thought you'd like to know...Pappy 8)

That's awesome info! How did you come up with that? I spent the better part of the day looking around on the Internet trying to figure that out!

 

[jats]

Re: Schwinn Speedster Turned into an Entire Load today...

Did a little searching on serial numbers.
Speedster: Kh075822
Racer: Aa16941

From what I can gather the speedster is from 1972 and the racer 1965.

Only problem is a look at Schwinn catalogs from 1972 tells me that the speedster didn't come in yellow in 1972? Am I doing something wrong?

maybe not, was told once by a Schwinn dealer that they carried over frames some times from 1 year to the next.

Troy

 

[Green P1]

Re: Schwinn Speedster Turned into an Entire Load today...

Today I was lucky enough to find one of these to go with my Higgins:

Its not the one I'd wanted with the little truss rods.... but beggars cant be choosers.

 

[Green P1]

Re: Schwinn Speedster Turned into an Entire Load today...

The Beehive arrived yesterday. It looks like I'll have to shorten the tube a little bit for it to fit... but I think I've settled on the Higgins as my build-off bike.

We're soon to be a two Beehive family... no plans to make mine as pretty as the one I did for the girlfriend though... she'd never stand for that.

 

[jats]

:lol: good thinking