1961 Coppertone Schwinn Continental

[Metacortex]

Interesting, so exactly what was the progression of changes on these early Allvit derailleurs? Do you believe the one on Cody's bike as well as the '62 Varsity from BBC are original? I noted one change where the Allvit name on the "arrow" was reversed:

 

[GTs58]

That picture sure looks like it's Jeff's, (Pedalsnostalgia) when he was fixing up his 61 Corvette 5. What was reversed is the word Allvit on the arrow, not the arrow itself.

 

[GTs58]

There is no putting faith in a diagram's date. Here is a diagram of the very first 1961 style Allvit outer cage housing with the 1966 issued Jockey Wheels and Jockey Cage. The 66 issue also had plastic wheels where this drawing appears to have all metal jockey wheels. Too funny.

 

[schwinnman67]

Nice Find!!

 

[Schwinn499]

Thanks for the nice comments guys. Ive been really lucky this year so far and have aquired some really nice bikes the last few months. Hope it keeps up, but have to let some bikes go here pretty soon. Ive revamped the garage 2 or 3 times now to make stuff fit but its just getting too much. Im nearing the 30 mark here pretty soon if this luck keeps up.

So far this year ive found 4 complete or nearly complete originals which is what ive told myself I was going pursue from here on out... no more incomplete "project" bikes...they just ever materialize if I have a minty original to work on.

'75 sky blue sports tourer
'70 sky blue super sport
'72 opaque green sports tourer
'61 coppertone continental

All in 3 months..

I cant recall exactly off the top of my head but it is a mid year serial from what remember.

 

[schwinnman67]

Thanks for the nice comments guys. Ive been really lucky this year so far and have aquired some really nice bikes the last few months. Hope it keeps up, but have to let some bikes go here pretty soon. Ive revamped the garage 2 or 3 times now to make stuff fit but its just getting too much. Im nearing the 30 mark here pretty soon if this luck keeps up.

So far this year ive found 4 complete or nearly complete originals which is what ive told myself I was going pursue from here on out... no more incomplete "project" bikes...they just ever materialize if I have a minty original to work on.

'75 sky blue sports tourer
'70 sky blue super sport
'72 opaque green sports tourer
'61 coppertone continental

All in 3 months..

I cant recall exactly off the top of my head but it is a mid year serial from what remember.

You sound like me.... I have a lot in the works also, but have sidelined a few to get a midweight done (66 Miss Teen) for my new lady.

Here's the project list right now

1966 Miss Teen
1966 Super Sport
1970 Super Sport
1964 Super Sport
1962 Racer (Rat Racer II)
1980 Continental


Can't wait to see some of yours get finished.

 

[Schwinn499]

F1, so June of '61

The frame is 23" seat tube center to top. Learn something new everyday.

 

[Metacortex]

F1, so June of '61

The frame is 23" seat tube center to top. Learn something new everyday.

Thanks, so that means Schwinn built 23" frames up through '70 but for '71 and later they were redesigned as 24". The other sizes were always 20" and 22" even though for '70 and earlier they were listed as 19" and 21".

 

[Schwinn499]

I started poking around the garage looking for a project to start for myself now that I finished that Paramount. I have a choice between a few but I pulled this one down just to refresh my memory of what would be entailed in getting this beauty rolling. I started playing with the paint and decals a little bit, and cleaning up some of the chrome just to see how well things will clean up. It took a while because you have to be very gentle, but seat tube decal cleaned up near perfect. The blue and red surprise me, they are usually the first colors to go either by fading or rubbing off. It looks like the rest of the decals, pins, and paint will clean up very good as well. The only real plating issuses I see is the shifter hardware, its pretty shot, but luckily I do have some of those in the parts bin. Not sure its gonna be the next one up yet, I have a couple other really clean bikes that will just be a quick clean and overhaul so I might crank one of those out first, but I thought id share the update either way.

 

[Eric Amlie]

What do you use to clean up the decals?