Ladies middleweight frame brace

[WagonManAdam]

Hi, all.
Been lurking for quite awhile, but this is my first post. I’ve been into old bikes of all kinds for years, but recently have been focusing on some of my old Schwinns by first refurbishing a couple for my 6 and 9 year old daughters (70 Stardust for the older one, 72 Hollywood for the six year old) Had so much fun I did a 64 Corvette for myself (a total junker I gave a guy a case of Miller Lite for, but that’s another story) Anyway, I wanted to build one for my wife so we could all ride our classics together, and a really nice guy I met through my job at a local hardware store offered me a ladies Corvette he had among his project bikes. I bought it and am getting ready to start tearing it down. Here’s my question: the bike has a brace welded (not electroforged like the rest of the frame) between the top tube and down tube) and I’ve looked at pics of other ladies Corvettes, and it seems like some have this brace and some do not. Anyone know when Schwinn started or stopped doing this? It might help me date the frame (serial number puts it as a 55 or 56) Thanks!

 

[Jimmy V]

I looked at a 55 Catalog picture of the ladies Corvette and it showed a brace in the picture. I can't answer the question as to when Schwinn may have started or stopped doing this. I have some later model Hollywoods that don't have the brace. Based on the catalog picture it appears to belong there. I'd leave it there. The bottom weld isn't as nice as you'd think it should be, but I've seen them not totally smooth sometimes. I have a few older balloon tire non-Schwinns that have a similar brace.

 

[GTs58]

Looks like your lady's Corvette is a 1955 model judging from the chainguard. Front carrier looks like a 56 or later issue. The truss tube deletion started with some of the frames in 1957 and by 1959 they were never used on any frames. I still don't know what the details were on this other than maybe cutting costs. After seeing how the girls frames bend to the back at the seat mask top tube joint area I doubt that truss tube did anything at all.