Freqman1
Riding a '37 Dayton Super Streamline
Love'm or hate'm the Schwinn Phantom is probably the most well known classic bike. The purpose of this thread is to share your knowledge of what "right" looks like when it comes to Phantoms. This is not a "Show Us Your Phantoms" thread because one already exists. This is to help those considering the purchase of a Phantom or just wanting to know more about what is correct for the given year learn what they should be looking for. Pics of repo parts for reference showing the 'tell' is encouraged. For instance showing an original and repo fender and pointing out the differences in the repo.
History: A lot of debate exists as to whether the Phantom was introduced as a 1949 model or a 1950 model. What is known is that the Phantom was introduced about the first week of Sep 1949. The red and green bikes were introduced shortly thereafter and by Christmas of 1950 you could have any of the three colors. There is some variety on the early Phantoms such as either a no rivet, Phantom style seat or Mesinger B1, no guard decal, and a Wald reflector is found on some early bikes.
The girls model was a one year only (1955) and was available in black, red, green, and blue. These colors were available the entire year so despite the story sometimes circulated of the blue being a Christmas only color it was available from the beginning. There was also a 24" boys model offered in 1953 and 1954 which was available in black, red, and green. While debated it appears that there were at least a few (some say 50) blue boys (26") Phantoms produced. The legend says that these were Christmas bikes. The only example I have ever seen surfaced on EBay in 2009. It was found at a car show in PA (Hershey?) by a picker and was about a condition 5 or 6 as found. I was the under bidder and tried for two years to find out where it went but the most I could get out of the seller was that it went to California. I only wish I had got the serial to see if this supported the Christmas story.
The Phantoms from 1949/50-1953 were solid colors. The Opalescent red and green were introduced in 1954 and in 1959 these changed to the Radiant paint which is a little brighter. Even before the change to the Opalescent colors in '54 the Phantom started losing some of its standard accessories and instead these became options you had to purchase separately. In the mid '50s both the chainring and fork were changed. The last year, 1959, Phantoms were much different than their predecessors. Besides the switch to Radiant green and red the seat was changed to a tan vinyl seat which except for color was the same used on the later Cycle Trucks, Wasp, and Heavy Duty. All decals on a '59 are different as well as the pedals being changed to the bow type found on the middleweights and the rear brake is usually a Mark IV.
Lastly I would like to address restored Phantoms. Unlike cars the serial number on a bike tells you very little. A person can build a Phantom using a balloon tire cantiIever frame from the appropriate time frame. Unless the bike was documented as a Phantom before it was restored there is no way to positively identify a restored bike as a genuine Phantom. I look forward to your posts and a civil exchange of knowledge and ideas concerning these bikes. V/r Shawn
History: A lot of debate exists as to whether the Phantom was introduced as a 1949 model or a 1950 model. What is known is that the Phantom was introduced about the first week of Sep 1949. The red and green bikes were introduced shortly thereafter and by Christmas of 1950 you could have any of the three colors. There is some variety on the early Phantoms such as either a no rivet, Phantom style seat or Mesinger B1, no guard decal, and a Wald reflector is found on some early bikes.
The girls model was a one year only (1955) and was available in black, red, green, and blue. These colors were available the entire year so despite the story sometimes circulated of the blue being a Christmas only color it was available from the beginning. There was also a 24" boys model offered in 1953 and 1954 which was available in black, red, and green. While debated it appears that there were at least a few (some say 50) blue boys (26") Phantoms produced. The legend says that these were Christmas bikes. The only example I have ever seen surfaced on EBay in 2009. It was found at a car show in PA (Hershey?) by a picker and was about a condition 5 or 6 as found. I was the under bidder and tried for two years to find out where it went but the most I could get out of the seller was that it went to California. I only wish I had got the serial to see if this supported the Christmas story.
The Phantoms from 1949/50-1953 were solid colors. The Opalescent red and green were introduced in 1954 and in 1959 these changed to the Radiant paint which is a little brighter. Even before the change to the Opalescent colors in '54 the Phantom started losing some of its standard accessories and instead these became options you had to purchase separately. In the mid '50s both the chainring and fork were changed. The last year, 1959, Phantoms were much different than their predecessors. Besides the switch to Radiant green and red the seat was changed to a tan vinyl seat which except for color was the same used on the later Cycle Trucks, Wasp, and Heavy Duty. All decals on a '59 are different as well as the pedals being changed to the bow type found on the middleweights and the rear brake is usually a Mark IV.
Lastly I would like to address restored Phantoms. Unlike cars the serial number on a bike tells you very little. A person can build a Phantom using a balloon tire cantiIever frame from the appropriate time frame. Unless the bike was documented as a Phantom before it was restored there is no way to positively identify a restored bike as a genuine Phantom. I look forward to your posts and a civil exchange of knowledge and ideas concerning these bikes. V/r Shawn
