Just got a 2 Owner Grey Ghost - October 71 frame!

[creebobby]

I just purchased this survivor Ghost from the daughter of the second owner.

Honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever get a Grey Ghost!

This bike spent all its life in a cul de sac a few miles from where my mom grew up in Lake Highlands.
It’s an October 71 frame!
The bike is all original, and both tires have ‘9 1’ molded into them.
Paint, decals, chainguard screen all show a bike that was loved and ridden and well cared for.

Chrome needs light speckles polished off but is overall very very good.
One of the pedals is missing a reflector - that’s the only thing I see that’s missing.

Honestly, I’m a little in shock! I feel giddy when I look at it and it’s hard to believe it’s real.

 

[THE STIG]

Ooof

 

[schwinnguyinohio]

Great find !!

 

[stoney]

Great bike. Congrats

 

[Mr. Monkeyarms]

 

[DonChristie]

Congrats on a great score!

 

[nick tures]

wow nice score !!

 

[creebobby]

I got asked via pm how I came to be the buyer. Thought I’d share the details here, too:

The bike was listed on eBay with a few pics and not much description. And it was listed as pickup only. 1100 starting bid, 1,500 buy it now.

I was at a stoplight, looking at a Stingray frame on ebay and the ghost popped up below in the ‘you might also be interested in this’ section.

I pulled the car over. I looked at the pics and pretty quickly could tell it was real.

The listing was up for maybe a half hour before I ‘bought it now’.

I messaged the seller right away and she messaged me with her phone number. We talked for a while - she knew she sold it for less than its value but mostly wanted it to go to someone who would love it as much as her dad did and who could pick it up in person.
Her dad bought it from a neighbor across the street in the 70s after their kid didn’t want it any more. She said her dad absolutely loved it and always made sure it stayed in working order. Other than having the Ghost he wasn’t a bike guy or collector. His other cool old thing was a really pretty 1920s Victrola. He died seven and a half years ago and she was selling it now because her mom recently moved into assisted living and she’s working to get the house cleared out.

I told her my history with Schwinns and Krates - I had a second hand Lemon Peeler as a kid and a handful of project Stingrays as an adult.
She lives out of state and so I had to wait two weeks until she was at her parents’ house here in Texas.
She said she got lots of messages in the mean time from others wanting to buy it. She was kind enough to honor my purchase and sell it to me.

 

[creebobby]

Can’t wait to get it cleaned, adjusted and ride it.

Does anybody ride their original krates?
I should maybe replace and save the original tires with new rubber if I plan on riding it?

 

[Coyote]

Nice original!
Sounds like you are going to appreciate it just as much as the second owner.
Best of Luck