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1974 Schwinn Continental

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Campbellsoup19

'Lil Knee Scuffer
First post. I was directed here from another forum I belong to.

Friday I picked up this Scwhinn from a local non-profit called "Newark Bike Project". My goal is to mostly clean and replace worn parts. I'd like to have a bike I can use with a bike seat to carry my daughter around in (she'll be 2 in the spring). I have very limited knowledge about building/restoring bikes so this will be a fun little project for me as well.
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I ran the serial number and it came back with a Chicago Schwinn built in June of 1974.

Took my ~2hrs to get the bike broken down. The stem was locked in place so that took me time to get loosened up. Everything else came apart surprisingly easy with no specialty tools.

The original color is "Chesnut" but I'd call it Copper.. The fork tube shows the original color and I must say in my opinion this is/was a beautiful color.
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90% of the parts fit into my evaporust bucket and came out pretty clean. I'm very happy with how they look. Still show their age but are more presentable now.
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Only minor set back so far is that I don't know where this spring attaches.. Figure I'll find out when I go to run the chain.
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I also just placed an order for the following:
Kenda K35 tires
Kenda Thorn Resistant Tubes
SRAM PC-830 Chain (6/7/8 Speed)

Does anyone happen to know what type bulb the Schwinn Cat#04-200 takes?
I've gotten one answer so far which was:
Headlight - Norma 6v 2.4w
Taillight - Norma 6v 0.5w
 
I would convert it to regular handlebars and brake levers. makes them more fun to ride in my opinion.

With Spring hopefully right around the corner I'm planning to order some components very soon. So far I have the following on my list:
Handlebar - Origin8 Urban-Pro Riser Handlebar, 25.4mm, Silver
Brake Levers - Need help understanding which will work with center pull brakes (I don't want to get into changing the brakes right now). Would something like these (Shimano BL-R550: https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Flat-Handlebar-Bicycle-Lever/dp/B01FDESCF2) work?
Grips - Schwinn SW75823-6
Front crankset - Need help because I'd like to simplify this to a 1x. I don't really want to change to a 3 piece crankset. Would the easiest option be to swap the front sprocket (2x) set to a 1x sprocket? or would it be worth it/possible to modify the original to be a 1x (drilling out rivets, etc.)
Seat - Undecided if I'd like to swap this. I think I want to get saddle time before I truly decide.

Since I'm new to most of the more technical aspects here I'm planning to go to the local nonprofit where I bought this bike. They do open shops where more experienced volunteers will show you how. Again my main goal is to hook up a kid carrier of some kind (thinking trailer) to this bike.

Thanks for any help/advice! I'm going to continue to look around online and see if I can find any how-to's and tip articles.
 
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I would convert it to regular handlebars and brake levers. makes them more fun to ride in my opinion.
Plus, I found, with the plan to haul your child, it makes for more stability. My days of hauling around my daughter are over. Enjoy it while it's here!
 
My days of hauling around my daughter are over. Enjoy it while it's here!

That's the plan! I need to find a suitable trailer still. I can't seem to find a used one locally that I like enough. Luckily I have some CC rewards stashed that I should be able to put towards a new one if I have to.
 
Handlebars, Grips and Brake levers installed last night. I'm super happy with how it feels and looks! I've got something planned for the front light & possibly the rear light. More on that later when the idea materializes.

FYI: Putting the grips on using the Zip Tie method was super easy! I think that'll be my new method when not using lock-ons. I also did move the levers closer to the grips after taking these photos.

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