Let’s see some late 70’s/early 80’s Cruisers and Spitfires

[Jeff54]

As I previously stated, you can clearly see it is a Murray built frame in the pic I posted. You can clearly see the area you are referencing in that pic.

Indeed, like I'd said: "I forgot" . That is one of the differences, no slag rings on the Murrey. I didn't have time to hunt it down but U made me look.
Schwinn Pre-Murrey has rings on the stay joints, (Photo of 'slag rings below by; Metacortex in 2017: from this page: https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/s...fire-5-orcruiser-5.105050/page-13#post-721175 )

Murrey did not have that. And there's another thing Murrey has: Under the top post, where connected to seat post, there's a rather large press/punch notch outward, that's weird. Appears to be a notch pushed outoutward to support the top bar at seat post but, if welded like Schwinn then, it'll make ya wonder: Why is it there like that? There's a photo of a like new blue cruiser in Cabe (I forget where) that shows the notch protruding out but; not to illustrate it, by happenstance. I don't have or seen Murrey in person, yet it looks like there's no welding down there.


Regardless, here's the 'slag rings' in Schwinn that Schwinn-Murrey does not have and very easy to notice difference once ya seen or remember WTF ya talking about. :

 

[Xlobsterman]

So I got the bike the other day, and assembled it today. When I did, I found the crank was bent, and I have contacted the seller about that issue. Also, I took a closer look at the serial number, and I believe it reads SB500484, the first letter is hard to read, but after looking at it for awhile, that is all it can be. But it doesn't follow the pattern for the serial numbers with SB as it would have been using the usual dating codes. But if the letters were inverted to BS, then that would indicate a Feb 85 date code that would be correct.

 

[Jeff54]

Murrey 84 seat tube notch in their Schwinn Cruser.

Figured it's worth following up here. @Olit made a really good shot of this here: https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/s...tfire-5-orcruiser-5.105050/page-7#post-689318.

I'm not an engineer but, WTF is that? A cost savings No. It does not appear to be welded and how could it be behind it? I have never seen a cracked or broken Schwinn frame in this area but, the only reason I can come up with is; an additional support.

Electro forged all together at the same time, it's not a notched-out piece rather, an addition attached when the whole framed was put to the charge. [Electro forged together]. That would add expense verses savings.

Weird and makes me wonder; If Murrey added this, it might be for being a type of a different metal for the whole frame, weaker or thin. With all the connections here, I'd expect all the tubes here, it's the strongest area on it. @Olit also captures something I never seen on a Schwinn so, I added another photo below this.

In below photo: This is hard to see, ya gotta focus on it so, maybe I can help illuminate the area to see this.

The light reflection on the down tube, where it's connected to the Schwin headpost mold. Near 1 O'clock or just off top center of down tube, there's a reflection that's as a line and it's crossing the end joint of the head post. If you look closely at the reflection, It's illuminating the paint's texture and shine.. The bottom tube outside diameter appears to be smaller or is a fraction less than standard on Pre-Murry Schwinn. This seems to make the connection visible. I've never seen Electro forged Schwinn frame where you can detect that molded front post and down tube joint so easy. IDK but, maybe the tubes are thinner and why Murrey added that support piece at the seat post tube and intersection of Canti tubes above.

 

[1979AL]

So I got the bike the other day, and assembled it today. When I did, I found the crank was bent, and I have contacted the seller about that issue. Also, I took a closer look at the serial number, and I believe it reads SB500484, the first letter is hard to read, but after looking at it for awhile, that is all it can be. But it doesn't follow the pattern for the serial numbers with SB as it would have been using the usual dating codes. But if the letters were inverted to BS, then that would indicate a Feb 85 date code that would be correct.

View attachment 1552530

View attachment 1552531

I would say 84, 85 based on the rims not being S2 rims correct and the forks are tube forks which were used after 83.

 

[Xlobsterman]

I would say 84, 85 based on the rims not being S2 rims correct and the forks are tube forks which were used after 83.

The head badge code dates it as an 85, and if the 2 letters in the serial number were inverted to BS, that would be a Feb 85. And 83 was the first year for the tube forks on the Cruisers.

 

[Oilit]

The head badge code dates it as an 85, and if the 2 letters in the serial number were inverted to BS, that would be a Feb 85. And 83 was the first year for the tube forks on the Cruisers.

Wouldn't "BS" be Feb. '81? It sure looks like a Murray built frame, but I can't make heads or tails of that serial number.

 

[Xlobsterman]

Wouldn't "BS" be Feb. '81? It sure looks like a Murray built frame, but I can't make heads or tails of that serial number.

You are right about the BS date being 81. Not sure how I made that mistake???? LOL

It is definitely a Murray frame, so at the very least it is late 83, 84, or 85 frame as indicated by the head badge. I guess it is just another one of those Schwinn anomalies that we need to figure out.

On another note, the seller is giving me a partial refund for the damaged crank on the bike. So does anyone have an 80's cruiser crank for sale?

 

[mrg]

With these Schmurry's I've had a few with upside down, backwards crocked/slanted and even on the top of the wrong side serial #'s, quality control in this this part of the Murry factory wasn't up to the previous Schwinn standards!

 

[GTs58]

With these Schmurry's I've had a few with upside down, backwards crocked/slanted and even on the top of the wrong side serial #'s, quality control in this this part of the Murry factory wasn't up to the previous Schwinn standards!

I see some skipped postings so our resident expert on these has probably made a few posts that I can't see. The piece pictured JU SN is a 1983 built Murray and the head tube was made and serial stamped by Schwinn. For the first few thousands of frames Murray EF'd, the frames with Schwinn supplied head tubes and I believe the drop outs also. The later Schmurray frames were all Murray. Any idea on those pieces with badly stamped serials if they had the head tubes that look like the one above, or the Murray type head build?

 

[Xlobsterman]

With these Schmurry's I've had a few with upside down, backwards crocked/slanted and even on the top of the wrong side serial #'s, quality control in this this part of the Murry factory wasn't up to the previous Schwinn standards!

Yea, I would assume that is what was possibly going on with this bike? It was probably one of the last Cruiser bikes out the door from Murray using up the remaining inventory. One thing to note is that they did not list a girls frame Cruiser in the 84 catalog? The last year for that frame was 83.