# Schwinn colors ??



## Coby Romero (Jan 31, 2021)

Does anyone have a list of Schwinn colors from 1st year to end year?


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## GTs58 (Jan 31, 2021)

From the beginning of Schwinn till the end of Schwinn? That would be some list!


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## Coby Romero (Jan 31, 2021)

GTs58 said:


> From the beginning of Schwinn till the end of Schwinn? That would be some list!



First year color was used last year color was used.


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## Coby Romero (Jan 31, 2021)

GTs58 said:


> From the beginning of Schwinn till the end of Schwinn? That would be some list!



That would still be an awesome list at least till 83


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## GTs58 (Jan 31, 2021)

That varied so much I would be floored if someone has a list of that.


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## Coby Romero (Jan 31, 2021)

GTs58 said:


> That varied so much I would be floored if someone has a list of that.



It's possible. Worth a shot.


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## GTs58 (Jan 31, 2021)

Just the lightweights would have there own list since they didn't follow what as available in the same year as what was available for the Middleweights. Then the model comes into play. The 1960 Continental was one of the first models to have Coppertone. The 1963 Corvette was the first Corvette to have Coppertone and that lasted only till 1965. Then by 1966 the time came when some bikes were only offered in two colors when there was a choice of 4 colors. 

Go thru the list here by year and each model and see the variation of colors on what models and what years. http://www.schwinnbikeforum.com/SLDB/Cover.htm


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## Freqman1 (Jan 31, 2021)

Yea you might want to narrow that down a bit. Hundreds of colors and combos. Do you have a specific model in mind?


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## Coby Romero (Jan 31, 2021)

Freqman1 said:


> Yea you might want to narrow that down a bit. Hundreds of colors and combos. Do you have a specific model in mind?



I would like to start with Ballon tire and middle weight. I work for a PPG paint distributor. I have a few colors matched. I would like to list color years available. I'm about to send off a set of radiant blue forks for a 62 Jauger I'm restoring.


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## Freqman1 (Jan 31, 2021)

Coby Romero said:


> I would like to start with Ballon tire and middle weight. I work for a PPG paint distributor. I have a few colors matched. I would like to list color years available. I'm about to send off a set of radiant blue forks for a 62 Jauger I'm restoring.



Unlike cars there is no bicycle color code chart so a list of colors won't do much good unless you have parts to match from. I usually just carry  part from a bike t my local jobber and have them match it. If I went down there and said "I need dark red for a '38 Schwinn motorbike" I don't think I would get much help. V/r Shawn


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## Coby Romero (Jan 31, 2021)

Freqman1 said:


> Unlike cars there is no bicycle color code chart so a list of colors won't do much good unless you have parts to match from. I usually just carry  part from a bike t my local jobber and have them match it. If I went down there and said "I need dark red for a '38 Schwinn motorbike" I don't think I would get much help. V/r Shawn



Actually I think I have that color. I currently have some custom colors matched in our system for someone that has been a Schwinn distributor since 52. When he retired and his passed he started restoring a bunch bikes he had stashed away. I have custom tinted a few and some before I started. I have 3 ivorys 2 coach greens. A version of coppertone. He said those always varied in color. Blue from late 40s early 50s B6. Opalescent green. Red from a Phatom lemon peeler yellow. Grey Ghost. One of the stingrays blues. That is just a few. I even have some of the seat colors in our vinyl paint. Schwinn is like Harley we have to search by name. PPG doesn't have a database that I'm aware of but we do in our system. I could probably match the Radiant blue I'm about to send off but I won't be starting on that project for awhile so I'll let them have the fun. It's really challenging making base clear metallics look the same as old enamel.


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## Mymando (Jan 31, 2021)

I would be interested in the metallic red for the 57-58’ phantoms if you have it or you can provide it in a color? Thanks nice job on your detective work!


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## Freqman1 (Feb 1, 2021)

I agree with the color variance thing and not just on Schwinns and not just due to environmental affects. I've seen at east three shades of apple green used on Schwinns. I've also noticed original paint bikes with Sheetmetal, especially tanks that are slightly off. Even with standard paint formulas there will be some variance and if tanks, guards, or racks were painted one day and frames a months later then it stands to reason you won' always have an exact match. I keep a notebook of all the paint codes I get mixed with the year and model of bike. I probably need to move this to a digital format so I have it in more than one place. I also started air brushing small sheet metal squares with the colors as well so I have, basically, a big paint chip. V/r Shawn


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## Coby Romero (Feb 1, 2021)

Mymando said:


> I would be interested in the metallic red for the 57-58’ phantoms if you have it or you can provide it in a color? Thanks nice job on your detective work!



It's the early red i have. I want to say he used House of Kolor for that color. Wouldn't that have been called Radiant Red?


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## Coby Romero (Feb 1, 2021)

Freqman1 said:


> I agree with the color variance thing and not just on Schwinns and not just due to environmental affects. I've seen at east three shades of apple green used on Schwinns. I've also noticed original paint bikes with Sheetmetal, especially tanks that are slightly off. Even with standard paint formulas there will be some variance and if tanks, guards, or racks were painted one day and frames a months later then it stands to reason you won' always have an exact match. I keep a notebook of all the paint codes I get mixed with the year and model of bike. I probably need to move this to a digital format so I have it in more than one place. I also started air brushing small sheet metal squares with the colors as well so I have, basically, a big paint chip. V/r Shawn



I'm trying to align color names with colors. The earlier colors were just called by color like red was just red. I'm trying to align dates. Like the red I have when I did redid my 51 Phantom I think was just called bright red


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## Mondo (Feb 1, 2021)

Coby Romero said:


> I would like to start with Ballon tire and middle weight. I work for a PPG paint distributor. I have a few colors matched. I would like to list color years available. I'm about to send off a set of radiant blue forks for a 62 Jauger I'm restoring.



Would you happen to have matched Spicy Chestnut??


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## Coby Romero (Feb 2, 2021)

Mymando said:


> I would be interested in the metallic red for the 57-58’ phantoms if you have it or you can provide it in a color? Thanks nice job on your detective work!





Mymando said:


> I would be interested in the metallic red for the 57-58’ phantoms if you have it or you can provide it in a color? Thanks nice job on






Mondo said:


> Would you happen to have matched Spicy Chestnut??



I don't believe


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## Mondo (Feb 2, 2021)

Coby Romero said:


> I don't believe



Ok, thank you for the reply.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Feb 3, 2021)

Coby Romero said:


> Does anyone have a list of Schwinn colors from 1st year to end year?




You should start a thread and let us in on the formulas you already have. I like many others looking for legit Campus green code. I have read that it is the aluminium undercoat primer that gave the sparkle effect of the later colors and is difficult to reproduce with only paint. Any thoughts?


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## Coby Romero (Feb 3, 2021)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> You should start a thread and let us in on the formulas you already have. I like many others looking for legit Campus green code. I have read that it is the aluminium undercoat primer that gave the sparkle effect of the later colors and is difficult to reproduce with only paint. Any thoughts?



Not necessarily a aluminum primer but yes aluminum undertone with a transparent top coat. The issue we have trying to match an enamel is the metallic or metal flake lay flat in a single stage and the newer metallic stand up refract light differently also gives a coarser appearance. I don't believe they could achieve a metallic look in a single component paint with the metallic in the top coat because it would make the paint grainy. So they would have to apply the metallic then a top coat to cover the grainy undercoat. Same as base clear just using a tinted top coat there for giving it a metallic look.


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## Robert Troub (Feb 3, 2021)

Coby Romero said:


> Does anyone have a list of Schwinn colors from 1st year to end year?



All you have to do is sit down at your computer, and google every schwinn catalog ever.....then write down each model with every color.....please post when you are done.....


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## Coby Romero (Feb 3, 2021)

Robert Troub said:


> All you have to do is sit down at your computer, and google every schwinn catalog ever.....then write down each model with every color.....please post when you are done.....



Well maybe there is a chance someone else has done it and willing to share. Or instead how about sharing what you already know.


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## Mondo (Feb 3, 2021)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> You should start a thread and let us in on the formulas you already have. I like many others looking for legit Campus green code. I have read that it is the aluminium undercoat primer that gave the sparkle effect of the later colors and is difficult to reproduce with only paint. Any thoughts?



Have you checked out Koolest Kolors yet? Koolestuff.com


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## Coby Romero (Feb 3, 2021)

I haven't


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## Mondo (Feb 3, 2021)

Coby Romero said:


> I haven't



I saw that you had mentioned Campus Green.








						Koolest Kolors Paint Kit for Schwinn Bike Restoration
					

Colors available: Aluminum Basecoat, Black, Campus Green, Coppertone, Flamboyant Lime, Kool Lemon, Kool Orange, Sunset Orange, Red, Sky Blue, Terra Cotta Red, Violet, White. U-POL Primer and U-POL Clear Coat #1 included in Kit.



					www.koolestuff.com


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## Coby Romero (Feb 3, 2021)

Mondo said:


> I saw that you had mentioned Campus Green.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I have Coach green matched. Someone else I think asked. I'm going to take a look.


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## Mondo (Feb 3, 2021)

Coby Romero said:


> I have Coach green matched. Someone else I think asked. I'm going to take a look.



Yes, I believe coasterbrakejunkie1969 was asking about the Campus Green.


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## Mondo (Feb 3, 2021)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> You should start a thread and let us in on the formulas you already have. I like many others looking for legit Campus green code. I have read that it is the aluminium undercoat primer that gave the sparkle effect of the later colors and is difficult to reproduce with only paint. Any thoughts?



Have you checked out Koolest Kolors yet?








						Koolest Kolors Paint Kit for Schwinn Bike Restoration
					

Colors available: Aluminum Basecoat, Black, Campus Green, Coppertone, Flamboyant Lime, Kool Lemon, Kool Orange, Sunset Orange, Red, Sky Blue, Terra Cotta Red, Violet, White. U-POL Primer and U-POL Clear Coat #1 included in Kit.



					www.koolestuff.com


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## Mymando (Feb 3, 2021)

Mondo said:


> Have you checked out Koolest Kolors yet?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Do you know about the Red that they’re selling? Is it the red used on the early 60’s Schwinn bikes that had the aluminum base? Thanks


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## Mondo (Feb 3, 2021)

Mymando said:


> Do you know about the Red that they’re selling? Is it the red used on the early 60’s Schwinn bikes that had the aluminum base? Thanks



This is the kit they sell for the Red. It looks like it has an aluminum base color in the kit.








						Koolest Kolors Paint Kit for Schwinn Bike Restoration
					

Colors available: Aluminum Basecoat, Black, Campus Green, Coppertone, Flamboyant Lime, Kool Lemon, Kool Orange, Sunset Orange, Red, Sky Blue, Terra Cotta Red, Violet, White. U-POL Primer and U-POL Clear Coat #1 included in Kit.



					www.koolestuff.com


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## Mymando (Feb 3, 2021)

Mondo said:


> This is the kit they sell for the Red. It looks like it has an aluminum base color in the kit.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



 correct just wondering if it was the red they used on all the late 50’-70’s bikes? You can’t ask any questions so hate to buy something that you can’t inquire about? Just wanted to see if anyone had issued it and you seemed like you knew a bit more about paint? Thanks


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## Mondo (Feb 3, 2021)

Mymando said:


> correct just wondering if it was the red they used on all the late 50’-70’s bikes? You can’t ask any questions so hate to buy something that you can’t inquire about? Just wanted to see if anyone had issued it and you seemed like you knew a bit more about paint? Thanks



Yeah, I know what you mean. I haven’t used any of his paint but from what I heard he bought the rights to the Schwinn paint inventory. It was originally Hyperformance and now it‘s Koolest Kolors. I’m actually trying to find a match for Spicy Chestnut which is one of the most rarest colors.


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## Mondo (Feb 3, 2021)

Mymando said:


> correct just wondering if it was the red they used on all the late 50’-70’s bikes? You can’t ask any questions so hate to buy something that you can’t inquire about? Just wanted to see if anyone had issued it and you seemed like you knew a bit more about paint? Thanks



Here’s another link. https://vintageschwinn.com/paint/


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## Mondo (Feb 3, 2021)

Mondo said:


> Here’s another link. https://vintageschwinn.com/paint/



I just sent that link to coasterbrakejunkie1969.


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## Mymando (Feb 3, 2021)

Thanks


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## Mymando (Feb 3, 2021)

Yea it isn’t reproduced by any one but I found a post that someone got something thru Sherman-Williams so I’ll checc BBC k them out. Thanks


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## Mondo (Feb 3, 2021)

Mymando said:


> Yea it isn’t reproduced by any one but I found a post that someone got something thru Sherman-Williams so I’ll checc BBC k them out. Thanks



Thank you.


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## Jeff54 (Feb 3, 2021)

Koolest Kolers are only copying touch up and spray paint Schwinn colors. Radiant, Opel and all other types are not metal flake, and that's the problem. Schwinn's touch-up and spray paints are metal flake. Opal, radiant and all other metal reflective original colors are tinted transparent/translucent over lays, top coats.

Koolest colors are faking  Schwinn's original factory paints. Moreover because they require a clear coat to mimic original it's pointless to use an aluminum base. Schwinn's spray can paints are a solid single metal flake color. It's not the simi transparent with metal flake they use.  Using just a red lead or in some cases, gray primer,  primer an original Schwinn spray can and applying a clear top coat you'd get a similar effect.. Including that; which ever color of primer is very important too. All color or absence of color plays a vital role in what   objective, target color you what to achieve.

However, is the quest for Spicy Chestnut, I've seen original touch up or spray cans offered at ebay. just use that and clear coat it.

The problem is: if you scan original Schwinn bike, the metal reflections from aluminum base coat is distorting Schwinn's colored, translucent/transparent top coat in the  scan for blending..

I.E. you have to eliminate the distortion from the aluminum base coat. Maybe, as I've I've contemplated for some time, to fliter out the metal flake Koost kolor's; use, strain that metal flake out. of their color coat.

To reach an exact duplication, you would need to filter all colors being reflected from within, aluminum base. That  base, biased on my personal   magnified observations ,, Under the badge, unaltered by sunlight, bright and brilliant as new, is very complicated. apparently, metal fleck mixed in clear And not simply clear but a clear that seems to have cracks or crackle behavior once set. ..   Plus add in that, paint batches are not always perfect match each time a large batch is mixed.

I had a 81 Spicy Chestnut cruiser and, it had a batch mix change near and around the bottom bracket, It stood out but area was small enough to not interfere in whole appearance, the small area was slightly darker.

Schwinn would have to used a large paint suppler such as Dow or DuPont who were also making multiple layered, candy colors for auto Co.s. but who, like today, even back then shelf paint was only a single coat, same as Schwinn's spray cans from Schwinn stores..  Who made Schwinn's paint, no different in coating a Cadillac, but who made the color and what was the blend for each layer?

Or maybe if could get hands on a quantum super computer and design program to filter and figure it out.


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## Mondo (Feb 3, 2021)

Jeff54 said:


> Koolest Kolers are only copying touch up and spray paint Schwinn colors. Radiant, Opel and all other types are not metal flake, and that's the problem. Schwinn's touch-up and spray paints are metal flake. Opal, radiant and all other metal reflective original colors are tinted transparent/translucent over lays, top coats.
> 
> Koolest colors are faking  Schwinn's original factory paints. Moreover because they require a clear coat to mimic original it's pointless to use an aluminum base. Schwinn's spray can paints are a solid single metal flake color. Using just a red lead or in some cases gray primer,  primer an original Schwinn spray can and applying a clear top coat you'd get a similar effect.. Including that which ever color of primer is very important too. All color or absence of color plays a vital role in what   objective, target color you what to achieve.
> 
> ...



Thank you for that input Jeff. That’s a whole lot to consider. My search for Spicy Chestnut continues...


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Feb 3, 2021)

Mondo said:


> Spicy Chestnut




I'm sorry but it sounds like a male strippers name. I had to say it sorry


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## Mondo (Feb 3, 2021)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> I'm sorry but it sounds like a male strippers name. I had to say it sorry



No, that would be Mr. Spicy Chestnuts....lol


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## Coby Romero (Feb 3, 2021)

Jeff54 said:


> Koolest Kolers are only copying touch up and spray paint Schwinn colors. Radiant, Opel and all other types are not metal flake, and that's the problem. Schwinn's touch-up and spray paints are metal flake. Opal, radiant and all other metal reflective original colors are tinted transparent/translucent over lays, top coats.
> 
> Koolest colors are faking  Schwinn's original factory paints. Moreover because they require a clear coat to mimic original it's pointless to use an aluminum base. Schwinn's spray can paints are a solid single metal flake color. It's not the simi transparent with metal flake they use.  Using just a red lead or in some cases, gray primer,  primer an original Schwinn spray can and applying a clear top coat you'd get a similar effect.. Including that; which ever color of primer is very important too. All color or absence of color plays a vital role in what   objective, target color you what to achieve.
> 
> ...



There are 2 products in PPG that can possibly mimic the original under tone. They have a toner called liquid metal and super fine metallic.


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## Jeff54 (Feb 3, 2021)

Mondo said:


> Thank you for that input Jeff. That’s a whole lot to consider. My search for Spicy Chestnut continues...



It's actually easy to spot a fake providing you know what to look for. Whether it's from Schwinn shelf paint or Kool Kolor's application.

In good sunlight under magnification, you can see the aluminum base, remove the top coat, in your mind, as it were or whatever. There's absolutely no ,metal flake or metallic  in the colored top coat at all. You can see that, the Aluminum base has a textured appearance and that's causing the illusion the color coat has metal flake in it. That's wy in

1950's Reds were called candy apple. Cinnamon spiced candied apples were dipped in red translucent candy. Candy Apple red, prob the most popular in 50-60's paint on autos, are a transparent/translucent red top coat over metallics. I have a 1981 red Schwinn 10 speed. I've never bother to see if called radiant but, it's the same as 50's opal. 60's radiant paints. Candy.. 

Kool Kolers has ,metal flakes  'Metallic sized, in colored coat. Schwinn's shelf paint color is solid, no different than cheap metallic paints in a spray can, single coat auto paints, etc.. I.E. if inspecting for a fake paint job that's claimed to be original? Maybe a Kool Kolor job, or glossed clear over Schwinn's shelf paint, remove the veil, look thorough the looking glass.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Feb 4, 2021)

There is red enamel/spitfire red/light red, opaque red, opalescent red, radiant red, flamboyant red, maroon dark red, burgundy, holiday rose, I not sure one size fits all.


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## Mondo (Feb 4, 2021)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> There is red enamel/spitfire red/light red, opaque red, opalescent red, radiant red, flamboyant red, maroon dark red, burgundy, holiday rose, I not sure one size fits all.



What would you call this color? 1980 cruiser.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Feb 4, 2021)

Mondo said:


> What would you call this color? 1980 cruiser.



Flamboyant red


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## Mondo (Feb 4, 2021)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> Flamboyant red



That was my guess, that was the only red available for that year right?


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Jan 7, 2023)

Is there any color that has been offered by Schwinn every year of production? I'm guessing red of some sort maybe blue?


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