New member / Old Bikes! (1961

[Rivnut]

The bike in reference has the Rocket Ray which is why I'm saying it is a Panther. The picture you posted is from the 52 catalog. The one I'm posting is from 1951.

 

[Oilit]

Can we get a better picture of the seat on the black bike? It looks like it has wear tabs on the sides, wouldn't that indicate a high end model?

 

[patricky]

Hello & thank you all for the continued interest / info / questions. Apologies for the delayed response on my end - here in SoCal we've been having some huge wind storms and I've just finished cleaning up and dropping off 480 pounds of eucalyptus branches (that fell on the roof) at the dump. Roofer is coming tomorrow but I should be able to check some of these details over the weekend and report back.

 

[patricky]

Here are a few additional photos of the front wheel and seat on the black bike...

 

[GTs58]

This is the first time I've seen a bottom bracket blown apart at the seam like this.

 

[patricky]

This is the first time I've seen a bottom bracket blown apart at the seam like this.

Assuming that makes it even more *collectible*, then?
just kidding in case that's not clear...

 

[Oilit]

This is the first time I've seen a bottom bracket blown apart at the seam like this.

View attachment 1345687

Is that the bracket itself, or just the paint? It looks like the paint is peeling off, and I've never seen original Schwinn paint do that. I think @Rivnut is right, this bike's been "restored", which included new paint.

 

[Rivnut]

If the bottom bracket somehow got full of water and the water froze, it could burst the bottom bracket. But that's a big WAG. Sure is an awfully thick coat of paint though.