Anybody know when in '83 the Chicago Schwinn plant closed?

[jpromo]

I just picked up a pair of Chicago-built Sidewinders dated BU and DU for Feb and April '83. The badges are both 1xx3 Which puts them somewhere towards the middle of the year. When did it officially halt production? Because they seem pretty late.

No pictures yet and I can get the exact badge dates. Thanks!

 

[Metacortex]

So far the latest Chicago built bikes I've documented were frames built in April '83 and bikes built June 2nd '83: http://www.schwinnbikeforum.com/index.php?topic=6188.msg156800#msg156800

Your DU Sidewinder also has a frame built in April '83, what is the badge number on that bike (post a pic if you can)? I'd be interested to see if it was later than 1533 (June 2nd '83).

 

[jpromo]

So far the latest Chicago built bikes I've documented were frames built in April '83 and bikes built June 2nd '83: http://www.schwinnbikeforum.com/index.php?topic=6188.msg156800#msg156800

Your DU Sidewinder also has a frame built in April '83, what is the badge number on that bike (post a pic if you can)? I'd be interested to see if it was later than 1533 (June 2nd '83).

Interesting! I'll snap a picture sometime tomorrow and post it up for you. I think the BU was something like 1003 but I didn't look at the other one. Thanks for the info.

 

[jpromo]

Well, it looks like mine was assembled a few days after that. 1573 June 6th. Fascinating.

Both bicycles are basically in identical condition and have likely been together their whole life.

 

[GTs58]

Nice pair. Are you planning on selling them?

 

[Metacortex]

Well, it looks like mine was assembled a few days after that. 1573 June 6th. Fascinating.

Very fascinating! Thanks for posting the info and pics. So far that makes this the latest Chicago-built Schwinn that I know of, built on Monday June 6th 1983. It seems they were furiously assembling bikes at that time, which had to be right before the Chicago plant closed for good.

Can you post the full frame serial of that bike? I'd like to see where it compared numerically to the two DU Continentals I mentioned previously.

If anybody thinks they have a later Chicago-built bike, please post the frame and badge numbers along with some pics!

 

[schwinnderella]

They look a lot like my 1983 Sierra, even the same color.

 

[jpromo]

Very fascinating! Thanks for posting the info and pics. So far that makes this the latest Chicago-built Schwinn that I know of, built on Monday June 6th 1983. It seems they were furiously assembling bikes at that time, which had to be right before the Chicago plant closed for good.

Can you post the full frame serial of that bike? I'd like to see where it compared numerically to the two DU Continentals I mentioned previously.

If anybody thinks they have a later Chicago-built bike, please post the frame and badge numbers along with some pics!

 

[jpromo]

Nice pair. Are you planning on selling them?

I was figuring I'd sell at least one of them. They've done everything together but I have but one butt to ride with. Don't ask why there's a tandem then; I'm still trying to figure that one out.

They look a lot like my 1983 Sierra, even the same color.

Indeed they do! I thought the MTB style Sierra was the successor to the Sidewinder but I guess they had some overlap time. I didn't know any had been made in Chicago either before moving to Chro-mo and eastern origins.

 

[Metacortex]

Thanks for posting the frame serial. Now we know that April '83 number (DU522349) is some 3,517 units apart (later) than the latest '83 Continental I've recorded, and it was built into a bike 6 days later than that Continental as well.

The '83 Sierra was the (downgraded) successor to the King Sting, both the Sierra and Sidewinder appeared in the '83 Schwinn BMX Catalog. That year a Sierra was basically a Sidewinder with upgraded alloy rims, cantilever brakes, an alloy stem and better pedals.

Both models continued for '84 and were then obviously no longer built in Chicago. In '84 the Sierra was a completely new bike from the ground up and was probably built in China, while the Sidewinder appeared unchanged from the previous year and unless they were all leftover '83 models it would have been made by Murray alongside the Continental and Varsity in Lawrenceburg TN using the electro-forging equipment and tooling originally from Chicago.