my 1950 Schwinn Traveler (?) project

[GTs58]

Meant this as reply to a quote re the paint being a brand new 1950 thing: Not so sure about that. That red/burgundy paint looks EXACTLY like the paint on my 1946 Continental. Indeed, it does look 2 stage. I often felt the blue Continentals from 1946-7 looked 2 stage as well. So, not disputing that it is 2 stage, only that Schwinn was trying it 4 years earlier. I think the Continental production volume was quite low. Perhaps a few hundred per year?

The World Opalescent colors was $.65 extra in 51. Both Opal and solid color enamel paints were available.

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

Meant this as reply to a quote re the paint being a brand new 1950 thing: Not so sure about that.

metallic paint in general was new. not new that year.

 

[Oilit]

Meant this as reply to a quote re the paint being a brand new 1950 thing: Not so sure about that. That red/burgundy paint looks EXACTLY like the paint on my 1946 Continental. Indeed, it does look 2 stage. I often felt the blue Continentals from 1946-7 looked 2 stage as well. So, not disputing that it is 2 stage, only that Schwinn was trying it 4 years earlier. I think the Continental production volume was quite low. Perhaps a few hundred per year?

I've just assumed that the Continental was a higher-end bike than the New World, so it got the new style paint first, then the more common lightweights got it starting with the Traveler, but I could be wrong. I know just enough about paint to know there's a lot I don't know.

 

[GTs58]

metal flake paint in general was new. not new that year.

Technically that's not metal flake and metal flake was a later entry in painting and gel coats. Metallic paint has different size flakes from very small to medium size and the metal flake has very large flakes and it's used on the old custom show cars and boat finishes. Here is what's known as metal flake. Or at least it was before everyone changed the definition.

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

I misspoke. I have metal flake on the brain because I know the guy who sells the Roth Flake. his paint store is 100 yards from me as I type.

 

[Alan Brase]

Crazy how big a dollar was back then. I remember looking at the 1940 catalog and seeing frame prices. $30 for a Paramount and $20 for a Superior. I bet a replacement New World frame was less than $10 in 1949.
Opalescent? That was the key sales pitch before "Flamboyant"?
I do happen to know quite a bit about paint and have state license to kill the ozone. (with auto paint). But way more enthralled with original paint.
I'd not be so principled as to not try to TOUCH UP or fog in a bit more color on a few of mine.
Just practicing this now with an original paint (but not much of it) 1955 VW single cab pick up.

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

after spending countless hours making the paint look like paint again I decided it was time to ride it.... well..... 75% of it. these are the coaster brake wheels from the parts bike and new tires and tubes. I am going to respoke the original wheels and I wanted to ride it TODAY. I am still working on the paint so this is as far as I care to assemble it right now...

wonder how many years it has been since a person rode this bike?

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

found that seat ^^^ on ebay that had the same feel as the original so I got it. it will go on something else later. it is a newer style than the original which had leather and "horsehair" padding under the "pleather" cover.

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

going to run these bars and stem even though they are crummy.

the 1959 Alameda bicycle licence did not like what I was using to make the paint shine and came off... I wasn't going to remove it, but now that it has come off I am going to put it on its own little bracket somewhere on the bike.