1956 Racer, serial number and kickstand question

[DesmoDog]

Greetings,

I recently purchased a 1956 Schwinn Racer, and the serial number doesn't seem to fit the databases.

W9 is higher than the serial numbers go, and I'm pretty sure that's a 9

Any ideas on what's going on?

I'm also wondering if the early Racers had bolt on kickstands. Mine does, and I can't find an definitive evidence of damage from a welded one breaking off. Plus the stay for the fender mount is definitely factory looking. But the catalogs seem to show welded on kickstands?

Thanks,

-Craig

 

[GTs58]

Greetings,

I recently purchased a 1956 Schwinn Racer, and the serial number doesn't seem to fit the databases.

View attachment 1715632

W9 is higher than the serial numbers go, and I'm pretty sure that's a 9
View attachment 1715633

Any ideas on what's going on?

I'm also wondering if the early Racers had bolt on kickstands. Mine does, and I can't find an definitive evidence of damage from a welded one breaking off. Plus the stay for the fender mount is definitely factory looking. But the catalogs seem to show welded on kickstands?

View attachment 1715634

Thanks,

-Craig

Welcome to the Cabe Craig!

I've run into this situation a few times over the years and I can't recall if one was at this particular time or not. If you look at the 1956 calendar, the last stamping date was Wednesday the 27. 06/27 ------------------ W87242 ----------------- W93942. Missing the records for Thurs. and Fri.
Your serial number was most likely stamped on Thursday 28th or Friday the 29th, and for some reason it did not get recorded, or the original written factory list for those two days of stampings was somehow lost or misplaced by the person that was keeping the actual records. This might sound farfetched to some, but I've seen this quite a few times. There are also many other issues with the list, and some were from typing up the original list so that it could be uploaded to the site it's presently posted on.

The Racer was introduced as a promotional model and that usually tells you it's a low budget model, so those had the bolted on stands and usually the rolled stems. Sometimes they had painted rims on the coaster models.

 

[DesmoDog]

Thanks for the reply! The serial number info sounds reasonable enough, makes sense to me anyway. One thing I forgot to mention is that there is another number on the bottom bracket.

Looks like "LPDJ2274" to me. Hand stamped? But still looks like it's been there since before the frame was painted. Any clue what that number signifies?

I am not a fan of bolt on kickstands. If I get to the point I decide to repaint this I wonder if the Schwinn gods would look down on me for welding a kickstand mount to it first? Ever since I was a kid, for who knows what reason, the whole welded on kickstand thing was a big deal to me.

It's interesting the coaster models sometimes had painted rims... a little more background; I was looking for a 1962 Racer (year of my birth) when I saw this. I also found a frame from a 1962 but it's a coaster model. I'm still considering getting it and putting it together as a modified coaster brake bike. It could use the rims off of this bike... which I would paint as the chrome is flaking off. It's almost like you're giving me more reasons to buy yet another bike! Or frame anyway.

I bought a bike in 1988. Then another around 2018. And now 3 in the past two weeks. With an eye on others.

 

[SirMike1983]

That looks to me like a police department registration stamp.

 

[HEMI426]

I'm no forensic detective but is it possible that 9 on the dropout is an upside down 6, and if so does that match anything up. You could check another stamp with a 9 in it to see if it is the same. I might just be shooting in the dark here.

 

[GTs58]

I'm no forensic detective but is it possible that 9 on the dropout is an upside down 6, and if so does that match anything up. You could check another stamp with a 9 in it to see if it is the same. I might just be shooting in the dark here.

Upside down number may have happened when the serial numbers were stamped by hand, but not when they were machine stamped.