Schwinn Phantoms with blackwall tires

[michtpr1]

I found this pic but don’t see the year.

 

[blakekennedy]

I also have read (somewhere) about black walls being used on early Phantoms because of shortages caused by the Korean War. To me, a Black Phantom looks cooler when it's wearing a pair of black walls.

Post in thread 'Phantom Reference Thread'
https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/phantom-reference-thread.145000/post-1076560

 

[michtpr1]

This is all great information. Thanks to all the SMEs !!

 

[THE BICYCLE BLOODHOUND]

And the years you are seeing black walls on Phantoms is more 1952 and 1953 during the Korean war......................early Phantoms 50 and 51 still had white walls as standard equipment!!!

 

[michtpr1]

What about after that ? Like 54-55 ?

 

[THE BICYCLE BLOODHOUND]

The other thing you will see is the cheaper plating on 52 53 Phantoms due to the Korean war................ I have called it Korean Chrome for 30 years

 

[THE BICYCLE BLOODHOUND]

What about after that ? Like 54-55 ?

You will start seeing them go back to white walls in 1954!!!!!

 

[the tinker]

And......here's more! Dad bought ours new in 1952 and it had white walls. My brother blew the front tire the year he got his drivers license [1957 ] and there it sat unfixed and flat until I was big enough to ride it, 1958. Dad and I went to Hillside Schwinn to buy a tire. I wanted a whitewall tire, so they would match. Not frugal dad. My Phantom had a blackwall on the front, original whitewall on the rear. I rode it that way until the summer of 1963, when I sold it to a neighbor kid for 4 bucks. The Krates and beautiful 10 speeds were out. Most kids wouldn't be caught dead on the old heavyweights, unless they were stripped of all their glory.

 

[blakekennedy]

The other thing you will see is the cheaper plating on 52 53 Phantoms due to the Korean war................ I have called it Korean Chrome for 30 years

Yep! All my 52-53 bikes all have this “dull” chrome. One of my bikes looks like its bare metal its that bad. This extended to all models but definitely more prevalent on the Phantoms which had more chrome than any other model.

 

[THE BICYCLE BLOODHOUND]

Yep! All my 52-53 bikes all have this “dull” chrome. One of my bikes looks like its bare metal its that bad. This extended to all models but definitely more prevalent on the Phantoms which had more chrome than any other model.

They do........................anytime I am walking up to an original Phantom that looks untouched I look at the dull chrome and already know the year 1952 or 1953!!!!