# "Radiant" Schwinn colors....



## mickeyc (Jul 10, 2020)

What makes a Radiant color?  The '59 Panther II colors are listed as "Radiant red, green, blue and black".  I have seen a couple Panthers and it looks like the color has been sprayed over a "brightener"?  Maybe silver?  Why aren't the green and blue listed as "radiant' if that's the case?


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## GTs58 (Jul 10, 2020)

All the colors were called Radiant, Schwinn just used the word at the beginning and that covers the Red, Blue, Green but not the Black obviously.


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## Jeff54 (Jul 11, 2020)

Radiant colors: like Flamboyant and  Opalescent are candy paint coatings. Primered,  then Aluminum (Metallic silver) and 'candied' with final coating of Transparent/translucent colored  top coat.


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## schwinnlax (Jul 11, 2020)

Aren’t the candy colors also semi-transparent such that the silver undercoat “brightens” up the final look?


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## deepsouth (Jul 11, 2020)

schwinnlax said:


> Aren’t the candy colors also semi-transparent such that the silver undercoat “brightens” up the final look?



True candy colors are transparent. Basically,  like a tinted clearcoat. They are extremely difficult to paint. They must be applied in absolutely even coats or you will have dark spots.


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## mickeyc (Jul 11, 2020)

I don't think the radiant colors on the '59-'60 Panthers could be called candy colors.  Just look like they had a different under coat than primer.


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## Jeff54 (Jul 11, 2020)

mickeyc said:


> I don't think the radiant colors on the '59-'60 Panthers could be called candy colors.  Just look like they had a different under coat than primer.





All of the, [At least pre 1985} Schwinn,  metallic in appearance, from about 1952 until, as far as I know, too mid 80's/ , are candy.

Haven't been close enough to post 1984 to know fer sure or just exactly at which point Taiwan painted em but, the 90's too bankruptcy in 2002,  are not, they're single coat metal flake. That's also fairly deep' for cheap-o guys and nice tiny metal flake reflecting pretty bright throughout the depth.

Gives good looky at thier candy especially in sunlight.


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## GTs58 (Jul 11, 2020)

mickeyc said:


> I don't think the radiant colors on the '59-'60 Panthers could be called candy colors.  Just look like they had a different under coat than primer.




A candy (transparent) paint needs a base coat of some sort to reflect the light thru the Candy (tinted clear) or the whole process/effect will be lost. All the Opalescent, Radiant and Flamboyant colors were a "tinted clear" shot over an *aluminum/silver base coat* that was shot over the red oxide primer.


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## IngoMike (Jul 11, 2020)




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## mickeyc (Jul 11, 2020)

Perfect......thanks.


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## schwinnlax (Jul 11, 2020)

Wow, if they really "baked-on" all those coats, it must have taken a while to paint a frame!


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## GTs58 (Jul 11, 2020)

schwinnlax said:


> Wow, if they really "baked-on" all those coats, it must have taken a while to paint a frame!




Probably lots of travel time in between coats too.


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