# Vintage 1978 KLUNKER 5



## Xlobsterman (Jul 7, 2019)

So in my quest to find a Cruiser bike from the old Schwinn shop I worked at back in the day in Manhattan Beach California, I finally found this KLUNKER 5 from Aviation Cyclery in Kansas of all places........LOL You have to love the power of the WWW for this type of stuff.

The bike is pretty thrashed, and not in the condition that I normally buy bikes in. But the chances of finding a bike I built 40 years ago in California, when I am now living in the North East is pretty slim, let alone finding one of the rarest Cruiser bikes from that era a KLUNKER 5. 

The bike is now striped down to the frame, and I need to start sourcing some parts to bring it back to life again.

The bike is missing the original front wheel, does anyone have a complete front wheel from a 78 or 79 Spitfire they would want to sell????

Here are a few pics:


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## sarmisluters (Jul 7, 2019)

Great find with the bike shop decal !

I knew Karl who owned that shop and Beach Cities Cycles before he moved to Australia. 
I am also in the hunt for bikes with local shop decals such as yours. 
Thanks for sharing your find. 

sarmis luters


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 7, 2019)

sarmisluters said:


> Great find with the bike shop decal !
> 
> I knew Karl who owned that shop and Beach Cities Cycles before he moved to Australia.
> I am also in the hunt for bikes with local shop decals such as yours.
> ...




I worked for the original owner of the shop from 77 to 82. He sold the shop in 82, and it went through a few owners after that, and closed for good in October 2017 after 50+ years in business.

https://www.hermosacyclery.com/aviation-cyclery/


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## PCHiggin (Jul 7, 2019)

Cool bike,lose the fenders


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## hm. (Jul 7, 2019)

78 Klunker 5.. NICE!!! congrats on your great find!
Have the same decal from Aviation Cyclery on my 81 Cruiser 5 project that I found up in Acton


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## PCHiggin (Jul 7, 2019)

I have a Schwinn Twinn from '78. It had a sticker from a local bike shop in  Mount Clemens Mi. I just went to snap a pic and noticed the sticker is gone. Only thing left is the glue. It must have fallen off last time we rode it last summer. Oh well,all of the old Schwinn shops are history now.


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## GTs58 (Jul 7, 2019)

Congrats on finding your piece of history! And a Klunker 5 to boot. The spokes do look like 105's on the front wheel in the pictures, what makes it not original?


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 7, 2019)

GTs58 said:


> Congrats on finding your piece of history! And a Klunker 5 to boot. The spokes do look like 105's on the front wheel in the pictures, what makes it not original?




Yes, it looked like the correct wheel in the pic, that is why I didn't give it a second guess. But when I got it yesterday it was a cheap ass 26x1.75 rim, 80ga spokes, and cheap steel small flange hub.


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 7, 2019)

PCHiggin said:


> Cool bike,lose the fenders




YEP, I had no intention on keeping those fenders on the bike.


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 7, 2019)

hm. said:


> 78 Klunker 5.. NICE!!! congrats on your great find!
> Have the same decal from Aviation Cyclery on my 81 Cruiser 5 project that I found up in Acton
> 
> View attachment 1026867




Yea, I am sure there are still a few around in California. We sold lots of them back in the day. Please let me know if you ever want to sell that bike? Chances are I assembled it when it came out of the box!


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## hm. (Jul 7, 2019)

Xlobsterman said:


> Yea, I am sure there are still a few around in California. We sold lots of them back in the day. Please let me know if you ever want to sell that bike? Chances are I assembled it when it came out of the box!




 I had a couple nice 81s.. but sold them to friends. This red one is currently my only 81..and im still looking for a few missing parts to complete the bike. I may sell if I can replace it with another..


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## bobcycles (Jul 7, 2019)

Might want to leave that one original paint... the chain guard decal is a big deal as far as originality 
on those Klunkers...when its' gone it's gone..
Although at least you can document the restoration if you go that far


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 7, 2019)

bobcycles said:


> Might want to leave that one original paint... the chain guard decal is a big deal as far as originality
> on those Klunkers...when its' gone it's gone..
> Although at least you can document the restoration if you go that far




It is staying all original, as the imperfections in the paint give it character as to what it has been through in its life. I would like to know the story of how it got to Kansas from California though.

It has already been stripped down to the bare frame, and is starting to go back together.


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## GTs58 (Jul 7, 2019)

I picked up a Black Arizona sun beaten Spitfire 5 years ago and the chain guard screening was wearing pretty thin. The top tube decals were all but gone and I was afraid to clean the chain guard in fear of losing all the screening. Decided to preserve what was there so I cleaned the paint up around the screening and then wiped the screening very very gently with some large cotton balls saturated with rubbing alcohol. Then I cleared coated it! This was at the time before Dan, bicyclebones, had the top tube decals. I sent him a message when I was working on that bike asking if he would reproduce these decals and quite a few months later he did. Dan has those now if you decide you want to install new "Schwinn" decals.


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 7, 2019)

GTs58 said:


> I picked up a Black Arizona sun beaten Spitfire 5 years ago and the chain guard screening was wearing pretty thin. The top tube decals were all but gone and I was afraid to clean the chain guard in fear of losing all the screening. Decided to preserve what was there so I cleaned the paint up around the screening and then wiped the screening very very gently with some large cotton balls saturated with rubbing alcohol. Then I cleared coated it! This was at the time before Dan, bicyclebones, had the top tube decals. I sent him a message when I was working on that bike asking if he would reproduce these decals and quite a few months later he did. Dan has those now if you decide you want to install new "Schwinn" decals.




The paint is too dinged up for new decals! Plus I am an all original, as found kinda guy, so it is going to stay just as I got it except for a good cleansing and lube job. The only parts that are going to be new is a shift cable, rear brake cable, cable clamps, and new studded blackwall tires.


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## sarmisluters (Jul 7, 2019)

Xlobsterman said:


> It is staying all original, as the imperfections in the paint give it character as to what it has been through in its life. I would like to know the story of how it got to Kentucky from California though.
> 
> It has already been stripped down to the bare frame, and is starting to go back together.
> 
> ...




In your initial post you said you got it in Kansas, and now it’s Kentucky ?


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 7, 2019)

sarmisluters said:


> In your initial post you said you got it in Kansas, and now it’s Kentucky ?




My mistake, it was Kansas. I have corrected that now. At least it started with a "K"................LOL


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## vincev (Jul 7, 2019)

Nice find ! I have this one and its not pretty but I am leaving it as is.......As far as I know its all original.......


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## mrg (Jul 7, 2019)

Wow, mine came from the next town over, definitely leave all OG, I have a original faded California Cruiser I'm going to post in the for sale section and cringe when I hear about wanting to strip and redo it!


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 8, 2019)

vincev said:


> Nice find ! I have this one and its not pretty but I am leaving it as is.......As far as I know its all original.......
> 
> View attachment 1027087




Yours is all original except for the shift cable, brake cables, and is missing the F&R reflectors. OE was grey housings.


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 8, 2019)

mrg said:


> Wow, mine came from the next town over, definitely leave all OG, I have a original faded California Cruiser I'm going to post in the for sale section and cringe when I hear about wanting to strip and redo it!View attachment 1027103
> View attachment 1027104
> 
> View attachment 1027105




Nice bike. I remember Circle Cycle...


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## vincev (Jul 10, 2019)

Xlobsterman said:


> Yours is all original except for the shift cable, brake cables, and is missing the F&R reflectors. OE was grey housings.



Thanks for the info.It was from out west and the paint is really faded away but a resto would ruin it for me.


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 11, 2019)

vincev said:


> Thanks for the info.It was from out west and the paint is really faded away but a resto would ruin it for me.




I would keep it as is if it was my bike. I am keep the bike I just got in the codition as found. Just cleaning, polishing, and lube. New tires and cables will be installed though, just because the others are toast.


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 13, 2019)

It is slowly getting back together......!

Just waiting on the new tires, and Shimanno cable clamps. But I am still trying to source the correct front wheel for the right price.


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## GTs58 (Jul 13, 2019)

Looking good. 

Posting the specific details on the front wheel on these Klunkers might help in your search. Did these come with the non stamped S-2's?


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 13, 2019)

GTs58 said:


> Looking good.
> 
> Posting the specific details on the front wheel on these Klunkers might help in your search. Did these come with the non stamped S-2's?




The original front wheel is the same as was used on all the Schwinn Spitfires from 77 to early 79.

Stamped S-2 rims, 105ga spokes, and the small flange Union hubs like in this catalog pic.


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 13, 2019)

GTs58 said:


> Looking good.
> 
> Posting the specific details on the front wheel on these Klunkers might help in your search. Did these come with the non stamped S-2's?




BTW, you can see the correct front wheel in the pics the other guys posted of their bikes.


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## mrg (Jul 13, 2019)

Some also had Chair front hub, my California Cruiser and some of my Spitfire’s have had Chairs


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 14, 2019)

mrg said:


> Some also had Chair front hub, my California Cruiser and some of my Spitfire’s have had ChairsView attachment 1029804
> View attachment 1029805




Yes, from what I can remember, they used both Union, and Chair hubs. You wouldn't happen to have an extra wheel would you?


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## schwinnbikebobb (Jul 14, 2019)

Nice looking bike.   Never heard of Chair hubs.  You learn something new every day on here!


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## razinhellcustomz (Jul 14, 2019)

Xlobsterman said:


> It is staying all original, as the imperfections in the paint give it character as to what it has been through in its life. I would like to know the story of how it got to Kansas from California though.
> 
> It has already been stripped down to the bare frame, and is starting to go back together.
> 
> ...



People move to kansas every day. That's how it ended up there. Go figure. Ride On. Razin.


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## hm. (Jul 14, 2019)

nice work.. all cleaned up and lookin GREAT!!!!


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 14, 2019)

razinhellcustomz said:


> People move to kansas every day. That's how it ended up there. Go figure. Ride On. Razin.




WOW, I never thought of that............I guess that is how I ended up in the NE, from So. Cal.


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## Xlobsterman (Jul 15, 2019)

I found myself the proper hub in a complete wheel from a Tandem. Now I just need to relace it into an S-2 rim.


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 18, 2019)

I finally finished up the bike today. 

















I used a front wheel from an 81 Cruiser temporarily until I get the time to build the correct front wheel with the Chair hub in it.


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## hm. (Aug 18, 2019)

looks killer!  I bet it rides nice..outstanding job!


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 18, 2019)

hm. said:


> looks killer!  I bet it rides nice..outstanding job!




Yea, it is kinda cool riding the same bike I pulled out of the box, assembled, test rode, put on the show room floor, and then sold 40 years ago..


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## hm. (Aug 18, 2019)

its super cool you got it back in your hands after 4 decades...hands down..100% keeper for sure!


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## dave429 (Aug 18, 2019)

That bike cleaned up nicely. I bet its a great cruiser!


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## razinhellcustomz (Aug 19, 2019)

Xlobsterman said:


> I finally finished up the bike today.
> 
> View attachment 1048968
> 
> ...



Very nice bike! How's the 5 speed working out for your riding pleasure? Ride on. Razin.


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 19, 2019)

razinhellcustomz said:


> Very nice bike! How's the 5 speed working out for your riding pleasure? Ride on. Razin.





The 5 speed works as it should. I just finished it up late yesterday, so I have only ridden down the driveway a couple of times.


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## razinhellcustomz (Aug 19, 2019)

So how long is your drive way? I bought a 70's Schwinn Collegiate two weeks ago for a ten spot and the tires aired right up and rode it for two days at the engine show. So take yours for a long ride. Whada watin for? GIDDY UP GO!! Razin.


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## bikepaulie (Aug 19, 2019)

Really enjoy my red '78 Klunker. WANTED: pair of original 26inch Uniroyal Nobby blackwalls....


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 20, 2019)

bikepaulie said:


> Really enjoy my red '78 Klunker. WANTED: pair of original 26inch Uniroyal Nobby blackwalls....




Those original Uniroyal Nobby blackwalls are a rare find also........! But I do see them pop up on Ebay once in a while.


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