'55 B F Goodrich Schwinn.... Spitfire?

[3-speeder]

I have this Schwinn cantilever frame bike with a Spitfire chainguard and I am wondering if it is actually a different model. From what I've seen the Spitfires had straight bars not cantilever. Question is did the B F Goodrich Spitfire come as a cantilever frame? There are some other mismatched parts so it wouldn't surprise me if it was another model. Maybe a Wasp? What do you think? Serial number looks like R48648, maybe R49648

 

[Adamtinkerer]

I know there were middleweight canti Spitfires a couple years later. The BFG bikes did have their own model names for a while, it does look like a wasp otherwise!

 

[GTs58]

Looks like it has S-7's. Am I correct?

 

[Danny the schwinn freak]

I have the same bike in black and white. Lots of canti spitfires out there and the bolt on kickstand is consistent with the spitfire theory as well. It was a lower end model. Cool bike!

 

[3-speeder]

Looks like it has S-7's. Am I correct?

That's correct. Mid-weights.

 

[GTs58]

The 1955 Spitfire was a ballooner. In 1956 the Spitfire was offered as a ballooner and a middleweight and the straight bar bike illustrated in the catalog is the ballooner. 1957 and later it was offered as a middleweight only. I think your serial number starts with a B, bottom half missing, so that explains the cantilever frame along with the S-7s.

01/18/1957 ------------------ B31410 ------------------- B56170

 

[3-speeder]

The 1955 Spitfire was a ballooner. In 1956 the Spitfire was offered as a ballooner and a middleweight and the straight bar bike illustrated in the catalog is the ballooner. 1957 and later it was offered as a middleweight only. I think your serial number starts with a B, bottom half missing, so that explains the cantilever frame along with the S-7s.

01/18/1957 ------------------ B31410 ------------------- B56170

Thanks. Good information. Sure could be a half a "B"