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1962 Schwinn Typhoon 20" Pig Bike

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Oldbikeguy1960

Wore out three sets of tires already!
I am starting a (re)build thread on a bike I got maybe 10 years ago in a basement cleanout that looked like a 1960s garage sale.
When I got it it had chrome S-2 Wheels with tractor grip tires and a red Solo Polo seat. It also had Longhorn bars with Red Schwinn script grips. That was a true Pig Bike from the beginnings of Pig Bikes.
Then I sold it to a friend who wanted it to look more like a Stingray, so he changed the seat and handlebars. We put the chainguard on it from a 1962 Buddy, it had the same frame except for the stamped joints instead of the welded joints.
Somewhere in the shuffle the original bars and seat are lost or I would never have touched it.
Since that is not the case it is going to become something else. It will be a Dad and Son vision of a cool bike that was built from parts they could access at the time and work they could do themselselves. Since it was 1950s-1960s parts chroming was cheap and easily accessible so there was no reason not to go with some parts that may not have been done to that point.
Below is some photos of what the bike was when I started. Progress photos to come.
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The seat I purchased for the project. It was actually recovered at home by a Dad that builds some custom bikes with his sons so I felt it was perfect and the price was more than reasonable. Included in the price was a piece of extra vinyl large enough to make a nice sissybar pad. Thanks to Max Golter for this!
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The fork for the project came from bobcycles. When I received it all it needed was some paint removed and polished which I will be doing soon. Thanks Bob!
I will either need to rethread and cut the neck or make a shiny chrome spacer for it.

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Now some shots of the (almost) bare frame. After receiving these parts I am going to do something I swore I wouldn't do. Repaint.
It just will not look like it all belongs together with how bad the paint looks. I tried polishing but some of the color burned out on the top bar from being outdoors for half its life.
There is a bright side, this frame I'm 1962 came in Flamboyant Red.
Now I need an economical way to paint it. I already have more money in this than my original plan of getting a sprung Solo Polo and a set of handlebars and I am an old disabled guy on a budget.
As you can see in the last photo the only part I could get to shine good enough to pass muster was the bottom of the bottom bracket. Kinda hard to see in riding position.

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After I was into this project I found some photos of an old bike that was done similar, and it was a 1962 Typhoon to Boot! I came up with mine independently but it is kinda cool to see another one that is similar to my plan. The fork is not a vintage Schwinn but the bike was built for a different purpose so that is not important.

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I have some ideas on wheelsets and havdlebars

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Wheelsets are to be some version of multi speed with drum brakes front and rear. I plan to modify some type of boat shifter to change gears.
Handlebars will be either Tiller bars or Shelby Airflo bars.
Pedals are to be a combo of Torrington Jeweled reflectors and Sunburst end caps.
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Chainguard will be this 1950s Hercules unit. This one has a screening on it I want to replace once it's cleaned up.

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Thanks, I appreciate the likes and comments! I may give that idea a chance. I do have a picture in my mind. Back then, as I know from growing up in the 1960s-1970s kids were big into colors, the brighter the better.

Plasticote Metallic Red is almost an exact match for Flamboyant Red, you have to get right up on the frame within a foot or so before you can see any difference in the metallic content. I didn't want to go that route only because I am a pain in the ass that way. Once I get a picture of something in my mind it is really hard to let go of it, and my picture was original paint. Not enough paint left on that picture.

I also considered House of Kolor Candy Red over their Silver Aluminum base, but that requires breaking out paint guns and I am not quite ready for that much work yet.

My sister, who was 14 months younger than I just died December 26th originally diagnosed with Pneumonia. When she started looking worse it magically became Coronavirus 2019. I use the medical name not because I am smarter than anyone, it is because if people didn't have abbreviations or acronyms for everything perhaps it would be less catchy to drop them on everyone's heads like bird poop on June 21st (family joke, that's my birthday. It happend to me on my 5th one).

I have Pneumonia right now and this is a bad time for that. Everyone, including most doctors and hospitals refuse to acknowledge any illnesses but Coronavirus 2019 so they can chalk up another statistic, and I have never been an average statistic. That and I get Pneumonia every so many years and I am overdue. I almost died from it in 1988 and I was told I would keep getting it until I either died or it killed me so when I get it all I can do now is take a vitamin pack I came up with containing at least 1000 ui Vitamin B complex, 2000 ui Vitamin C, 1000 ui Vitamin D and 1000 ui Vitamin E along with Benadryl, a combination of Ibuprofen/Acetaminophen/Caffeine which is basically Goodys Headache Powder in tablet form, Prednisone and Amoxicillin or Azithromycin when I have it.
That used to only blow a little bad air in my room, but now that I am stuck halfway between 61 and 62 years old and already blessed with the excellent Health Cocktails I get monthly from my Best Friend M.D. it is like I became a pill junkie without any of the possible enjoyable side effects.
 
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Thanks, I appreciate the likes and comments! I may give that idea a chance. I do have a picture in my mind. Back then, as I know from growing up in the 1960s-1970s kids were big into colors, the brighter the better.

Plasticote Metallic Red is almost an exact match for Flamboyant Red, you have to get right up on the frame within a foot or so before you can see any difference in the metallic content. I didn't want to go that route only because I am a pain in the ass that way. Once I get a picture of something in my mind it is really hard to let go of it, and my picture was original paint. Not enough paint left on that picture.

I also considered House of Kolor Candy Red over their Silver Aluminum base, but that requires breaking out paint guns and I am not quite ready for that much work yet.

My sister, who was 14 months younger than I just died December 26th originally diagnosed with Pneumonia. When she started looking worse it magically became Coronavirus 2019. I use the medical name not because I am smarter than anyone, it is because if people didn't have abbreviations or acronyms for everything perhaps it would be less catchy to drop them on everyone's heads like bird poop on June 21st (family joke, that's my birthday. It happend to me on my 5th one).

I have Pneumonia right now and this is a bad time for that. Everyone, including most doctors and hospitals refuse to acknowledge any illnesses but Coronavirus 2019 so they can chalk up another statistic, and I have never been an average statistic. That and I get Pneumonia every so many years and I am overdue. I almost died from it in 1988 and I was told I would keep getting it until I either died or it killed me so when I get it all I can do now is take a vitamin pack I came up with containing at least 1000 ui Vitamin B complex, 2000 ui Vitamin C, 1000 ui Vitamin D and 1000 ui Vitamin E along with Benadryl, a combination of Ibuprofen/Acetaminophen/Caffeine which is basically Goodys Headache Powder in tablet form, Prednisone and Amoxicillin or Azithromycin when I have it.
That used to only blow a little bad air in my room, but now that I am stuck halfway between 61 and 62 years old and already blessed with the excellent Health Cocktails I get monthly from my Best Friend M.D. it is like I became a pill junkie without any of the possible enjoyable side effects.
Really sorry to hear about your health. Sounds like a fight you are used too and at least aware of and doing what you can. I hope the best for you, the build can wait. Good luck
 
Thanks man. Downside is the wait. As the clock ticks and tocks I get closer to the tolling bell and you probably know how us old guys get when we start thinking we hear that bell.
At least I can clean my fork, search more for the logo screened onto my chainguard, buy more parts (YAY) and maybe find a 10' piece of Stainless tube to bend my sissybar from. And there is always the most dangerous project a man can conceive.
Thinking.
You see what happened to this guy for doing that! The gods turned him to bronze and made him sit in public naked for, well forever.
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Wheelsets are to be some version of multi speed with drum brakes front and rear. I plan to modify some type of boat shifter to change gears.
Handlebars will be either Tiller bars or Shelby Airflo bars.
Pedals are to be a combo of Torrington Jeweled reflectors and Sunburst end caps.
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Chainguard will be this 1950s Hercules unit. This one has a screening on it I want to replace once it's cleaned up.

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What are the bars off of? Really cool pigg bike.. RideOn.. Razin..
 
I have came up with paint I can live with at a price I can live with as well.
4 step process.
I am probably at or around $30 for all the paint.

1). RUSTOLEUM sandable Red oxide primer. It is about as dark as the original Sherwin Williams primer and about $5.00 for an oversize spray can.

2). RUSTOLEUM Silver chrome base coat. It was the brightest silver I found. Almost $6.50/can.

3). Plasti-Coat Metalcast Red. Listed as a cold anodizing color, but when sprayed over silver the effect should be a good enough representation of Flamboyant Red to make me happy. Who knows, I may like it enough to use it on the next project. Not at liberty to divulge that information yet. Cost was about $9.00/can.

4 RUSTOLEUM Clear Coat. Bought a good one hoping that the protection is worth the cost. I had an Apple Krate repaint crumble to dust and I used all Dupli-Color products, except for the Rustoleum Red Oxide Primer. Cost about $6.00/can
Remember this is not a restoration. However, if this color turns out nice enough it is a reasonable alternative to at least one Schwinn color I cannot afford to buy on my budget.
The MetalCast colors are a translucent line of colors, with properties that resemble Kandy Kolors. The line also includes Blue, Yellow and Purple and Green as well as a bright aluminum base and a clear coat. Probably others as well but that's what I have seen for sale personally
The Rustoleum Cobalt Blue Metallic is a beautiful color as well. Not quite Sky Blue, but awesome nonetheless.
Call me crazy, but I am going to replace at least the Schwinn Quality sawtooth decal on the downtime. I will also replace the headbadge with a Red Phantom reproduction unit.
I am using a lot of reproduction parts as long as they are identical or very close to identical to the parts they represent. I am going for an idea here. I am not making a bike to claim as an original 1960s Pig Bike. This one was but the original parts are gone so it will become a representation of what a Dad and Son could've came up with using parts they had or could grab from a pile of bicycles for free or low cost. Also a little chroming because chrome was cheap back then and shops were everywhere. Every morning I wake up and thank the EPA for protecting me from the evils of having excessive chrome on my bikes, motorcycles and cars.
As long as the look is period correct that is all that matters to me. I am also not altering any part that cannot be put back to stock.
What are the bars off of? Really cool pigg bike.. RideOn.. Razin..
Tiller bars are from 1920s motorcycles, like the old Harleys that were built on bicycle style frames.
Shelby Airflo Bars are from the Shelby Airflo of course.
The bars it had were 1960s Schwinn Fastback.
Hope I answered the right question. If not I will try again.
 
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