1950 Cantilever Frame??

I took this orphan in recently and before I get an email box full of people telling me all the parts that are incorrect, let me just say I KNOW! Wrong fenders, wheels, seat etc. It is what it is, I just don't know what it is. Here is what I do know the numbers on the bottom bracket are G387098

If I am reading things right that makes the frame a 1950 and more specifically from 10/13 (Friday the 13th just before Halloween OOOOOOOOHHH)

What I don't know is if there is a what to tell which model it is. Is it a B4, or a Phantom or better yet? Is there anyway to tell, and if not does it really matter value wise or to someone looking to do a restoration?


Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Check inside the bottom bracket or head tube for signs of the original paint.most likely a B6 or possibly a phantom frame.

From looking at the 1950 catalog online it appears that it is either a B4, B6 or B17. Did these come in model-specific colors? and if so what were they?

I would guess a B4 with what's still attached to the bike.

I am not convinced that anything still attached to the bike is original to it. Possibly the stem, bars and seat post but I wouldn't bet on it. Would the fork on the B4 have had removable brackets for truss rods, or would they have been built into the fork? Also I think the chain ring is probably from a later bike. Anybody know how many teeth it should have? I will be taking it apart in the next day or two to see if I can figure out an original paint color.

I took the fork off today and it revealed a white paint. Probably too white to be original Schwinn paint but the threads are red. Does the red color narrow down which of the three models it could have been or rule any out?

If you're trying to identify the frame and think all the parts might be swapped or not original,the head tube of the frame itself is where you want to look for original paint.or the bottom bracket.

I have not looked into the bottom bracket yet but I did look inside the head tube. Pretty dark and greasy in there. Would it be painted evenly inside there or just overspray around the top and bottom of the tube? If there is any color in there it is black.