# Another Schwinn Starlet...but a 1953 BF Goodrich version...



## HARPO (Aug 9, 2021)

I just got home with this from out on the Island. Another Facebook find.

This belonged to the original owner who had bought it for his daughter. Well used, but sitting in his basement since the 60's he said. Kids made fun years later of the bike, he told me, because it was"big and clunky" so he had gotten her another bike.

His Grandson had listed it for him, but it looked better in the photos when I got there. I was blown away, however, when I opened the headlight and saw that there was _never_ a battery put in it. He doesn't think one was ever put in the tank either, but I'll look into that later. Fingers crossed...

According to the Serial number, appears to be from Feb.,1953. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Crazy color combo to say the least, so I'll see how long this is going to take me to clean up and see the real colors. I have nothing  but time to work on this! 🙂

Oh, and the headlight alone makes the price I paid for the entire bike well worth the trip...$125... 😎


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## HARPO (Aug 9, 2021)

...a few more...


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## HARPO (Aug 9, 2021)

I haven't examined the bike that closely, but it's apparent the saddle springs and bracket were painted silver. Maybe even the handlebars and fender braces. And I thought maybe the rims, but there isn't any paint on the nipples.

I'll see once I get into it maybe later today. 🧐


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## HARPO (Aug 9, 2021)

Got a nice close look at the filthy bike. VERY disappointed with my purchase, and it's my fault. Picked it up without bringing my glasses for a closer look, and apparently Grandpa painted a lot of things silver besides the seat springs. Appears to be everything I mentioned, plus the crank...anything that was chrome he painted. Aye Carumba! You can see brush strokes on the rims when really eyeballing it very close, so he did a nice job. No telling what's beneath it, though. And check out how faded the paint is from what was beneath the tank.😟 I thought the bike was Pink!


On a positive note, the horn also looks like it will possibly work as there isn't any of the usual corrosion. So, that and the light are worth what I paid. Truss rods, etc. will help also. So...do I salvage what I can, or clean it up the best I can? I wasn't prepared for this.

If I strip it, the light is going right onto the girls green Hornet that's missing one. The other parts will go into a container (rack, fenders, etc.) Decisions, decisions... ☹️


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## GTs58 (Aug 9, 2021)

I have never seen Holiday Rose that hasn't faded out. That original Pink is awesome! That must have been a popular color when it was new.


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## HARPO (Aug 10, 2021)

@GTs58  The original Rose along with the Green striping must have looked like an ad for Sherbet Ice Cream!

I'm going to see what I can do to make the paint look decent...and try some paint stripper on some chrome areas to see how bad it actually was that it was painted over. Fingers crossed it's not to bad. 🙄


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## spoker (Aug 10, 2021)

looks like it might have been,lulious lavender and winswept green originally,they faded alot,not spelling to well this morning


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## HARPO (Aug 10, 2021)

Lavender would not have turned Pink.


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## HARPO (Aug 10, 2021)

Hmmm...getting more of the rust spots off than I originally thought I would have been able to. 😜


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## Hoagie57 (Aug 11, 2021)

spoker said:


> looks like it might have been,lulious lavender and winswept green originally,they faded alot,not spelling to well this morning



I have the pink/white and it has no green on it ! also have it in the pastel blueish w/white, no green on this one either but is a real nice color combo as well.
Hey looks like it might clean up pretty nicely. Keep at it & please show the final results. 😎

Pink being the most common I'd say. Were there 3 color combo's or only 2 ? For the 50's Starlets


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## Jeff54 (Aug 11, 2021)

Pretty sure that 3 colored is the top of the line as far as paint jobs go. Others, even with the full package, springer, chrome rims  etc do not always come in 3 colors too.  That bike is a nice prize even it it didn't have the green. IDK,  luck would be to get the house paint off the chain guard and if rims are chrome too. Yet, I would not be surprised, because it came without springer, that rims are cream. Yet B/C he'd painted rims silver, might be some nice chrome under there still, that will polish up better than owner realized. Same with handle bar and springs on seat. 

Regardless, whoa horsey, careful cleaning and polishing this. It's already looking like U rubbing and cleaning  pin stripes to hard/harsh. ;  3 colored paint is the cat's meow. { It's mo better than U Hornet, I would not be parting it out at all.}  I.E. Original package with that frame and fenders? Ka-Ching!


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## HARPO (Aug 11, 2021)

The Pink paint is very faded...green pinstripes included @Jeff54 . I will be cautious though. The paint on the chain guard is original, not house paint.

BUT...it appears that what I thought was silver paint on the truss rods, handlebars/neck and crank are a severe case of "_basement-itis_" as I like to call it. Sat since the 60's and oxidized like crazy, and I'm slowly having it coming off. 🙂

Rims were chrome, or least that's the way it would have come new. I'm going to strip a section to make sure, but who knows!

BTW...basically the same bike on ebay, but missing the good parts:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/293653296289?campid=5335809022

Light at the end of the tunnel!!!


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## 1motime (Aug 11, 2021)

HARPO said:


> The Pink paint is very faded...green pinstripes included @Jeff54 . I will be cautious though. The paint on the chain guard is original, not house paint.
> 
> BUT...it appears that what I thought was silver paint on the truss rods, handlebars/neck and crank are a severe case of "_basement-itis_" as I like to call it. Sat since the 60's and oxidized like crazy, and I'm slowly have it coming off. 🙂
> 
> ...



That one on E-bay has 19 watchers.  There is definitely interest out there on these.  Don't lose interest!


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## HARPO (Aug 11, 2021)

@1motime  I feel recharged knowing that the silver wasn't slathered all over the place. I'll stick with it! 😜


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## OptimusJay (Aug 11, 2021)

i've had a few white bikes over the years and they are an exercise in patience to say the least.  EVERYTHING shows, but i'd say your's is looking really good.  Even faded, it's still a great bike and I would for sure keep in together.  And I love the small STP stickers.  I'd probably keep the front fender sticker on there otherwise the paint shade difference might stick out like a sore thumb, depending on when it was put on there.


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## HARPO (Aug 11, 2021)

@OptimusJay  This is my second one. The one I recently sold had great paint...but a toasted light and tank. This bike is the opposite.

And now...Dismantled!! Let the games begin. So far, only some underparts on the seat were sprayed (along with the rims).

And here's a better shot of what the color _used to_ look like., which was pretty cool!


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## Jeff54 (Aug 11, 2021)

HARPO said:


> The Pink paint is very faded...green pinstripes included @Jeff54 . I will be cautious though. The paint on the chain guard is original, not house paint.
> 
> BUT...it appears that what I thought was silver paint on the truss rods, handlebars/neck and crank are a severe case of "_basement-itis_" as I like to call it. Sat since the 60's and oxidized like crazy, and I'm slowly have it coming off. 🙂
> 
> ...



Your bike is mo better than ebay's. And it has something I have never, ever seen or imagined on any two colored Schwinn or most any bike, for that matter.

Tried to paste the ebay photo here but ebay's getting tighter wit new cookies and won't let me. Take a look at the top bar junction with head post on ebay bike. The secondary pink is, has actually deteriorated and is flaking, wearing off. I don't think it's from poor polishing too. That's a first, especially Schwinn,  for me.

And it does have a better chain guard. Dang! I see your pin strips on the U guard but dam it's tough.

I see pink on your light too.

Regardless, your green is stronger and  nice grips and more.

I wonder if there's a solution or oil that can perk up your pink and other colors that wouldn't look like ya wanna puck if cited as original paint? Obviously not to solve the whole sun fade but, just a picker-upper that brings  body to it. .

Still, as far as girls go, save some prewar colors, in Starlets, regardless of the fade,  it doesn't get better than a tri-colored.

Goot luck, rather '_skill_' getting her all smooth and pretty again. 🙂


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## 1motime (Aug 11, 2021)

I think one of the biggest improvements will be getting rid of the silver paint.  Even if the what is under it is a bit rusty or sort of dead it won't stand out and scream cheap.


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## HARPO (Aug 12, 2021)

@Jeff54  Here's one I recently Bought, worked on, and Sold...

Also, you can take a Screen Shot off of anything on ebay.









						My Newest Purchase...1954 Starlet... | All Things Schwinn
					

I picked this one up pretty local...15 minutes from my house last night. :)  I went to actually look at a few other bikes the guy had advertised, but when I got there I wasn't really interested in any of them. Kept telling myself to wait and see what else he had. Well, hidden behind a tall...




					thecabe.com


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## HARPO (Aug 13, 2021)

Lol...the guy even painted the kickstand!


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## GTs58 (Aug 13, 2021)

HARPO said:


> Lol...the guy even painted the kickstand!




Nothing but the best for his Daughter.   😜


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## 1motime (Aug 13, 2021)

Matching patina!


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## Hoagie57 (Aug 14, 2021)

What's its value or going to fetch $ if you decide to sell after you put all your hour's of labor / TLC into this Queen  🤔


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## Adamtinkerer (Aug 14, 2021)

In the early '80s, my family vacationed on Long Beach Island, NJ. We stayed at an Inn, that still had their family bikes out back you could ride. One was a BFG like this, but in blue & white. Lots of salt air there, so it was light & dark orange by that point! They even got the horn working! Loved cruising on it!


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## HARPO (Aug 14, 2021)

Check this out. I cleaned off the tires to see what make they were, assuming some import brand. Quite shocked when I saw "FISK DELUXE Made In The USA " on it. To be honest, if it wasn't for watching American Pickers, I never would have heard of this brand of tire.  😕

They must have been on there a while, as I know FISK hasn't been in business for years...since the 1930's if I remember correctly.

@Hoagie57  I think I'll hang onto this one for a while...


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## GTs58 (Aug 14, 2021)

Those tires have to be older than dirt!  🤣


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## HARPO (Aug 14, 2021)

Maybe older. But they still hold air!!! 😄


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## Rivnut (Aug 15, 2021)

Maybe there are newer tubes in the older tires. It’s the tubes that hold the air 😎. The Schwinn built BF Goodrich bikes usually have a complimentary colored second pinstripe laid next to the main stripe. I’ve not seen the second color on anything but the BF Goodrich bikes.

Fisk made tires from the late 1880s into the 1930s.  Usually some variation of the boy with a tire and a candle getting ready to “re-tire.”


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## HARPO (Aug 15, 2021)

@Rivnut  Lol...yes, I'm fully aware that the tubes hold the air. 😜 

But there doesn't seem to even be any sidewall cracking. Pretty Wild for tires of this age.


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## Rivnut (Aug 15, 2021)

Some time ago I sold a set of BF Goodrich Silvertown 26 x 1.75 tire "For Schwinn S7 rims" like that - no cracking and no visible wear. The white sidewalls had yellowed a little.


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## island schwinn (Aug 15, 2021)

My wife has a 54 Starlet with the Chartreuse paint and BF Goodrich badge


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## HARPO (Aug 16, 2021)

@Rivnut The 64' American Deluxe I'm selling has those on it.









						Sold - 1963 Schwinn American DeLuxe | Archive (sold)
					

With the exception of a missing front rack, one spoke, rear reflector and head light lens, the bike is all original. I even added a rear rack from a 1963 version to help make up for it. The seat appears to have hardly been sat on. Bike is all polished and waxed and ready to ride. I cleaned the...




					thecabe.com


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## HARPO (Aug 17, 2021)

Wow. Hard to believe that the bike was once actually white...


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## HARPO (Aug 20, 2021)

OK, this is as far as I'll go with this. I'm not going to even attempt to remove the silver paint from the wheels, fender braces and kickstand. Countless hours spent just getting the bike to this point have made me end it here. There are still some tiny paint spots/splatter I just can't seem to remove that were all over the bike, including the seat. Driving me nuts, to say the least. So, two rolls of Bounty Paper Towels later, it's time for a break.  🙄

I have other projects to work, so work stops for now...and I might just sell it as is. If I do, I might keep the headlight, depending on what I sell it for. Time will tell... 😕


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## 1motime (Aug 20, 2021)

It didnt suffer in your care. Big improvement!  Sometimes those old silvers won't budge. There were a lot of brands and some were indestructible. Keeping the light for the future is a good idea. Bike is nice enough light won't be missed by next owner


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## HARPO (Aug 23, 2021)

FISK tires are in incredible condition (_great if needed for a 1930's bike_). I wish the paint was! 

With the headlight removed, what would be a Fair value on the bike?


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## Rivnut (Aug 23, 2021)

i have basically the same bike in blue and white. To complete it, I need to find a match for the blue then do some ”aged“ paint work to the tank and rack. What is the name of the vinyl pattern on that seat? Anyone know? I’d like to see if I can find some to recover a couple of seats.


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