# 'like new' schwinn cruiser 6 hungarian twins - how do i find a value on them?



## hungariantwins

hi to everyone on this site

i am impressed by your knowledge of schwinns, your passion, and your willingness to help others. ty in advance for any info on my questions!

my wife's two sons inherited schwinns from their paternal grandparents, who recently passed away. i am retired, and have time to do some research to see if i can get the boys some rent money, as they start out on their own in life. no one in the family seems to know much about them, except that my wife remembers that the grandparents had these 'twins' for quite awhile before her sons were born - guessing that they were at least 40 years old. both of the schwinns, after minor wipe downs, would probably be classified close to 'like new' condition - in really great shape in my inexperienced eyes

i was scratching my head trying to find any details as to how old they are, as all of the pictures i saw on the internet did not have a match for the 'branding' that appeared on the chain guards - these bikes say 'cruiser 6', not 'cruiser six', or 'scwinn cruiser 6'

thanks to people on this site, i think i have actually found the origin and years of the twins. they were made in hungary. how do i know this? there is a label on the shaft saying 'made in hungary' - haha. 

someone here posted the schwinn 1981 manufacturers code of production dates - for the life of me, i cannot find that forum post today 
but i think i recall the code

the ladies bike (purple) starts with HD, and the mens bike (black) starts with HM, so it appears that they were both produced in july - the ladies bike in 1968, the mens in 1977
i think i have that correctly?

anyways, i now cannot find anything in regards to the values of these
bicycle blue book does not seem to be of any help

can someone please give me a ballpark value, so that i can begin to figure out what to sell them for?
i would like to see them in the hands of a schwinn collector who would appreciate their age and condition
they are in michigan, fyi

ty in advance for your advice!
don


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## WetDogGraphix

Welcome........Pictures always help.....
Goodluck......


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## Jay81

Welcome to the CABE. The Cruiser 6 bikes were made pretty recently. I do not know the exact years they were produced, but we're talking late 1990s at the earliest, or sometime in the 2000s. 
The reproduction Schwinn Phantoms came out in 1995, and these came along sometime after that.
They are not considered collectable, and you aren't going to find the serial number on any chart. Post up some pics and get some opinions on value, but please don't get your hopes up.


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## Oilit

The original Schwinn Company went bankrupt in 1992, if memory serves. They bought a Hungarian plant sometime in the mid to late '80's, part of a plan to diversify suppliers and expand into Europe, but the plant was pretty run down and needed a lot of investment. Nontheless, Schwinn did import some bikes from Hungary in the early '90's before they hit the wall. My understanding is that the Scott Sports Group, which bought Schwinn after the bankruptcy, upgraded the Cruiser 5 to produce the Cruiser 6, but from what I've read they never imported bikes from Hungary. But anything's possible. Like @WetDogGraphix and @Jay81 said, pictures will help.


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## GTs58

I believe the "Cruiser" with 6 gears came out in 1991, Cruiser Supreme, and it was a diamond frame and the coaster model Cruiser was a cantilever frame. I've never seen anything other than a few coaster models and the Heavy Duti's that were made in Hungary. The actual build dates on your bikes should be stamped in the head badge. Four numbers for the Julian date. 

Do they look like the lower images in this 1992 catalog scan? 






The Cruiser 6 came out in the 1993 model year and Schwinn was purchased by the Scott Sports Group sometime in 1993. Here's the 1993 Cruiser 6 and I'd be interested to see if these were ever made in Hungary. I've only seen the geared Cruisers that were made in Taiwan.


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## anders1

When I seen the Hungarian twins thread for some reason I was not thinking bicycles.....


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## anders1

When I seen the Hungarian twins thread for some reason I was not thinking bicycles, my bad.......


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## b 17 fan

Here is the cruiser six that I have


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## hungariantwins

ty all for your help

i see a number of comments about cruiser 6's being produced in the 90's.
that will not be the case here, as my wife knows for sure that the grandparents had these prior to her kids being born in the late 80's

the pics posted here show 'cruiser six', just like every pic of the cruiser 6's i have found
these schwinns say 'cruiser 6', the word six not being spelled out

i wish i could find a post on here where the person posted a 1981 official schwinn publication showing how production dates can be decoded
based upon that post, it appears these were made in 1968 and 1977, from their serial numbers

so i still do not know what they are, when they were made, or what their value might be

here are some pics, which might help
1 - frame, 'cruiser 6', not 'cruiser six'
2 - serial number, starting with HD
3 - made in hungary sticker

hope this helps?

don


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## Jay81

Again, they are not as old as you think they are. If one of them were made in 1968, the serial would be on the left rear dropout.
The one you think is from 1977 would have the number stamped on the head tube.
They would have both been made in Chicago if they were built in those years.
You will absolutely not find them on a Chicago built Schwinn serial number chart, which is what you've been looking at.
Could possibly be from sometime in the 80s but they are absolutely 100% not any older. I still think they are 90s or newer.


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## Freqman1

I agree with Jay81. These are from the 90s if not 2000s. Not sure of the value but I'd be surprised if the pair brought more than $450 or so. V/r Shawn


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## Jay81

Value wise - I see you are from Michigan as well. I sell used bikes on CL in the metro Detroit area and would expect to get in the neighborhood of $150 - $200 for the men's and $125 - $150 for the ladies. 
There is a fairly good used bike market here, although it's not as good this year as it's been in the last several years.
This is assuming they are in working order and ready to be ridden. Gears and brakes all working and adjusted properly and tires that are not worn out or dry rotted.


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## Oilit

I agree about the date, early '90's, either just before or just after Chicago went bankrupt. As @GTs58 said, there should be a four digit number stamped in the headbadge, the first three numbers will be between 001 and 365 for the day of the year, and the fourth digit will be the last digit of the year it was made, "0" for 1990, "1" for 1991, etc. But you've got a couple of rare bikes, or at least the first Hungarian Cruiser 6's I've ever seen. That might be worth something if you can find the right buyer, but the Cruiser 6's aren't big collector's items in general, most were built in Taiwan, so it might or might not.
Maybe your wife''s parents traded in the ones she remembers on these?


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## GTs58

1993 models. The *head badge stamping *should verify. Those simply were not produced anytime earlier.


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## Freqman1

Have a friend and her dad (in his 80s) swore up and down that the '69 Huffy Camaro he had was a bike he bought in the '40s. Just say'n... V/r Shawn


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## Rusty Klunker

Have to agree with the others here. Just looking at the hardware on them. You didn't see that fork design till the very late 80's, allen bolt stem later then that. I don't remember many six speed bikes back then as I was chasing other things but I remember 12 speeds in the early 80's. So you probably wont find 6 speed cogs before then.


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## hungariantwins

hi all

once again, i admire the passion that you all have, and the incredible knowledge and history
and very much appreciate all of the info

i do not really know anything about these, other than what i can find on them (made in hungary, serial numbers...and the pics) plus my wife's memory that the grandparents had these well before her kids were born - 1989. she is incredibly smart with a sharp memory, so i have to believe her that these were in the 80s or prior

i apologize for being totally naive, but i do not know what a head badge stamp, head badge or head tube are - haha
i think you are talking about (again, pardon my being naive) the schwinn logo on the bar that goes towards the ground below the handlebars?
if so i see no numbers there

all that being said, special thanks to jay81 and freqman1 for giving me a ballpark value, as my main motivation here is to get some cash for the kids by selling them to someone who will appreciate them and take care of them. where and when they were made is something we would find very very interesting, but if these are bought by an appreciative person without us knowing those details, it would not be a disappointment

jay81 - the bikes appear to be in great condition. the grandsons have been into bicycling all of their lives, still are, have about 3 different types each with rooftop bike carriers always on top of their cars, and seem to enjoy working on them to keep them in tip top shape. bikes were probably something they had in common with their grandparents, so they probably helped them keep these in great shape.

should i just post them for sale in detroit clist? $300 for the pair?

again, ty all for your help
life is about helping each other, and i am humbled by you all taking the time to help a stranger

don


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## anders1

I’m still wondering where the Hungarian twins are?!!! Wait a minute,,,, are you guys talking about bikes???


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## Jay81

hungariantwins said:


> i apologize for being totally naive, but i do not know what a head badge stamp, head badge or head tube are - haha
> i think you are talking about (again, pardon my being naive) the schwinn logo on the bar that goes towards the ground below the handlebars?
> if so i see no numbers there




Head tube - vertical tube at the front of the frame, between the handlebars and fork. 
Head badge - Badge with manufacturers name affixed to the head tube with screws or rivits. Look at the front of the bike, can't miss it.
head badge stamp - MFG date code stamped into the head badge



hungariantwins said:


> should i just post them for sale in detroit clist? $300 for the pair?




Yes.



hungariantwins said:


> i do not really know anything about these, other than what i can find on them (made in hungary, serial numbers...and the pics) plus my wife's memory that the grandparents had these well before her kids were born - 1989. she is incredibly smart with a sharp memory, so i have to believe her that these were in the 80s or prior




We are happy to help, but have told you repeatedly this is not correct. Please stop insulting us by telling us we're wrong.


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## Oilit

Jay81 said:


> Head tube - vertical tube at the front of the frame, between the handlebars and fork.
> Head badge - Badge with manufacturers name affixed to the head tube with screws or rivits. Look at the front of the bike, can't miss it.
> head badge stamp - MFG date code stamped into the head badge
> 
> 
> 
> Yes.
> 
> 
> 
> We are happy to help, but have told you repeatedly this is not correct. Please stop insulting us by telling us we're wrong.



He may find it easier to tell us that we're wrong. After all, he doesn't have to live with us.


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## anders1

Oilit said:


> He may find it easier to tell us that we're wrong. After all, he doesn't have to live with us.



I’m still waiting for these Hungarian twins to show up that everyone is talking about.......


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## GTs58

Don,

This is the head badge that is mounted on head tube in the front of Schwinn bikes between the stem and fork. It has the build date stamped next to the Letter I. Not sure if you want to test your Wife's memory or not, but those bikes are 90's era with those V type brakes verses the old caliper type.  

Best of luck with your sales.


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## hungariantwins

hi all

jeez - i have no idea how a bridge was made to have someone (not sure who) is feeling insulted, or thinks i made any attempt at all to say that someone was wrong! sorry to hear you feel that way. rereading my messages, i see nothing but thanks for info, and acknowledgements of the knowledge of schwinn bikes by people on this thread.

sharing my wife's comments was merely to throw out any info i had on the subject. she is a non-typical woman, soft spoken, quiet. she is a listener, not a talker. she keeps her opinions to herself. i have been at the table many dozens of times when someone has gone on and on expressing an opinion that i know damned well is against her beliefs. she just listens when that happens. in almost 20 years, i have never seen her get involved in one single debate, argument, controversy....

reading your comments to her, she just very quietly said 'i know they had these before the kids were born (1989)'. i merely passed that on to help, not to disagree

ty to GTs58 for the head badge pic, and to jay (?) for clearly describing the location of the head badge and date of manufacture on it. i asked for clarification only because, while i was certain i knew what a head badge was, there was, and is, absolutely no manufacture date on the head badge (see pic)

all this being said, my objective, as stated, was not to figure out the date of manufacture, but to get a ballpark of what price i should post as i go to sell these - a guy 'in the middle' trying to do a good deed by getting some cash for her kids, and selling them to someone who would have an appreciation for the bikes, and for a reasonable price

i believe you all have helped me meet that objective (jay? $300), so i thank you


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## Oilit

hungariantwins said:


> hi all
> 
> jeez - i have no idea how a bridge was made to have someone (not sure who) is feeling insulted, or thinks i made any attempt at all to say that someone was wrong! sorry to hear you feel that way. rereading my messages, i see nothing but thanks for info, and acknowledgements of the knowledge of schwinn bikes by people on this thread.
> 
> sharing my wife's comments was merely to throw out any info i had on the subject. she is a non-typical woman, soft spoken, quiet. she is a listener, not a talker. she keeps her opinions to herself. i have been at the table many dozens of times when someone has gone on and on expressing an opinion that i know damned well is against her beliefs. she just listens when that happens. in almost 20 years, i have never seen her get involved in one single debate, argument, controversy....
> 
> reading your comments to her, she just very quietly said 'i know they had these before the kids were born (1989)'. i merely passed that on to help, not to disagree
> 
> ty to GTs58 for the head badge pic, and to jay (?) for clearly describing the location of the head badge and date of manufacture on it. i asked for clarification only because, while i was certain i knew what a head badge was, there was, and is, absolutely no manufacture date on the head badge (see pic)
> 
> all this being said, my objective, as stated, was not to figure out the date of manufacture, but to get a ballpark of what price i should post as i go to sell these - a guy 'in the middle' trying to do a good deed by getting some cash for her kids, and selling them to someone who would have an appreciation for the bikes, and for a reasonable price
> 
> i believe you all have helped me meet that objective (jay? $300), so i thank you
> 
> View attachment 876899



That wasn't the head badge I expected. If you don't mind, before you sell these bikes post all the pictures you can. They might make a good reference for somebody.


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## bikemonkey

It is not a Chicago bike...you also pull a date code off of the derailleur...just saying...


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## GTs58

There's probably not that many of these Hungarian Schwinn Cruisers around so they may be somewhat hard to find these days. I have never come across these before, and to think Sheldon Brown stated in his writings that Schwinn never imported bikes from the Hungarian plant. Interesting that there is no stamping in the headbadge.


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## hungariantwins

monkey - yes, it has a badge saying 'made in hungary' (pic on page 1 of this thread)

GT - both have a production code stamp on the bottom. i have a pic of one of the stampings on the first page of this thread. i do not know what a derailleur is, per bikemonkey.  if that is the part of the frame under the pedals, that is where the stamping is.

not sure if i am back to square one, where it appears these were made in 1968 and 1977. i arrived at that by looking at a chart that someone posted on a thread that i now cannot find again, that said the first two letters determined the month and year of production

GT - from what you are saying about 'hard to find', does that mean that i would be pricing these too low at $300 for the pair?

ty both so much for your help!


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## Freqman1

I'll stand by my original valuation (see post #11). "Hard to find" or even rare does not make something desirable or valuable. A '71 lime green AMC Pacer with a red interior would probably be rare, if not unique, but the market would be very narrow for something like that. V/r Shawn


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## kreika

People can get frustrated when asked a question and give free knowledgeable valid answers but the person asking refuses to believe the information.(It happens a lot here.) FYI as stated those V-brakes are 90’s early 2000’s. Maybe your wife’s parents had some other bikes they sold at some point. She may have these mixed up with them??? In any case best of luck selling them and hope the kids appreciate the money they bring.


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## Jay81

I was the one that asked that you stop insulting us. 
What I mean by that, is you have several members, myself included, that have told you you're bikes were made in the 90s. 
We went as far as to explain why and how we came up with that conclusion.
Yet you repeatedly flat out ignore what we're telling you about when they were built and keep insisting that they're older than that. 
You have some very knowledgeable bike people willing to share their knowledge with you and give you free help and advice.
We're trying to educate you about these bikes, that you know very little about, and you're telling us we're wrong, over and over. 

We have spent years studying bikes and learning about them. You can learn from us if you're willing to listen. 
If you're going to keep insisting we're wrong, I can't speak for the others, but I for one am done trying to help.


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## Allrounderco

*Edit: This post doesn't add anything to the conversation, but I can't help myself. Sorry to all...*



Freqman1 said:


> ...A '71 lime green AMC Pacer with a red interior would probably be rare, if not unique, but the market would be very narrow for something like that. V/r Shawn




Agreed, but this lime green and red 1971 beauty is pretty desirable today:


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## Jay81

I posted previously I this conversation and explained that the serial number chart you were referring to ONLY applies to CHICAGO built Schwinn bikes. 
And that you're serial numbers would be in a different location on the frame, had they been built in the 60s and 70s.


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## Casual dreamer

Freqman1 said:


> I'll stand by my original valuation (see post #11). "Hard to find" or even rare does not make something desirable or valuable. A '71 lime green AMC Pacer with a red interior would probably be rare, if not unique, but the market would be very narrow for something like that. V/r Shawn





Actually a 1971 AMC pacer in any color would be extremely rare being AMC didn't start producing the pacer until the 1975 model year. That would be equivalent to finding a 1965 Chevy Monte Carlo, or a 1962 Chevy camaro! ☺ and with the prices of AMCs rapidly climbing I'm sure the '71 pacer would bring some good loot!


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## Freqman1

Ok bad analogy but I think most go the point! V/r Shawn


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## ItIsWhatItIs

NY Times, March '90 article talking about the 14month old relationship with Schwinn and a Hungarian bicycle plant.

NY Times Schwinn-Hungary article

Jason


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## GTs58

ItIsWhatItIs said:


> NY Times, March '90 article talking about the 14month old relationship with Schwinn and a Hungarian bicycle plant.
> 
> NY Times Schwinn-Hungary article
> 
> Jason




The relationship was a hell of a lot longer than 14 months. The initial negotiations went on for that amount of time. 1988 thru 1993. 
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1993-08-25-9308250042-story.html

*And yet, 10 months after Schwinn-Csepel's U.S. parent declared bankruptcy, the five-year-old joint venture keeps churning out bikes.  *


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## ItIsWhatItIs

The 'relationship' was 14 months old at the time of the article (march '90) 

Jason


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## Oilit

GTs58 said:


> The relationship was a hell of a lot longer than 14 months. The initial negotiations went on for that amount of time. 1988 thru 1993.
> http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1993-08-25-9308250042-story.html
> 
> *And yet, 10 months after Schwinn-Csepel's U.S. parent declared bankruptcy, the five-year-old joint venture keeps churning out bikes.  *



It's interesting to me that at the end of the article, it says "the reconstituted U.S. Schwinn has contracts to buy Schwinn-Csepel bikes through the end of the year", and the article was published August 1993, so the Scott Group did bring in some Hungarian bikes, if only to finish out pre-existing contracts. You just never know what you can learn reading the CABE!


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## Jeff54

hungariantwins said:


> hi all
> 
> should i just post them for sale in detroit clist? $300 for the pair?
> 
> again, ty all for your help
> life is about helping each other, and i am humbled by you all taking the time to help a stranger
> 
> don




I too am sorry but, your wife is mistaken. And your bikes at average might sell for 75 girl and 100 boy. They just don't bring that much. Quality and value of Schwinn's bikes dropped dead in the 80's. Today it's just a name.
It's the graphics, the type of font that was produced in 1993 was completely redone. . whether or not Schwinn's 1993 catalog shows a cruiser 6 is irrelevant.

Here's you wife's satisfaction, [grin]

Two photos from 1991 and 1993 Schwinn catalog. The first is 1993, brand new graphics on bike the exact same as yours.  and the second, old style Graphics (fonts)  through the mid 80's too early (obviously) 90's,

I.E. GM and GP did NOT own your bikes  in 1989. And estimating value @ $300 is likely going to mean, you'll be dusting em off for some time too. [wink]

*1993:*





*1991:*




https://waterfordbikes.com/SchwinnCat/flschwinn_1991_2000/1992_cc_Recreation_2.html


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## Rivnut

I had an AMC (Huffy built) Caravan.  Lots of guys were trying to tell me it as an AMF.  I knew it was an AMC because of the head badge.  Anyway, it was really rare but also really undesirable.  I finally gave up trying to sell it and gave it to a breast cancer survivor.  So, no matter how rare or unique, if there's no market for it, it's not really worth anything.  Good luck.


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## dadayo

I just found this thread as I am looking for parts for a 1993 Schwinn Cruiser 6. I, too, have the Hungarian made model. The date stamp is on the left side of the head badge (when facing the badge) and can be hidden in a photo by the brake cable. In my opinion, the original poster likely had a 1993 Cruiser 6 ladies bike in the color "mystic purple". I bought this along with a men's Cruiser Supreme  6speed for my folks in 1993. Unfortunately the men's bike was thrown away at some point (what a shame).


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## Jeff54

Unfortunately "like new" with wear, scratches and????  is not for this bike until it's 0ver 100 years 0ld. Value wise it's a girl and rims are not Schwinn's classic rxr track.  There is no collectible value, only used parts which are very difficult too sell. it's not even worth the shipping. When it comes to 90's Schwinn,  paramount, black phantoms, Deluxe cruisers with springer forks  and sting  rays lead the pack. clean ride and enjoy as not many would pay around $80 on crags list . sorry.


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## mickeyc

Look closely at the original posters photo of the head badge.  You can just see the very edge of the stamped numbers behind the brake cable......


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## hm.

After looking at this thread, I noticed we never get to see all of the hungarian lady.. 

So I thought I would share some pics of my 1993 Schwinn Hungarian Ladies Cruiser 6, also in the color "mystic purple".


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## GTs58

hm. said:


> View attachment 1020568





Nice...................... So what did they do with all the S-2 rims that were produced at the Hungarian plant?


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## Jeff54

Here's 'the Hungarian with their Schwinn classic S2 rims. On C/L; Here (link) now; 50  bucks: >>  https://lakeland.craigslist.org/bik/d/kissimmee-26-schwinn-cruiser-coaster/6914640916.html

It's too far away for me,, Besides, _,I'd just take the rims, tires and trash the rest,,_, Go for it [wink]

Maybe even Schwinn's Nobby Balloons too. if so, that's at the least 1-200 bucks for rims and tires.


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## hm.

all cleaned up and ready to go


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## Oilit

GTs58 said:


> Nice...................... So what did they do with all the S-2 rims that were produced at the Hungarian plant?



Maybe the Scott group imported these to finish out some contracts but didn't think it was worth paying to make the rims and just bought the Weinmanns instead. There are a lot of questions about these bikes and not much information. And I've still never seen a Hungarian Cruiser 6 in person.


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