# 1949 Green Phantom



## cyberpaull (Dec 17, 2012)

View attachment 85596[

1949 Schwinn Green Phantom


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## eazywind (Dec 17, 2012)

*Sweet bike*

Sweet bike. Is it all original?? Not a big fan of Phantoms per se......... but do like the green ones..........


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## cyberpaull (Dec 17, 2012)

eazywind said:


> Sweet bike. Is it all original?? Not a big fan of Phantoms per se......... but do like the green ones..........




Thanks! Yes except new leather on the seat. Not 100% sure on the fenders. I have had this bike for only 2 years. Hard to find a green 49.


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## PCHiggin (Dec 17, 2012)

*I want It!*

I had a red years ago but always wanted a green,nice.


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## F4iGuy (Dec 17, 2012)

Beautiful!!


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## jd56 (Dec 17, 2012)

I love the green too...nice Paul.

But a green Phantom, I have so much to learn. Didn't know there was such a thing.


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## Freqman1 (Dec 17, 2012)

I think we may have discussed this very bike on here before but technically green and red were introduced in the '50 model year. What date does the serial # put the frame at? Regardless still a sweet bike and I do like Phantoms--don't be a hata! V/r Shawn


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## SJ_BIKER (Dec 17, 2012)

*They look cherry to me*

Those fenders look like the real deal


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## 2jakes (Dec 18, 2012)

*Green phantom*



Freqman1 said:


> I think we may have discussed this very bike on here before but technically green and red were introduced in the '50 model year. What date does the serial # put the frame at? Regardless still a sweet bike and I do like Phantoms--don't be a hata! V/r Shawn




 I thought that "Green Phantom" color  came in a metallic  green paint only.The one
 that I have is a darker enamel green. Not sure if this is correct ! 
 I bought this in '85. The serial # is D 50917 , which I believe to be a '52 frame.
 I read somewhere that inside the crank is the  A & S stamping that would indicate
 the year it was made. Not 100 % sure about this. Although it was sold as an original
 that had been restored , the leather on the saddle has been replaced.
 The front tire is original & the rear is an old standby until I find the right one.
 The handlebar grips although green are not Schwinn.  I have the original ones
 which are black. It's a very solid heavy bike & rides real smooth !


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## Freqman1 (Dec 18, 2012)

There have also been some lengthy threads on here concerning the opalescent (metallic) colors. These were introduced about 1954 replacing the solid green and red. Also about this time Schwinn started stripping the Phantom by making some of the deluxe features options e.g. cycle lock and tailight. Your bike appears to have the wrong grips and maybe wrong handlebars--hard to tell from that angle. If your bike is a '52 that color is correct. V/r Shawn


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## 2jakes (Dec 18, 2012)

*Green Phantom*



Freqman1 said:


> There have also been some lengthy threads on here concerning the opalescent (metallic) colors. These were introduced about 1954 replacing the solid green and red. Also about this time Schwinn started stripping the Phantom by making some of the deluxe features options e.g. cycle lock and tailight. Your bike appears to have the wrong grips and maybe wrong handlebars--hard to tell from that angle. If your bike is a '52 that color is correct. V/r Shawn




 I did mentioned that the handlebar grips were not Schwinn , but thanks for the info
with regards to the '52 solid green color . I do have the original grips & handlebar .
This is one of my bikes that I ride daily .


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## GTs58 (Dec 21, 2012)

I have never seen an old Radiant, Opal or Flamboyant colored Schwinn with "Metallic" paint. They were all candy colors painted over a non metallic gold or silver base coat.


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## 2jakes (Dec 21, 2012)

I haven't either .
What you describe as "candy colors " by Schwinn , others would say opal or metallic . Probably
to distinguish from the earlier solid  enamel colors offered by Schwinn. 
In the latter part of the 50s , I noticed that Schwinn ads use the word "Radiant" to describe a 
specific color. My '54 Western Flyer had that cherry candy color red  like you mentioned & the
underpaint was silver…gave it a metallic look !


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## cyberpaull (Feb 20, 2013)

*Frame Number*







Freqman1 said:


> I think we may have discussed this very bike on here before but technically green and red were introduced in the '50 model year. What date does the serial # put the frame at? Regardless still a sweet bike and I do like Phantoms--don't be a hata! V/r Shawn




Trust me when I tell you the frame number puts this bike at 11/1949.  The date on this frame is one of the most important reasons I bought this Green Phantom besides the color.


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## Freqman1 (Feb 21, 2013)

11/49 is, in all likelihood, a '50 model year bike. V/r Shawn


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## cyclonecoaster.com (Feb 21, 2013)

*11/1949 -- Maybe a Christmas bicycle*

*You hear the stories* -- maybe 11/1949 date code was a special order Christmas bicycle & Schwinn liked it so much they continued the run the following years -Green is my favorite in the Phantom - Black is my least favorite seeing how it is so common - all in all the Schwinn Cantilever frame is my favorite rider though 

*Calling all Red & Green Phantom owners here on thecabe - How about some homework - lets see who can find the earliest serial number on their Red or Green Phantom !!!* Maybe we should start another thread for this project -- 

It is just a curiosity - ride vintage - Frank


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## spoker (Feb 21, 2013)

*green fhantom*

green and red phantoms are nice,mfgs start puting things together well b4 they are introduced,hot wheels makes ther cars at least 3 yrs ahesd of release time,if some one has a sales reciet from 49 fine,also its your bike if you want to consider it a 49 you should,its yours do whatever you want,the candy colors where introduced around 54,they were traslucent solid colors over a FLAT silver base,the base will look gold after some years as uv had not been used yet,the old original candy colors were laqure,sorry bout the spelling,paint toners were added to clear to make the candy color,metalics,were introduced in the automotive field in the 50s,they were called glamour colors,there wasnt any old bikes metallic cause it wasnt avail way back when


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## 2jakes (Feb 21, 2013)

*Green Phantom*

*Serial # D-50917*





I thought I knew the year , but some have pointed that
the serial on the frame doesn't mean the year it was made !


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## cyberpaull (Feb 21, 2013)

*Am I making a mistake.*



Freqman1 said:


> 11/49 is, in all likelihood, a '50 model year bike. V/r Shawn




Am I making a mistake calling my Green Phantom a 1949 cause the mfg date is 11/49. Or should I say it's a 1950 model??? I have always gone by serial number date.


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## cyberpaull (Feb 21, 2013)

cyclonecoaster.com said:


> *You hear the stories* -- maybe 11/1949 date code was a special order Christmas bicycle & Schwinn liked it so much they continued the run the following years -Green is my favorite in the Phantom - Black is my least favorite seeing how it is so common - all in all the Schwinn Cantilever frame is my favorite rider though
> 
> *Calling all Red & Green Phantom owners here on thecabe - How about some homework - lets see who can find the earliest serial number on their Red or Green Phantom !!!* Maybe we should start another thread for this project --
> 
> It is just a curiosity - ride vintage - Frank






Am I making a mistake calling my Green Phantom a 1949 cause the mfg date is 11/49. Or should i say it's a 1950 model??? I have always gone by serial number date.


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## Freqman1 (Feb 21, 2013)

Every piece of literature I've ever read doesn't show a red/green Phantom until the '50 model year. Just curious does it have a "Phantom" decal on the chainguard? I don't believe the true '49 models had a chainguard decal. The frame is dated '49 so, technically, I don't think you are wrong to call it a '49 just not sure that it really matters that much. If I saw a black bike (original) with a late 49 serial # and a decal I would call it a '50 model. It would be interesting to see who can come up with the earliest red or green bike though! V/r Shawn


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## scrubbinrims (Feb 21, 2013)

There can be a difference between production year and model year, more likely than one would think around the calendar year cusp.
Since we gernerally use references to catologues, ads, and other literature, the default is generally the model year.
That is my opinion, Chris


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## schwinnderella (Feb 21, 2013)

Doesn't the serial number indicate the date the frame was manufactured? Bike could have been built days weeks or months later. I believe most collectors would consider the O/P's bike a 1950 considering the late 49 serial number and most collectors believe that there was no green or red for 1949 phantoms. For that matter I am not certain there are actual 1949 phantoms. Leon Dixon indicates in his early writings that there were 49 phantoms but did not have phantom on the chainguard. So what it a phantom or something else?


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## GTs58 (Feb 21, 2013)

*A Serial Number Is Just A Serial Number*

*The dated coded Serial Number is the day a bike was conceived.* The frame could have been built that day but not necessarily. I've spent many many hours doing research on this subject and I believe the serial numbers were stamped on the bikes component before it was welded, rolled or attached to another frame member. Others believe the number was stamped after the frame was built. I've seen double serial number stampings on Schwinn head tubes, with different numbers. One SN stamping on the bottom right and another stamping upside down on the top left. This would indicate the serial number was stamped when the headtube was just a stamped out flat piece of steel. The *"average"* time from the serial number date to the final build date of a Schwinn was roughly one month. I've seen some bikes in the late 70's and early 80's where the bike was built 6 months and even later after the serial number date.  
From my research, if you have a serial number that was dated the last week of November or later the bike was definitely the next years model. From all the old Schwinn dealers that I have talked to the next years models did not ship out from the distribution centers until the middle of January, so no new next years models were sold and delivered for Christmas.  There were a few models over the years that were the exception and Schwinn started a mid year production or early production like the Corvette 5 speed , the first Jaguar and some Stingrays. In mid 1961 the Varsity was changed and was upgraded along with the Continental.  I can’t count how many people that I have encountered that were totally confused as to why their serial number’s year date didn’t match that years colors, components or decals. If your Schwinn has a late serial number, it most likely is the next years model.

The serial numbers were intended for identification purposes, not necessarily the model year and they do not give you the actual build or finish date of a frame or the bike. Schwinn started stamping the head badges with the build date on the 75-76 models so if you have a bike from that period check the headbadge number against the serial number date. I’ve had a few Schwinns that had a crank dated months later than the serial numbers so that’s another indication that the serial number has nothing to do with the actual build date. Any questions?  LOL


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## cyberpaull (Feb 22, 2013)

Freqman1 said:


> Every piece of literature I've ever read doesn't show a red/green Phantom until the '50 model year. Just curious does it have a "Phantom" decal on the chainguard? I don't believe the true '49 models had a chainguard decal. The frame is dated '49 so, technically, I don't think you are wrong to call it a '49 just not sure that it really matters that much. If I saw a black bike (original) with a late 49 serial # and a decal I would call it a '50 model. It would be interesting to see who can come up with the earliest red or green bike though! V/r Shawn





No there is no Phantom Decal on the Chainguard. It looks like there never was either.


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Feb 22, 2013)

*lets put this to rest*



     serial numbers got stamped ahead of time!! kinda hard to stamp under a weld!!??


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## cyclonecoaster.com (Feb 22, 2013)

*I have always considered the serial number the correct date of day built*

Not to ruffle any feathers here --- If you look at how many bicycles Schwinn was building a day or in a year in those days - Schwinn was at it's prime back then with thousands of bicycles being built each year - The serial numbers if stamped before - wouldn't be that far ahead & even if they were stamped ahead of time the serial number records on file are for the serial numbers they built each day -- just approaching the serial number controversy logically - that's all -- ride vintage - Frank


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## cyberpaull (Feb 22, 2013)

*Thanks guys for all the info.*

I would like to consider my Green Phantom a 1949. You are correct the 49 built phantoms did not have the phantom Decal. That didn't come till mid to late 50's models so what I have heard


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## GTs58 (Feb 22, 2013)

*Thank You Fatbar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

Another superb example proving the serial numbers were stamped prior to the frame build. To bad 90% of the Schwinners will still believe the serial number date is the build date. 
If anyone is into the 70's and early 80's Schwinn built lightweights you might have noticed that many have a one to two year gap between the serial number date and the build date stamped on the headbadge. Metacortex has been recording/logging all the build date info on these lightweights and I'm sure he would like to hear from you if you have one of these. 

cyberpaull, have you pulled your crank to see what year it was cast in? I have an original May 1961 serial numbered frame with a crank that was cast the 27th week of 1962. I purchased that bike from the original owner and that 62 crank came with that bike.


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