# Schwinn 1968 Rams Horn -  A boy and his bike



## schwinnbikebobb (Aug 1, 2022)

This is the bike I got for my 12th birthday in 1968. My younger brother got a 67 Sky Blue Fastback and older a Huffy Rail. Not sure why they got bikes on my birthday other than the normal middle child gets crapped on! Lol. Loved this bike! About 4 years later it was stolen as it turns out by the neighborhood tough guy. Well I recovered it (another long story). He had painted it completely over with primer, took the Rams bars off. I had put my bike license under the bottom bracket which was still there.



I decided as being a veteran of painting model cars I could do it, I was wrong. 3 attempts (still able to buy spray cans at the Schwinn store back then, I think around $5 a can) and I gave up and painted it Opaque Green a color I liked.



In the early 90’s I saw an ad in the back of Hot Rod magazine for the StingRay City newsletter (SRC) and subscribed. This got me fired up on restoring it. It had been in a few basement floods and was pretty sad looking. Networking through SRC I was able to get it done, this was pre internet.. Back then Pete was doing paint jobs.  I sent 2 frames, this one came back very dark. The other just the wrong color. (future post)  This is when I heard Pete is colorblind. Ended up having Andy Getz do the paint on this one. Some things I did I didn’t know any better (remember no internet) so I have thought about redoing the details.



It’s time is now so just finished up detailing it up, more correct this time. Got rid of the crappy fork decals and painted them with a stencil. Used the right eyestabber brake levers. Also used the mylar striped seat. Replaced the crappy repop 5 speed crossed flag decal with a nos one. Much better. If you think you will need one or more a guy on ebay is selling NOS ones. You will not be sorry, they look so much better than the repops. Had a better condition correct Sprint derailleur so went with it. Mine was not very good, probably from the floods. I popped for the Kool Stuff chain guard screening since before I had used a wrong looking decal.



I’m real happy how it looks now. I know everybody likes original paint but was not an option after the theft. Before someone asked yes I did think about whitewalls! Have a NOS set of General Brigadier whitewalls and I held them up to it and looked at it for a few days but didn’t really love the look. Surprised me too! First pic is how it has looked since the early 90's. Now it probably looks pretty close to how it did when mom and dad rolled it out of the Schwinn store.


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## GTs58 (Aug 1, 2022)

As Billy would say, "That looks mahvelous!" This is one model that I never had the chance to ride back in the day. Have you taken it out for a spin yet to see if it rides as nice as it looks?


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## schwinnja (Aug 2, 2022)

I want to see the bicycle license on the bottom bracket!😎
Nice work! 👍


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## 30thtbird (Aug 2, 2022)

Wow. Real nice.


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## schwinnbikebobb (Aug 2, 2022)

Hey GT

Did take a short ride.  Kinda twitchy. Must have got used to it as a kid!

License did not survive the striping process. It was nothing special, a smallish green sticker with a white section that had the license number on it.

Thanks!!


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## stezell (Aug 3, 2022)

Looks great Bob!

Sean


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## Gimletbikes (Aug 3, 2022)

Man, that thing even smells new. Looks amazing.


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## A.S.BOLTNUT (Aug 5, 2022)

Great story, thanks for sharing, I had a similar experience, probably what triggered my obsession with classic bicycles, very cool bike indeed. 

Rafael


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## OptimusJay (Aug 5, 2022)

primo example Bob. I've always had a soft spot for a killer campus green - it's a great color.  Still up in the air about if whitewalls would have made it pop more or not 
Jay


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## GTs58 (Aug 5, 2022)

OptimusJay said:


> primo example Bob. I've always had a soft spot for a killer campus green - it's a great color.  Still up in the air about if whitewalls would have made it pop more or not
> Jay




I'm down on the ground, and I think the black walls are the puss n boots on this.  😜


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## rollfaster (Aug 9, 2022)

Beautiful bike, love the story as well!


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## Nashman (Sep 2, 2022)

So cool. Great story. I love your name too. Ha!!


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## phantom (Sep 2, 2022)

Can't read posts that long but I enjoy the pictures.


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