# 1964 Schwinn Continental Restoration.



## BillRays (Jul 15, 2019)

Hello, and thanks for the add. I've had a Schwinn 1964 Continental since it was brand new and I was eight years old, and it has sat in a garage attic for the last 35 years with the idea I would someday get around to at least rehabbing it. I was only thinking rehab and not a full restoration because I never thought I could find original decals and paint for the bike. Of course, with ebay, I found the original decals for both the down tube and bottom tube. I have also found paint from KOOLSTUFF.COM that is Schwinn approved paint for the original Stingray bikes. My Continental paint is "Radiant Coppertone", and the Stingray paint is "Coppertone". There is a difference, but the paint is close. My question is: Can I find the original Radiant Coppertone paint? If not, should I go with the new paint anyway, knowing it's not exact, and I would lose the nice patina most of the original paint is showing after 55 years, even though there are several rough areas on the bike? Thanks for your interest.


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## stoney (Jul 15, 2019)

Good day and welcome. We would love to see pics of your 1 owner 1964 Continental. There is some good following of those bikes here. You will get some good useful info. Some of us like restorations and some of us like original. Lets see what ya got.


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## BillRays (Jul 15, 2019)

stoney said:


> Good day and welcome. We would love to see pics of your 1 owner 1964 Continental. There is some good following of those bikes here. You will get some good useful info. Some of us like restorations and some of us like original. Lets see what ya got.



Thanks for the interest, Stoney. Here's a few photos, more to follow.


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## stoney (Jul 15, 2019)

I can already tell you right now, clean it, leave original finishes, service it, and love it. My opinion.


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## BillRays (Jul 15, 2019)

stoney said:


> I can already tell you right now, clean it, leave original finishes, service it, and love it. My opinion.



Would you change the decals, which I have?


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## stoney (Jul 15, 2019)

No,  they may look a little out of place


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## Sven (Jul 15, 2019)

Im with @stoney , that frame is nice as well as the decals. No paint or decals needed there.   I 'd wash it and put some cleaner wax on it. Polish up your chrome and other bare metal. Service everything, get  new tires, tubes and rim strips, brake shoes, maybe brake and shifter cables.......
Ride and enjoy...go tract down the sex pot in the yellow shorts you got pictured..lol.
Would like to see some progress pics.


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## stoney (Jul 15, 2019)

As far as the decals. If they have yellowed. I have mentioned this a few times in the past. I have sprayed Windex on a clean white towel and gently wipe the decals over and over, they do go back to white.


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## BillRays (Jul 15, 2019)

Thanks for the input, guys. A few more cleaning pics.


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## GTs58 (Jul 15, 2019)

I'm pretty much with the rest of the guys on just cleaning it up. And I'm somewhat in shock to see the old 1963 Atom 14-28 two prong freewheel on that puppy. 1964 was all Sprint stamped. You do have the 64 red button quick release brake levers and riveted Sprint tag on the rear derailleur though. I have a 1964 and 62 Continental and a 65 Varsity in Coppertone and the paint is definitely not the same color on any of the three. Not sure what year Pete had that Sting Ray Coppertone paint matched to but there were slight changes over the years.


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## Eric Amlie (Jul 16, 2019)

I remember reading somewhere that at some point, Schwinn started putting gold flecks into their radiant paints which changed the appearance slightly. I'm thinking it was 1967, but don't quote me on it.
The color on the radiant paints also varies with how thickly it's applied. It keeps getting darker with additional coats. That may account for the variation that GTs58 speaks of.
This is the first I've heard of a difference between Coppertone and Radiant Coppertone.


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## rollfaster (Jul 16, 2019)

Please don’t repaint, although it is your bike to do what you desire. So much nice original paint there, you’ll be surprised on how it’ll clean up.


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## rollfaster (Jul 16, 2019)

Nice job on the chrome by the way.


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## BillRays (Jul 16, 2019)

GTs58 said:


> I'm pretty much with the rest of the guys on just cleaning it up. And I'm somewhat in shock to see the old 1963 Atom 14-28 two prong freewheel on that puppy. 1964 was all Sprint stamped. You do have the 64 red button quick release brake levers and riveted Sprint tag on the rear derailleur though. I have a 1964 and 62 Continental and a 65 Varsity in Coppertone and the paint is definitely not the same color on any of the three. Not sure what year Pete had that Sting Ray Coppertone paint matched to but there were slight changes over the years.



Thanks for the interest GTs58. Your collection sounds very nice. So the paint is a big question. The only Schwinn approved paint I could find is for the Stingray called Coppertone. My Continental paint is Radiant Coppertone. There is a difference, as the Coppertone seems to have more of a yellowish hue, while the Radiant Coppertone looks darker and burnished. I'm definitely leaning towards just cleaning and polishing it up nicely. Looking a lot better already. One question I have for you is: The seat post is a European style post with an internal wedge, not the American style with the external, angled wedge, which seems odd.  Any thoughts on that?


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## GTs58 (Jul 16, 2019)

BillRays said:


> Thanks for the interest GTs58. Your collection sounds very nice. So the paint is a big question. The only Schwinn approved paint I could find is for the Stingray called Coppertone. My Continental paint is Radiant Coppertone. There is a difference, as the Coppertone seems to have more of a yellowish hue, while the Radiant Coppertone looks darker and burnished. I'm definitely leaning towards just cleaning and polishing it up nicely. Looking a lot better already. One question I have for you is: The seat post is a European style post with an internal wedge, not the American style with the external, angled wedge, which seems odd.  Any thoughts on that?




The 64 Sting Rays and all the other Coppertone bikes including the Continental and Varsity that year were painted in Radiant Coppertone. The name Radiant was used until 1967 when they called it just Coppertone. In your other thread I said I'd be interested in what year color Coppertone Pete used to formulate that Sting Ray Coppertone. A buddy from the Schwinn forum restored a rare, only one known to exist, 1963 Corvette 5 speed and he used that Sting Ray Coppertone on his Corvette.  










Here's link to his thread here on the Cabe.     https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/coppertone-corvette-5-speed-1963.144374/ 

My 64 Continental looks closer to my 62 Continental and way off next to my 65 Varsity. The 65 is more goldish and less copperish.  





65 Varsity




To answer your question on the seat post, all my bikes have the regular ole chromed post that cinched by the clamp on the seat tube. I have never seen one of these Schwinns with a wedged seat post.


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## rollfaster (Jul 17, 2019)

63 Continental Tourist for reference. Frame is stamped 11-22-63.


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## rollfaster (Jul 17, 2019)

My buddy’s 60 Continental with suicide shifter.


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## vincev (Jul 17, 2019)

One of the greatest colors Schwinn had.


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## BillRays (Jul 17, 2019)

GTs58 said:


> The 64 Sting Rays and all the other Coppertone bikes including the Continental and Varsity that year were painted in Radiant Coppertone. The name Radiant was used until 1967 when they called it just Coppertone. In your other thread I said I'd be interested in what year color Coppertone Pete used to formulate that Sting Ray Coppertone. A buddy from the Schwinn forum restored a rare, only one known to exist, 1963 Corvette 5 speed and he used that Sting Ray Coppertone on his Corvette.
> 
> View attachment 1031460
> 
> ...



Beautiful bikes! And that color is my favorite. I'm sorry, I got my question wrong. It's the handlebar stem that has the European wedge, not the seat post. The seat post is as you describe, with no wedge.


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## schwinnbikebobb (Jul 17, 2019)

I always thought Coppertone was all the same but the color changed from the original candy to almost a orangy  color depending on how much sun exposure it had.  Never had any luck getting it back to the candy look if it had went to the orange look. Or maybe it was a different shade which would explain that.


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