# Schwinn Model C Rust Roadster.



## 10~18kustoms (Jul 28, 2020)

I was picking up another bike from a guy last year and he had this Prewar Schwinn Model C setting in his front yard. It was pretty rough but I thought it should be saved from just being yard art, so we struck a deal. The wheels were very warped, with an old dry rotted pair of middleweight tires on it, but he said he would sometimes take it for a very slow ride around his trailer park. I got it home and it has set outside my shop until a couple days ago. I had an early girls Schwinn strut fork I've been saving for something, I thought might look good on it if cut down, and a rusty set of cross braced bars about the right patina. So in the H2O tank it goes and will start the tear down.


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## 10~18kustoms (Jul 28, 2020)

So when I started this project I wasn't thinking about posting it on the Project Rides thread so I didn't take any pictures of some of the early steps, like first soaking and tear down, and cutting down the fork, etc. So to catch you up, here are a couple pictures I did remember to take.


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## 10~18kustoms (Jul 28, 2020)

Once I got the back half soaked and the rusted seat and post off, I decided I needed a prewar long spring. Didn't have a men's, but had about 3 old women's seats so did a gender swap and moved the long spring over to the men's pan. I might recover it at some point, but for now just gonna leave it bare.


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## GTs58 (Jul 28, 2020)

Wondering if you're using that can of cat food for some kind of rust inhibitor since you're leaving that seat pan bare?


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## 10~18kustoms (Jul 29, 2020)

GTs58 said:


> Wondering if you're using that can of cat food for some kind of rust inhibitor since you're leaving that seat pan bare?
> 
> Ha! Works faster than Evap-O-Rust!


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## 10~18kustoms (Jul 29, 2020)

Once the frame was all stripped down, and the fork was cut it was time to do something with the frame. I wanted to leave this a rusty patina fenderless roadster build but as many of you know an old rusty frame can be a bit messy. The rust can be dirty, powdery, flakey and will get all over you and your cloths when you ride it. Some might like the look, but I'm not a big fan of the bright orangish rust either. Many people like to use oil, or WD40 on the frame, but I also don't like the feel and the oil seem to attract more dust to it. Others will clear coat it, but I think a gloss clear looks to fake/faux. I prefer to use a couple of light flat or satin clear coats to solidify the rust, and darken and highlight what color is there.    Before:



Yuck



After:


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## GTs58 (Jul 29, 2020)

Looks pretty good. Did you consider using the old farmers go to before clear coating became the in thing? Boiled linseed oil? It sure won't turn milky white later down the road.


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## 10~18kustoms (Jul 29, 2020)

Rained all day to day so it was a good time to rebuild some pedals indoors. I had a very crusty set of Schwinn pedals that were completely rusted and locked up. They were caked solid with rust so I thru them in the water tank yesterday for an overnight soak to loosen up the rust. Got 'em apart today, the bearings were all shot, but the caked in rust had softened to an orange muck. Once that was all cleaned out I sacrificed some head set bearings that I have hundreds of for the ball bearings and rebuilt them with new grease. They still look old and crusty, to match the bike, but spin smooth as new.


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## 10~18kustoms (Jul 31, 2020)

Hadn't really paid attention to what year this C frame was before, but I checked with an old prewar serial number chart I found here on another thread and it shows the H serial number to be a 1941. Any experts here know for sure if Schwinn was still making the BC97 in '41? The Schwinn brochure doesn't show one.


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## 10~18kustoms (Aug 1, 2020)

Since the old wheels were warped beyond truing, I needed to find something to replace them with. And trying to use what I have laying around, but was real limited finding something that would look somewhat era and patina correct. About the only thing I could find was these old drop center wheels that were rattle canned red. Mocked 'em up but I didn't like the red rim/clay tire combo look, so I lightly dusted them with some coco bean brown to faux blend with the frame color more. Had to replace a couple missing spokes and rebuild both hubs. Guess they will work for now.


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## 10~18kustoms (Aug 1, 2020)

Since the old wheels were warped beyond truing, I needed to find something to replace them with. And trying to use what I have laying around, but was real limited finding something that would look somewhat era and patina correct. About the only thing I could find was these old drop center wheels that were rattle canned red. Mocked 'em up but I didn't like the red rim/clay tire combo look, so I lightly dusted them with some coco bean brown to faux blend with the frame color more. Had to replace a couple missing spokes and rebuild both hubs. Guess they will work for now.View attachment 1239429
View attachment 1239430
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View attachment 1239432


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## 1817cent (Aug 1, 2020)

Looks like a nice project.  Like the way it is coming along!


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## 10~18kustoms (Aug 7, 2020)

I did the wheel/tire mock up with some of John's US Chain Clay tires, but a few days ago a friend brought me an old Monark that had a crusty set of Clay Schwinn Grand Tycoons. The ADD in me wouldn't let me leave them that way, so today I moved the Chain's to the Monark and the Tycoons to the Schwinn. I'm happy!


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