# Help! Looking for Schwinn Corvette Parts and info!



## Drosentreter (Sep 26, 2022)

1956 Schwinn Corvette what is correct equipment for these? Catalog images for a deluxe show a tan seat with a crash bar, Tornado Tires, front and rear caliper brakes, 3 speed internal hub. So I want to know what is exactly correct. I have a very particular friend having me restore his 56 and he wants everything as original with the exception of a deluxe conversion from a base model. This means I need/need to know:
1956 dated 3 speed hub(SA?) and shifter linkage, cable, rollers, and shifter.(mint or near mint)
What are the correct grips, and I most likely need a pair(mint or near mint)
Closest match to Schwinn Tornado tires as possible(S7 rim)
Correct bow pedals(mint or near mint)
Correct seat and crash bar (if mine is not correct)
Stainless fender set(mint or near mint)
Seat post collar bolt(mint or near mint)
Maybe a wheelset(depending on 3 speed availability with or without wheel, and condition of my wheelset)
Front and rear caliper rim brakes(mint or near mint)
Rear reflector(mint or near mint)
Correct 1956 sales booklet(the one that hangs on handlebars at dealer)
Correct fender and chainguard hardware(any condition considered)

Questions:
Is my seat correct for a deluxe 56?
What is the correct rear hub for a 56?
What are the correct grips?
What are the correct tires?
Anything else incorrect about the bike?

If someone has a really good original example I would be greatly appreciative. Thanks, Dane


----------



## piercer_99 (Sep 26, 2022)

pics from a 56 for sale on craigs list













Schwinn 1956 Corvette 3 speed.
Serial number V82528


----------



## piercer_99 (Sep 26, 2022)

Here is a nicer one for reference.









						Let’s see those Corvettes | All Things Schwinn
					

Here's a photo of my 1965 Corvette II one year only bicycle, original condition, 2 speed.




					thecabe.com
				





Pedalsnostalgia​


----------



## Rivnut (Sep 26, 2022)

One thing you’re missing for a three speed hub is the caliper brakes.  That will require a different fork than you currently have. There is no rear rack, the seat is tan with a crash bar, grips are the color of the frame with white lettering. I’ve seen some 55 and 56 Corvettes with the Mayweg Schwinn Approved dual hinge front racks ; whether they’re original or optional, I don’t know. Your seat post will need a pulley for the shifter cable.


----------



## Drosentreter (Sep 26, 2022)

Rivnut said:


> One thing you’re missing for a three speed hub is the caliper brakes.  That will require a different fork than you currently have. There is no rear rack, the seat is tan with a crash bar, grips are the color of the frame with white lettering. I’ve seen some 55 and 56 Corvettes with the Mayweg Schwinn Approved dual hinge front racks ; whether they’re original or optional, I don’t know. Your seat post will need a pulley for the shifter cable.



Awesome. Thanks for the info. I know the rear rack was added, and I wasn’t sure about the catalog picture vs the actual bike as far as the seat goes. I was pretty certain about the grips being that way. Are the grips the “schwinn approved” grips? As far as the pulley, how does it mount?


----------



## Drosentreter (Sep 26, 2022)

So an updated list:
3 speed setup(will buy all at once, or in pieces)
Caliper brakes
Black Schwinn grips
Tan seat with crash bar
Correct Caliper brake fork(any color will be repainted)
Correct Fender and chainguard hardware(any condition considered)
Mint or near mint fender set

Questions:
What was the seat post plated with?
What was the fender and chainguard hardware plated with?
What was the seat bolt and stem bolts plated with?
Kickstand plated or painted?
How does the kickstand come apart?


----------



## Rusty Klunker (Sep 26, 2022)

I see your frame has the brake bridge in the rear so you are good for rear brakes. But here is another possible option. How about a bendix manual 2 speed. I think it was an option for your bike. Not sure how it was optioned but I have a 55 - 57 American (one of those ones the SN was used more then once). It has the 2 speed. Its a coaster brake but it has the clamp on rim brakes up front, no special fork. Just an alternative, not sure how easy it will be to find the fork or the brake parts... well or the clamp on brakes.

Kick stand is easy. Schwinn made a tool (seems like there is always one on ebay), park tool made a tool and someone else that looked just like it. But you can do it with a 9/16 maybe 5/8 box wrench. You need to compress that collar you see where it enters the frame. Once you compress it you pull that little pin and it all comes apart. If its really clean and no rust the pin will fall out. If its dirty or rusty you will need a pair of pliers.
A little trickier putting back together but can be done with the wrench.
If you look on youtube for schwinn kick stand you'll see how to do it.


----------



## GTs58 (Sep 26, 2022)

The Picture @piercer_99 posted of Jeff's Black 56 is a very good example but the pedals are 1960+ and it looks like the bars are little later. You will need a drilled fork for the brake caliper. The front carrier is the Mayweg second generation. The seat is the two tone Persons with crash rail, only the 1955's had the brown vinyl seat.
Cad plating on seat post, seat post clamp, kickstand, fender stays and most hardware.
Fenders are 54-58 specific. And stainless steel.
Sturmey Archer 3 speed rear hub with date that preceeds the serial date within reason, or a month (30 days) post dated. Alloy shell. The serial date is not a build date.
There were a couple changes on the brake calipers and levers from 1954 thru 1958, so make sure you get the ones correct for the year.
Pedals are Union made Schwinn approved large cap bows that have the screwed on blocks. Pricey for a nice set!
The light was the Delta ball.
The grips are the flush tear drop style and for a black bike they could be either white or black.
I have one original Tornado tire and those are like chickens teeth to find in just about any condition. Go with Westwind repops or the new large brick threads that came out over a year ago. There is nothing out there that is a close match for the S-7 Tornado tire. The much later Superior tire used the same tire mold but the whitewalls were totally different from a wide white to thin line whitewall. 64-65. 
Bars have almost a straight pullback. I think they widened, angled out in 56 at some point, the spread is a little more from the ones used on the 55 models. The ones on your example are definitely wrong.

The 56 shared many of the same parts found on the 55 models, but there are also quite a few different little details that changed. 

Here's the thread on my girls 55 Corvette that has never been touched. 









						1955 Corvette Survivor..........complete! | All Things Schwinn
					

I picked up this Opal Green 1955 girls Corvette today simply because it's in excellent condition, 99% original and 100% complete. The only thing that was not a factory issue on this is the front tire, and locks. I had to loosen the axle nut to get the full serial number and I noticed that the...




					thecabe.com


----------



## Rusty Klunker (Sep 26, 2022)

I do have to add, what you're wanting to do sounds VERY expensive. Might be cheaper to find a bike then round up all the parts.


----------



## WillWork4Parts (Sep 26, 2022)

I believe all of the screw type hardware at that point was cad plated.
Built in Schwinn kickstands were not painted, either cad or chrome plated. The 56 bikes I've had sported cad plated kickstands, but they weren't Deluxe. Not sure when chrome started. Here's some catalog pics of the internals and instructions.


The 56 should still have the single hole bushing like these, not the bushing with the groove all the way around....and matching double ended retaining pin and closed end cam.












There are 2 styles of Schwinn kickstand tools.




I think this is the early model of the tool.
It uses the kickstand to leverage the collar(bushing) back into it's hole so that the retaining pin can be removed. If you're going to paint the kickstand, this will probably damage that fresh paint.







This is a reproduction of the later model tool, as sold by the CABE on eBay. I haven't used this one but the 80s official Schwinn version can be hell on fresh/uncured paint at the back of the housing/frame. So be careful and/or be prepared for touch ups.

Both tools require some "metering" of the leverage you apply and chances are high that grease will help to try and lock the pin in place during removal.
Installation after a good cleaning is a cinch. Beware getting paint built up in either of the kickstand holes though.


----------



## Drosentreter (Sep 27, 2022)

Rusty Klunker said:


> I see your frame has the brake bridge in the rear so you are good for rear brakes. But here is another possible option. How about a bendix manual 2 speed. I think it was an option for your bike. Not sure how it was optioned but I have a 55 - 57 American (one of those ones the SN was used more then once). It has the 2 speed. Its a coaster brake but it has the clamp on rim brakes up front, no special fork. Just an alternative, not sure how easy it will be to find the fork or the brake parts... well or the clamp on brakes.
> 
> Kick stand is easy. Schwinn made a tool (seems like there is always one on ebay), park tool made a tool and someone else that looked just like it. But you can do it with a 9/16 maybe 5/8 box wrench. You need to compress that collar you see where it enters the frame. Once you compress it you pull that little pin and it all comes apart. If its really clean and no rust the pin will fall out. If its dirty or rusty you will need a pair of pliers.
> A little trickier putting back together but can be done with the wrench.
> If you look on youtube for schwinn kick stand you'll see how to do it.



I think your only 2 options on a 56 corvette were 3 speed or single speed. That’s all the catalog shows at least. I do think the American offered the clamp on brakes and the 2 speed though.


----------



## Drosentreter (Sep 27, 2022)

Rusty Klunker said:


> I do have to add, what you're wanting to do sounds VERY expensive. Might be cheaper to find a bike then round up all the parts.



I agree it does. He doesn’t seem to care. He just wants it restored to mint condition🤷‍♂️


----------



## Drosentreter (Sep 27, 2022)

GTs58 said:


> The Picture @piercer_99 posted of Jeff's Black 56 is a very good example but the pedals are 1960+ and it looks like the bars are little later. You will need a drilled fork for the brake caliper. The front carrier is the Mayweg second generation. The seat is the two tone Persons with crash rail, only the 1955's had the brown vinyl seat.
> Cad plating on seat post, seat post clamp, kickstand, fender stays and most hardware.
> Fenders are 54-58 specific. And stainless steel.
> Sturmey Archer 3 speed rear hub with date that preceeds the serial date within reason, or a month (30 days) post dated. Alloy shell. The serial date is not a build date.
> ...



I thought the 2 tone seat came in 57…


----------



## GTs58 (Sep 27, 2022)

Drosentreter said:


> I thought the 2 tone seat came in 57…



That Schwinn catalog scan is a repeat of the 1955 model. The seat is incorrect along with the front carrier that had the long tongs that went down to the bottom of the fender. The 56 models had the two-tone seat and a different Mayweg front rack and the chain guard was moved so it has different locations on the brackets. if you see a 1956 model with that brown saddle, it’s because somebody changed it to make it look like the catalog image.


----------



## Drosentreter (Sep 27, 2022)

GTs58 said:


> That Schwinn catalog scan is a repeat of the 1955 model. The seat is incorrect along with the front carrier that had the long tongs that went down to the bottom of the fender. The 56 models had the two-tone seat and a different Mayweg front rack and the chain guard was moved so it has different locations on the brackets. if you see a 1956 model with that brown saddle, it’s because somebody changed it to make it look like the catalog image.



Thanks for the info!


----------



## GTs58 (Sep 27, 2022)

Drosentreter said:


> I think your only 2 options on a 56 corvette were 3 speed or single speed. That’s all the catalog shows at least. I do think the American offered the clamp on brakes and the 2 speed though.



That’s correct, the 1958 model Corvette was the first year for the two speed option as standard equipment. The American had to be American, so it had to bolt on rim brakes and bendix 2 speed.


----------



## Drosentreter (Sep 27, 2022)

Update!
I talked him out of the 3 speed for sake of the extra cost/losing originality of his bike. 

So now a few more questions.
Cad or chrome plated seat collar? I have both, but the chrome was on it when he gave it to me to restore…

Cad AS bolt?

Is the pictured seat correct?/do they reproduce vinyl covers?

Stem bolts cad or chrome?(cad right?)

Rebuild kit for the kickstand?


----------



## GTs58 (Sep 27, 2022)

The seat post clamp that's on that Corvette now doesn't look like the correct style. That type is 1959 and later. Most all of the hardware cad plated. The front carrier on the bike is also incorrect. That's a chromed piece used on some of the later models. Only year a chromed metal carrier was used on a Corvette was in 1965. The seat was a two tone sewn vinyl. The seats in the pictures that @piercer_99 posted look like the correct pieces from what I can see. No reproduction of seat parts that I know of. There were some NOS covers being sold on eBay a while back and I think @hatz4katz might have a red one. 

Here's the seat post clamp. Only AS bolt uses at that time.






Here's the pedals.





Here's the stem.





Brake arm and axle hardware.





Mayweg rack. Correct NOS


----------



## Drosentreter (Sep 27, 2022)

GTs58 said:


> The seat post clamp that's on that Corvette now doesn't look like the correct style. That type is 1959 and later. Most all of the hardware cad plated. The front carrier on the bike is also incorrect. That's a chromed piece used on some of the later models. Only year a chromed metal carrier was used on a Corvette was in 1965. The seat was a two tone sewn vinyl. The seats in the pictures that @piercer_99 posted look like the correct pieces from what I can see. No reproduction of seat parts that I know of. There were some NOS covers being sold on eBay a while back and I think @hatz4katz might have a red one.
> 
> Here's the seat post clamp. Only AS bolt uses at that time.
> 
> ...



Surely not the only style… that looks earlier… here’s the style on my 57 starlet, and my 57 racer, and this 56 corvette…




Rough example but you get the point Round headed “AS” bolt.


----------



## GTs58 (Sep 27, 2022)

Drosentreter said:


> Surely not the only style… that looks earlier… here’s the style on my 57 starlet, and my 57 racer, and this 56 corvette…
> 
> View attachment 1702988
> Rough example but you get the point Round headed “AS” bolt.



Sorry, those are 100% incorrect. The AS D bolt people were robbing the originals off these pre 1959 models. And that's no joke! 😞


----------



## GTs58 (Sep 27, 2022)

Schwinn did a huge make-over for the 1959 models and that's when the long clamp with round head AS bolt showed up. All my pre-59 Corvettes have the short clamp and D bolts with my latest being a 1958.


----------



## Aaron65 (Sep 28, 2022)

GTs58 said:


> That’s correct, the 1958 model Corvette was the first year for the two speed option as standard equipment. The American had to be American, so it had to bolt on rim brakes and bendix 2 speed.







__





						Schwinn brochures and catalogs, 1951 - 1960 (66 of 157)
					





					waterfordbikes.com
				




You guys are much more knowledgeable about the details of these things, but my October '56 Corvette has a 2-speed Bendix, and it apparently could have been ordered as an accessory.  I don't know if the dealer would have installed that or what.


----------



## Drosentreter (Sep 28, 2022)

GTs58 said:


> Schwinn a did huge make-over for the 1959 models and that's when the long clamp with round head AS bolt showed up. All my pre-59 Corvettes have the short clamp and D bolts with my latest being a 1958.



So then that was only cad plated? No chrome versions on a Corvette?


----------



## Drosentreter (Sep 28, 2022)

Alright. Updated wanted/question list:

Questions:
Where can I get/what length/diameter spokes and nipples do I need?
Rear hub… Bendix Red Band hub? Or plain shell Bendix…?
Seat post… does it have a ridge in the seat end(upper/narrow) portion to prevent seat from turning?
Can I get another view of the rear coaster brake arm mount?

Wanted:
Stainless 26” 1954-1958 fenders Mint or Near
OG 26” Bow Pedals 1/2” Mint or Near
Black and White 2 tone seat with crash bar Mint or Near
Stem/stem bolts Mint or Near
Handlebars Mint or Near
OG Fender+Chainguard Hardware(any condition considered)
Mint or Near kickstand(NO sag/NO wear in mechanism)
54-58 Schwinn Corvette Chainguard straight, any condition paint


----------



## schwinnja (Sep 29, 2022)

Drosentreter said:


> Alright. Updated wanted/question list:
> 
> Questions:
> Where can I get/what length/diameter spokes and nipples do I need?
> ...




Pedals:  tinyurl.com/3ba88yhk


----------



## Drosentreter (Sep 29, 2022)

schwinnja said:


> Pedals:  tinyurl.com/3ba88yhk



Thanks, those are nice but not nice enough.


----------



## GTs58 (Sep 29, 2022)

Aaron65 said:


> __
> 
> 
> 
> ...




The Bendix 2 speed coaster was an option for a few models in 1956 replacing the coaster brake. It was not a standard option on the Corvette until 1958, but a dealer could order this option on a factory build.


----------



## GTs58 (Sep 29, 2022)

Here's a 1954 1955 Chain guard. Notice the rear mounting bracket location how far it extends past the end of the guard. Also the very common cable clip found on all the boys models.






Here's a 1956 thru 1958 guard with the rear bracket extended out 1/2" or so further and no cable clip.


----------



## Drosentreter (Sep 29, 2022)

GTs58 said:


> Here's a 1954 1955 Chain guard. Notice the rear mounting backet location how far it extends past the end of the guard. Also the very common cable clip found on all the boys models.
> 
> View attachment 1704029
> 
> ...



Thanks for the info! That I did not know!


----------



## GTs58 (Oct 1, 2022)

Here is a June 1956 Dell comic book with the 1956 Corvette on the back page. I've found out over the years that the comic images are always pretty spot on with the bikes details whereas the actual Schwinn catalog images are not and they don't show the changes of the small details like seats, grips and even front carriers. The two-tone color matching Persons seats were illustrated here in 1956.


----------

