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Let’s see some late 70’s/early 80’s Cruisers and Spitfires

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I see some skipped postings so our resident expert on these has probably made a few posts that I can't see. The piece pictured JU SN is a 1983 built Murray and the head tube was made and serial stamped by Schwinn. For the first few thousands of frames Murray EF'd, the frames with Schwinn supplied head tubes and I believe the drop outs also. The later Schmurray frames were all Murray. Any idea on those pieces with badly stamped serials if they had the head tubes that look like the one above, or the Murray type head build?
So you think at first Schwinn was supplying some parts to Murray? It makes sense that they would transfer production in stages instead of trying to do it all at once. It sure would be nice to hear some details from someone who was involved, they could fill in the blanks that we don't even know about and there's got to be some of those people still around.
 
So you think at first Schwinn was supplying some parts to Murray? It makes sense that they would transfer production in stages instead of trying to do it all at once. It sure would be nice to hear some details from someone who was involved, they could fill in the blanks that we don't even know about and there's got to be some of those people still around.

I would speculate that Schwinn moved over remaining stock from the Chicago factory to use up all the stock when they shut down their production in Chicago. But that is just my theory in reference to the subject.

The best we can do it to document these strange oddities like the bike I just purchased. And one of the reasons I purchased it, was to try an figure out if it was one of the last Cruiser bikes from the Murray contract? I am perplexed by the serial number, but the head badge does seem to be original to the bike with the 85 date code!
 
I would speculate that Schwinn moved over remaining stock from the Chicago factory to use up all the stock when they shut down their production in Chicago. But that is just my theory in reference to the subject.

The best we can do it to document these strange oddities like the bike I just purchased. And one of the reasons I purchased it, was to try an figure out if it was one of the last Cruiser bikes from the Murray contract? I am perplexed by the serial number, but the head badge does seem to be original to the bike with the 85 date code!
Paint: Good News, that might be the last time we see candy. I can tell inside the serial numbers that they are filled with transparent red, the top coat. More good news; in your photo of crank and sprocket your chainguard bracket screw is hard steel like Schwinn use-to use VS cheap soft crap. And, are the last two serial numbers off set, too high?

img_2617-jpg.jpg
 
So you think at first Schwinn was supplying some parts to Murray? It makes sense that they would transfer production in stages instead of trying to do it all at once. It sure would be nice to hear some details from someone who was involved, they could fill in the blanks that we don't even know about and there's got to be some of those people still around.

Looking at some of the first Schmurray's I know Schwinn produced parts for their Murray built bikes. I haven't come across one yet that had the Schwinn bottom bracket shell, or remember seeing one.

I've posted this before somewhere on the Cabe for the Cruiser crowd.

1642873013226.png
 
Looking at some of the first Schmurray's I know Schwinn produced parts for their Murray built bikes. I haven't come across one yet that had the Schwinn bottom bracket shell, or remember seeing one.

I've posted this before somewhere on the Cabe for the Cruiser crowd.

View attachment 1553777
I'm guessing this was published sometime in later 1982? So my '83 Sidewinder (BU######) was assembled by Murray, even though it's a Chicago frame. "Assembly will begin in the November-December period."
 
I'm guessing this was published sometime in later 1982? So my '83 Sidewinder (BU######) was assembled by Murray, even though it's a Chicago frame. "Assembly will begin in the November-December period."

I would also have to assume that. For years everyone said that Schwinn shut down their factory in 1982. Obviously it wasn't a complete shut down. Schwinn most likely produced some frames in 1983 and then sent them to Murray for finishing and the final assembly and those would or should have the EF'd bottom bracket shells if that was the case. I believe @hm. has or had some 1983 models in his vast collection so he could give us more details on the production details during this time. From what I've seen, the 1983 models had two different BB shells, the early frames were Schwinn built and the later ones were Murray built, and both had the Schwinn made head tubes which is easy to see in any pictures. From what I've seen on the last ones produced in 1984, the frames appear to be completely built by Murray with no Schwinn supplied frames or frame parts.
 
Did you forget to attach something to your post?
I just wanted to check the date of the article @GTs58 posted. If the information is accurate, then it sounds like Schwinn didn't assemble bicycles after Nov. or Dec. 1982, which is news to me, but it could be. I've seen Schwinn-built frames with serial numbers as late as April 1983, but it hadn't occurred to me that they were just sending them to Murray for assembly. I posted the Sidewinder in this thread (post #28) -
 
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