# Need tricks to clean up my new 1940 Schwinn racer.



## locomotion (Oct 28, 2018)

need tricks cleaning my new 1940 Schwinn New World racer model W3R bike
Wondering how to properly clean the paint, without damaging the pins and original decals (they are unprotected on top of the original paint)
please share your tricks and past experiences
- pre and post pictures would be great
- name of product used, techniques, ect
I will only want clean up the paint, nickel and put it up on display with my other racers


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## the tinker (Oct 28, 2018)

Read the entire restoration thread


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## locomotion (Oct 28, 2018)

the tinker said:


> Read the entire restoration thread




can't I got to work this week!


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## Kickstand3 (Oct 28, 2018)

locomotion said:


> need tricks cleaning my new 1940 Schwinn New World racer model W3R bike
> Wondering how to properly clean the paint, without damaging the pins and original decals (they are unprotected on top of the original paint)
> please share your tricks and past experiences
> - pre and post pictures would be great
> ...




I use the original Gijo


Take a moist micro fiber towel work in a little Gojo and go to work cuts through grease with out disturbing the original finish. This stuff works fantastic.  Can polish after with your favorite wax 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## the tinker (Oct 28, 2018)

Sorry, I am long retired, every day is Saturday. The only advice that I can say is to be very careful.When I want to remove old paint off a bike, it doesn't want to come off. When I want to save something, it quickly disappears.


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## locomotion (Oct 28, 2018)

the tinker said:


> Sorry, I am long retired, every day is Saturday. The only advice that I can say is to be very careful.When I want to remove old paint off a bike, it doesn't want to come off. When I want to save something, it quickly disappears.




I hear you, this is why I am asking, I want to be extra careful on this one
and other collectors experiences is the best way to go


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## then8j (Oct 28, 2018)

Have you tried soap and water yet? It’s always the first step.  'Dawn takes grease out of your way'


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## Dave K (Oct 28, 2018)

I would probably stop at soap and water.  Box pins tend to be super thin and wipe off with one pass of the polishing rag.  If it really needs to be polished / deep cleaned just do it everywhere other then the pins.  When finished it is hard to tell the area with the pins has not been treated.


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## locomotion (Oct 28, 2018)

I will start with the soap (Dawn and it's gone) and water on the frame/fork and see how it goes. it will also make my hands incredibly soft they say. 

the original wood rims have the perfect patina, will just need to clean the hubs, and regrease the bearings after wards.
i won't be able to make it a rider, because the original tires are petrified on the wood rims and won't be able to remove them without damaging them (so they are staying on for preservation purposes)
they pretrified all perfectly round with no flat spots which usually never happens (at least not for me)


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## MarkKBike (Oct 29, 2018)

After a good wash with dish soap, I sometimes put on a pair of gloves, and use Coleman camp fuel on a rag to get off a lot of the dark spots. I found it to be a pretty effective solvent to clean up dirty paint and with a little effort pulls out many of the deeper stains. Once done I  let dry and wash again and eventually polish up the frame with automobile products. Vinegar can also help pull up some of the rust stains out of paint.

I'm not sure if this is recommended, but so far I have liked the finished product, Its fast and easy and I have done this for a few years now without experiencing negative results. It quickly removes any goo / dirt and built up gunk off the paint, and dries very fast.

I use tinfoil on pitied chrome and spokes for my daily riders. Once I get them cleaned up, I never really allow them to get dirty again, as I hose them off after every ride, and once dry give them a quick wipe them down with pledge lemon polish on a paper towel.


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## Autocycleplane (Oct 29, 2018)

How about a couple of "before" shots of the entire bike?


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## GenuineRides (Oct 30, 2018)

Yes, yes more pics of the entire bike, is that a grey color?


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