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How do I date my Paramount?

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cooltouch

'Lil Knee Scuffer
I was given this bike a couple weeks ago, but just yesterday I started looking at it with an eye toward getting it on the road again. And I've been doing some reading up on the Paramount series. Mine is a 15-speed, which tells me it shouldn't be any older than 1970, I think it is. I'm thinking the serial number will give me an indication, but I don't even know where it is on this bike. So I guess that's the first question I should ask -- where's the serial number?

When I finish this message, I'm gonna go out and examine it closely, see if I can find anything that looks like a serial number. I'll be back, because I'm sure I'm gonna have a lot of questions about this interesting looking machine.
 
Ok, I took the following pics less than an hour ago. I would have taken more, but my camera's battery died. I have another to trade out with, but I thought I'd go ahead and post what I have.

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These pics are of the bike in "as found" condition. I haven't done anything to it so far. As you can see, it will need some attention before I get it back on the road. No tires or tubes, the rear axle is missing, the seat's pretty much roached, the controls for the derailleurs are missing entirely, the brake hardware is there, but the cables are broken or missing. And I suspect that weird looking rear derailleur system will need to be gone through completely. It has a generator, which appears to still be connected to the rear light, but the front light, if it existed, is missing entirely. The entire bike is chrome plated, but as you can see, it has pits. I'm gonna take some WD-40 and 0000 steel wool to it and see how much of the pitting I can remove. There's a Campagnolo decal down by the pedal hub, which I don't want to touch with my cleaning, and if I run across anything else that looks to be fragile, I'll steer clear of it as well.

I'm in a bit of a quandary as to what I should do with this bike. I'll be honest and up front with you folks. I plan to sell it. I have a nice Peugeot mountain bike that I actually like quite a bit, and I don't see any real reason to switch over to this Schwinn. But just because I plan to sell it, doesn't mean I don't want to give it the attention it deserves. I build and restore guitars, and each guitar that I take in to restore, I don't plan on keeping, but I'm gonna do the best restoration job on it I can. Well, I feel the same way about this bike -- within reason. I don't have an unlimited budget. So, one of the things I'd like to find out from you folks is, which way best optimizes resale value -- a full restoration, or bringing it back up to full operating condition, recognizing that, no matter what it is -- a guitar, a motorcycle, a car, or a bicycle -- they're only original once. As soon as I change something that has to do with the bike's structural or cosmetic appearance, it is no longer original. Although I hope taking WD-40 and 0000 steel wool to it won't count against the cosmetic component. If it were antique furniture, that would be a different matter. And I question whether or not the pits and blemishes in the chrome are even something that a patina-obsessed collector would even want.

I appreciate any perspective you'd care to share.
 
Nice find.
If you're intent is to sell it, I would suggest an "as is" sale. Probably worth more in this state to any potential buyer on this forum.
 
Sell as is.

You’ll quickly go down a rabbit hole in costs and the time it will take to clean all that chrome and aluminum will be substantial. Unless your comfortable doing it for the love of finishing a project with little financial reward.

Those bikes complete in a 7+ condition sit on eBay for about $1000 all day long.
 
Okay, this is good to know. So, I guess those super high asking prices I see for Paramounts on eBay are wishful thinking?

I gotta say, though, that this must have been one cool looking bike when new. Campagnolo everything, everywhere. The aluminum handle bars and pedal "risers"? are all a kinda cool brushed aluminum. All the brake fittings and I guess that weird looking derailleur too, but I haven't examined it too closely yet.

I finally found the serial number: B7248. Seems kinda low, but what do I know?
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There are two selling formats here on The CABE. The first is a listing in the "For Sale" section (Complete Bikes) where you list the price, pics, and location. The second is the "Deal or No Deal" section which is an auction style format. Regardless of which section good pics and an accurate description to include components and frame size go a long way towards securing a sale. Also be sure to quote shipping price unless it is a local sale only in which case you have drastically reduced your pool of potential buyers. GLWTS V/r Shawn
 
Thanks, Shawn, good to know. What do you guys prefer to use to package up your large frame bikes? An old pallet, maybe? Seems like cardboard could get stove in too easily.

Welp, I've discovered the first sign of cancer. I'm sure there will be others. It started out as little more than a crack, but I just had to get a fingernail in there and dig around. Man-o-man is that wall thin! But I wonder if the thinness is due to corrosion or if it's just naturally almost paper thin. So, at this point, I'm wondering if there's a fix that won't cost me my entire SS Retirement check.

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Where is that tube on the bike?

One or my first thoughts was that that bike was stored in a damp & dark environment. If it indeed rusted through from the inside it’s junk.

A friend of mine had a seat tube replaced on one of his Paramounts by Waterford and it was nearly $1500 including the repaint. The cost of re chroming must be astronomical.
 
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