# green phantom



## the tinker (Jan 11, 2016)

All of us accumulate parts. Every so often I sell stuff and soon thereafter I regret it.....
You have a tank or something laying around a few years and one day you say to yourself, "Never going to use this thing, might as well sell it."
And then a bike gets tossed your way and , you guessed it, you need those parts you sold. 

On Christmas Eve this bike was delivered to me from the original owner's nephew to be restored to be "looking and riding good".After telling him I needed $200 labor and more for the needed parts I have been waiting the past week and half for the go ahead.

Just got a call from him .  He did not want to put the $$ into a 1951 bike....I suggested I could pay him the $200 for the bike and he could go to Target or Walmart and get a brand new Schwinn Cruiser........Well I Just bought a green phantom!!
 The nice part about it is I already have a nice green phantom springer, a decent set of phantom fenders and a phantom saddle down in the hidden underground parts bunker.[beneath Colson Command] that I have been saving for a long time......Glad I did not sell them.






It pays to hang onto parts...





"The new addition"


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## bricycle (Jan 11, 2016)

All Right Now!


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## vincev (Jan 11, 2016)

Hey Tinker,I've been lookin for a green one.PM me if you may part with it.


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## the tinker (Jan 11, 2016)

I know there are some Schwinn Phantom experts here. Does anyone know the percentage breakdown of the colors Schwinn painted the Phantoms? black...red.....green.?

I brought Mr. Green phantom downstairs[beneath Colson Command] to meet some of the other boys including the black phantom.....took a photo of the Phantom sign and the green phantom's new home for the long winter....

Notice the photo of the tank. No rust outs or deep pits, just a bit of heavy surface rust.  
 Usually I would replace the decals but on this one I would like to leave as is. 
I think oxalic acid will trash the decals, what about some of these other cleaners that I can submerge the tank in?  I have a couple types here but I have never soaked a tank trying to save the decals and don't want to lose these . 
Anyone of you Cabers have some products that you have used with good results?

Thanks


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## bicycle larry (Jan 11, 2016)

thats a nice bike tinker dave glade you got it .i like it a lot   from bicycle larry


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## frankster41 (Jan 12, 2016)

Nice find Dave!!


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## tech549 (Jan 12, 2016)

good deal,nice!


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## mruiz (Jan 12, 2016)

Nice Phantom.
Mitch


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## ballooney (Jan 12, 2016)

the tinker said:


> Notice the photo of the tank. No rust outs or deep pits, just a bit of heavy surface rust.
> Usually I would replace the decals but on this one I would like to leave as is.
> I think oxalic acid will trash the decals, what about some of these other cleaners that I can submerge the tank in?  I have a couple types here but I have never soaked a tank trying to save the decals and don't want to lose these .
> Anyone of you Cabers have some products that you have used with good results?
> ...




I'd hit the chrome with some flitz and 0000 steel wool.  The result will look more natural on the bike than what a chem soak will provide.  The paint will come back just fine with any number of products...I like maguires.  Decals look killer to me...I would leave them.  My .02 cents.


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## 2jakes (Jan 13, 2016)

the tinker said:


> I know there are some Schwinn Phantom experts here. Does anyone know the percentage breakdown of the colors Schwinn painted the Phantoms? black...red.....green.?
> 
> 
> View attachment 264958




Not an expert & wouldn’t know the percentages....but,
I have a '51 green phantom. The green is solid color.
I have a ’55 red & the colors are metallic.

Nice Phantom !


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## the tinker (Jan 14, 2016)

I am supposed to be painting just about every room in the house but that can wait.
So far I have about 13 hours work into the green phantom.About 3 hours of that has been spent down in the hidden under ground parts bunker[ beneath Colson Command] digging out parts for this rust heap.  As you can see it is now a bare frame. No bad surprises other then the rack had a big dent in it.



I have assembled all the parts I need to make this phantom right. Thought I had a green phantom rack but I ended up straightening the original one, as the other one was for an older Schwinn.
Got a nice pair of S2's with Schwinn white walls from an old Panther....will have to change it from the skip tooth.
Also have an original green springer with nicer paint on the fork arms, will use those.
Found a nice set of the older narrow truss rods and some good looking original fenders.








Got the rusty chain and chain ring soaking in some de-rusting stuff and have been working on cleaning up the tank.  Nice thing about it is there will not be any re-pop parts on it when done.
Somewhere out in the garage I have a original Phantom seat . The bottom bracket is bent on this one.
This is much better than painting the bedrooms....


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## the tinker (Jan 15, 2016)

The Phantom chain guard has lots of rust and some small pits into the paint that has stained the paint. I decided to soak the guard in some oxalic acid[Savogran Woodbleach] to eat out all the rust. I have used this product before with excellent results. [just don,t soak for more than 8 hours as it may soften paint]
The item that is soaked MUST BE COMPLETELY submerged. It's tempting to fill the biggest container one has at hand and take a large item like a fender or frame that will not completely fit in your container and do half at a time. there will be, when finished a clear "line" in your paint where the two soakings overlapped showing in your paint. This will not come out.


I placed the phantom guard in a wallpaper tray for it's ox soak. Because oxalic acid is not friendly to decals the lower section where the Schwinn logo decal is will not be  submerged in the solution. However as you can see a small piece of paper towel was placed over the area I want to have the acid affect. The towel will wick up the solution to remove the rust from the paint without damaging the decal, also avoiding a "line" in the paint.


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## Crazy8 (Jan 15, 2016)

Could really use the legs off your Panther Springer if they are straight and the paint is decent.   Don't need the steering tube or chrome parts.  My left one has a dent in it that bent it out of shape.


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## the tinker (Jan 15, 2016)

Crazy8 said:


> Could really use the legs off your Panther Springer if they are straight and the paint is decent.   Don't need the steering tube or chrome parts.  My left one has a dent in it that bent it out of shape.
> 
> View attachment 265549
> View attachment 265550




I would love to help you out Crazy8 but all the springers I have are complete and in excellent shape . Sorry, I don't want to start parting them out. I am thinking [only considering for now] bringing a bunch of various complete springers to Memory lane to sell......maybe


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## 56 Vette (Jan 16, 2016)

Looking good Tinker! I have unfortunately been doing the painting thing recently, taking away from bike time! Lol. Can't wait to see it done! Joe


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## the tinker (Jan 16, 2016)

I now have nearly 16 hours of work in the green Phantom. Spent considerable time yesterday on cleaning up the tank and fenders. These fenders were really rusty and I should not have wasted the time cleaning them but I just wanted to see if they could be saved. The tank came out fairly good for the amount of rust that was on it.
I  have a beater everyday rider Schwinnn. Maybe those fenders might fit on it.



















Too bad the chrome is shot on these fenders. They have only a few dings on them. I will roll them out and see if they fit this Schwinn.


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## WES PINCHOT (Jan 16, 2016)

If the chrome fenders are all solid, they could be painted and salvageable.


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## the tinker (Jan 16, 2016)

WES PINCHOT said:


> If the chrome fenders are all solid, they could be painted and salvageable.




How do we paint over chrome?  Sand it all off? I know there is a special primer , however this chrome is somewhat flaky and pitted.


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## WES PINCHOT (Jan 16, 2016)

the tinker said:


> how do we paint over chrome?  Sand it all off? I know there is a special primer , however this chrome is somewhat flaky and pitted.



bead blast the fenders, then prime and paint!
How is mr. Ed?


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## mruiz (Jan 17, 2016)

What out for the gas water heater, it is close to the solvent.


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## the tinker (Jan 17, 2016)

mruiz said:


> What out for the gas water heater, it is close to the solvent.


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## vincev (Jan 17, 2016)

mruiz said:


> What out for the gas water heater, it is close to the solvent.




Send me the dummies and the Green Phantom before you blow up the house.


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## Tim the Skid (Jan 17, 2016)

Looking good Tinker. The tank turned out great.


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## 2jakes (Jan 18, 2016)

the tinker said:


> How do we paint over chrome?  Sand it all off? I know there is a special primer , however this chrome is somewhat flaky and pitted.








Hard to tell from a picture, but the fenders look good in that they match the green.
I would think that if you were to “improve” on the fenders, they would stand out & not match the original over all look.
Then you would have to paint the rest of the bike to match & loose the original look.
Unless that is your intent.

I love the bike as is. Given a choice I would always buy the bike as is & not one that has been worked on.
But that’s me.

Good Luck which ever way you go with it tink !


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## the tinker (Jan 19, 2016)

*before and after*

On Christmas Eve I got this 51 one owner Schwinn.



26 hours of work later as of tonight it looks like this:




I replaced the original fenders with a set I had off a green 54. put some better S2's on it with a couple of old Typhoon's for traction. Found a better set of truss rods that at least still had some chrome left on them.  I cleaned everything up and am happy that every part on it is original old made in USA Schwinn. I also fixed the original saddle. Kinda beat but it will do the job for this old Klunker...I have to keep bars and pedals off all the bikes as I am jammed in really tight for the winter.
This is the next project: an original 47 Liberty.


I plan to spend less time here on the Cabe and more time working on the house and starting this 47.....see you when it's done.


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## rollfaster (Jan 19, 2016)

Tinker, you do some damn fine work. Looks great.


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## Tim the Skid (Jan 19, 2016)

Nice work Tinker! The paint on the Liberty looks real good. Looking forward to seeing it back on the street. Nice stash of bikes you have packed in the cellar!


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