# 68 Orange Krate



## Robert Beattie (Sep 15, 2016)

new member here had 68 Krate when I was a kid 62 now picked this up at bike shop for 5 bucks. mc 66273 Dec 67 one of first 1000 made. This is all got wha t do  need some advise know I need fenderless springer atom frt brake white seat I will get paint from Dale and spray it in booth


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## mcmfw2 (Sep 16, 2016)

What condition parts are you looking for?  I have a mint rechromed springer as well as Atom wheels etc... Also rider condition parts.. Contact mwallace@comcast.net   If interested


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## Robert Beattie (Sep 16, 2016)

mcmfw2 said:


> What condition parts are you looking for?  I have a mint rechromed springer as well as Atom wheels etc... Also rider condition parts.. Contact mwallace@comcast.net   If interested



Its a keeper not for sale and I want to keep the 50 year old patina. After the repaint I want to try to reuse fender crank handlebars and get date coded OEM parts. Should I rechrome them or what do use to remove rust and polish them. I dont want to use repo parts except tires I not paying 800+ for a a a tire like the one on Ebay lol. Many questions like should seat clamp and shocks be chrome or anodised. The ones on Ebay from 2700 to for 4000 have different parts Yes I am intererested in your parts can you email me. Thanks Bobby.


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## Freqman1 (Sep 16, 2016)

So are you going to distress the frame after painting to match the patina of the rest of the bike? If not that shiny orange frame is gonna look strange! Also curious what reference you used to determine this was one of the first 1000? V/r Shawn


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## Metacortex (Sep 16, 2016)

Did 3-speed and 5-speed Sting-Rays have the same frame as a Krate?


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## mcmfw2 (Sep 16, 2016)

Metacortex said:


> Did 3-speed and 5-speed Sting-Rays have the same frame as a Krate?



Not in 1968...The 3 speeds used the smaller lucky 7 sprocket and the 52 tooth Mag Sprocket drove a different frame...In 69 they were the same when the smaller mag sprocket came online for a 3 speed.

Mark


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## Metacortex (Sep 16, 2016)

mcmfw2 said:


> Not in 1968...The 3 speeds used the smaller lucky 7 sprocket and the 52 tooth Mag Sprocket drove a different frame...In 69 they were the same when the smaller mag sprocket came online for a 3 speed.




Thanks for the reply. So if I'm understanding this right the 5-speed frames were always the same (Sting-Ray vs. Krate) but the 3-speed frames were different until 1969?


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## mcmfw2 (Sep 16, 2016)

Yes...


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## nycet3 (Sep 17, 2016)

Nice project.
Nothing for nothing, but why not try an OA bath to remove the rust and see how things look? You might end up with a killer bike with real patina, instead of having to distress new finish.
Just a thought.
Joe


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## duey377 (Sep 17, 2016)

No bringing that paint back. looks like it was sandblasted and left bare metal. nice project..


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## 1967 Orange Krate (Sep 25, 2016)

Hi Robert,

I had one of the first 1000 Krates.  Just got lucky back in 1967, as the Orange Krate was not even in the Schwinn catalog yet.  After my Wards/Higgins 24" 5-speed was stolen, my folks got about $50 insurance for it, and were willing to go an extra $50 for me.  Went down to the bike shop planning to buy a Fastback or RamsHorn.  The shop had one Orange Krate on featured display.  We talked with the owner, who told us they just put it together two days before, that it was only one of two in the whole San Francisco Bay Area, and only 1000 had been made so far.  No more to be out for about another month.  Verified all that info with another large Schwinn dealer in the area who couldn't get one yet.  Went back right away to the first store and bought it before it was gone.

I don't recall exactly the month I got it.  It may have been as early as November.  A fellow local to me had a Dec. 1967 Orange Krate, and it had slightly different details than mine – so I'm not really sure if December frame bikes were one of the first 1000 Orange Krates.  Someone else here might know if there was a bigger run that came out just in time for Christmas.  I seemed to have heard something to that effect a few years ago.

Anyway, here was the setup on the bike that you might go by if you want to replicate a true first run 1000:  Both the other fellow's '67 and mine had AS bolts (not S bolts) on both the springer top and the seat post clamp.  My seat post clamp (and I think his) was cadmium plated – not chrome.  Of course, the knobby rear tire with the orange stripe.  All $800 worth. 

Mine differed from his December bike in that it had a different round 'Schwinn Quality' decal on the seat post tube.  His had the round circle around the outside like all the later Krates had.  Mine had the one you'd see on earlier Stingrays where the outer circle had a sprocket tooth design.  It was placed pretty low on the seat post tube - roughly about 3" higher than the top of the chain guard.

If you can before repainting it, definitely try to establish the fact that it was actually a '67 Orange Krate, and not another '67 5-speed that used the same frame.  That would authenticate the rarity.  If there's some original paint to be left inside the bottom bracket, inside the steering tube, and especially behind the head badge, that would be good to leave on.  If you can't save any original paint, authenticate it as best you can with photos. 

Photo below shows where I believe my 'Quality' decal was originally placed.  Next post will show the type of decal.

Best regards,
Jeff


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## 1967 Orange Krate (Sep 26, 2016)

'Schwinn Quality' decal, with sprocket tooth outer circle.  This is shown on a 1966 Fastback.


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## Robert Beattie (Sep 26, 2016)

1967 Orange Krate said:


> Hi Robert,
> 
> I had one of the first 1000 Krates.  Just got lucky back in 1967, as the Orange Krate was not even in the Schwinn catalog yet.  After my Wards/Higgins 24" 5-speed was stolen, my folks got about $50 insurance for it, and were willing to go an extra $50 for me.  Went down to the bike shop planning to buy a Fastback or RamsHorn.  The shop had one Orange Krate on featured display.  We talked with the owner, who told us they just put it together two days before, that it was only one of two in the whole San Francisco Bay Area, and only 1000 had been made so far.  No more to be out for about another month.  Verified all that info with another large Schwinn dealer in the area who couldn't get one yet.  Went back right away to the first store and bought it before it was gone.
> 
> ...


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## Freqman1 (Sep 26, 2016)

I'd have to see something from Schwinn such as a dealer bulletin before I accepted that as gospel. V/r Shawn


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## Robert Beattie (Sep 26, 2016)

You know alot about these bikes  I bought one in Aug 68 when I was 13 it did not have pogo post this one  does. before i sandblasted the frame it was Kool Orange, and chain guard was atached ser Mc66273. I did not know about AS 
bolts I want it to be as orginal as possible


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## island schwinn (Sep 26, 2016)

just one thing to remember here.A serial number is just that,a serial number.the dropouts were stamped before the frame was ever built.there were no numbers that kept track of exactly how many specific models were built.a complete bike could've,and most were,be built months after the actual serial number date.


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## Robert Beattie (Sep 26, 2016)

Robert Beattie said:


> You know alot about these bikes  I bought one in Aug 68 when I was 13 it did not have pogo post this one  does. before i sandblasted the frame it was Kool Orange, and chain guard was atached ser Mc66273. I did not know about AS
> bolts I want it to be as orginal as possible


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## Robert Beattie (Sep 26, 2016)

1967 Orange Krate said:


> Hi Robert,
> 
> I had one of the first 1000 Krates.  Just got lucky back in 1967, as the Orange Krate was not even in the Schwinn catalog yet.  After my Wards/Higgins 24" 5-speed was stolen, my folks got about $50 insurance for it, and were willing to go an extra $50 for me.  Went down to the bike shop planning to buy a Fastback or RamsHorn.  The shop had one Orange Krate on featured display.  We talked with the owner, who told us they just put it together two days before, that it was only one of two in the whole San Francisco Bay Area, and only 1000 had been made so far.  No more to be out for about another month.  Verified all that info with another large Schwinn dealer in the area who couldn't get one yet.  Went back right away to the first store and bought it before it was gone.
> 
> ...





1967 Orange Krate said:


> Hi Robert,
> 
> I had one of the first 1000 Krates.  Just got lucky back in 1967, as the Orange Krate was not even in the Schwinn catalog yet.  After my Wards/Higgins 24" 5-speed was stolen, my folks got about $50 insurance for it, and were willing to go an extra $50 for me.  Went down to the bike shop planning to buy a Fastback or RamsHorn.  The shop had one Orange Krate on featured display.  We talked with the owner, who told us they just put it together two days before, that it was only one of two in the whole San Francisco Bay Area, and only 1000 had been made so far.  No more to be out for about another month.  Verified all that info with another large Schwinn dealer in the area who couldn't get one yet.  Went back right away to the first store and bought it before it was gone.
> 
> ...


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## Robert Beattie (Sep 26, 2016)

My collection 2007 repop for grandbaby I am going to put 16 in frt and rear 1999 for me and Kickbike

View attachment 364052

View attachment 364055

View attachment 364058

View attachment 364059[/QUOTE]


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## Robert Beattie (Sep 26, 2016)

1967 Orange Krate said:


> Hi Robert,
> 
> I had one of the first 1000 Krates.  Just got lucky back in 1967, as the Orange Krate was not even in the Schwinn catalog yet.  After my Wards/Higgins 24" 5-speed was stolen, my folks got about $50 insurance for it, and were willing to go an extra $50 for me.  Went down to the bike shop planning to buy a Fastback or RamsHorn.  The shop had one Orange Krate on featured display.  We talked with the owner, who told us they just put it together two days before, that it was only one of two in the whole San Francisco Bay Area, and only 1000 had been made so far.  No more to be out for about another month.  Verified all that info with another large Schwinn dealer in the area who couldn't get one yet.  Went back right away to the first store and bought it before it was gone.
> 
> ...


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## Robert Beattie (Sep 26, 2016)

1967 Orange Krate said:


> Hi Robert,
> 
> I had one of the first 1000 Krates.  Just got lucky back in 1967, as the Orange Krate was not even in the Schwinn catalog yet.  After my Wards/Higgins 24" 5-speed was stolen, my folks got about $50 insurance for it, and were willing to go an extra $50 for me.  Went down to the bike shop planning to buy a Fastback or RamsHorn.  The shop had one Orange Krate on featured display.  We talked with the owner, who told us they just put it together two days before, that it was only one of two in the whole San Francisco Bay Area, and only 1000 had been made so far.  No more to be out for about another month.  Verified all that info with another large Schwinn dealer in the area who couldn't get one yet.  Went back right away to the first store and bought it before it was gone.
> 
> ...


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