Possible Phantom black and gold - stainless fenders.

[WES PINCHOT]

YOU HAVE YOUR ANSWERS!
NO DOUBT THAT IT WAS A RED PHANTOM.

 

[Jeff54]

Indeed, that is a UV over exposed Opal Red. There's No Gold or anything special except whatever Schwinn's paint supplier, Possibly DUPOont, screwed up in the red tint.

I own an 1955 Opel red Schwinn that's deteriorated badly like this and the only dopes who think or are delusional enough to tout falsities 'There's gold in them there hills' DON'T! or are con artists attempting to create what doesn't exist . $$$ [wink]

I don't mean to say that it's not an interesting defect in the paint however, in the long run and as value goes though, {Buyer beware!} it's a major flaw.

Here's what's actually under the badge of nonsense "gold phantom" and or any detiriated Schwinn Opel red. >> Red over aluminum Metal flake:

 

[Freqman1]

I knew this would start this whole silly argument all over again. We've had numerous photographs and even a chemist weigh in on this debunking the gold base coat theory. There was no gold base coat this is just how the red oxidizes. Can we finally put this horse down?

 

[cr250mark]

Red , black , blue or green it’s all good .
Myself , I learned something very cool about old bikes paint and age .
Something I would of never thought !
Appreciate the lesson.
I’ll know for the next one.
Appreciate all the feedback.Fellas !
Mark

 

[GTs58]

I knew this would start this whole silly argument all over again. We've had numerous photographs and even a chemist weigh in on this debunking the gold base coat theory. There was no gold base coat this is just how the red oxidizes. Can we finally put this horse down?

Silly argument? I think not. A silly argument would be saying that Schwinn installed a cheesy Wald reflector on the Phantom, their flagship bike. Schwinnlax did not debunk the gold base, he simply said it was possible that red could fade to gold.
Quote:
Presumably the original paint is still there under the decals (chain guard, seat tube). That being the case, the original red paint is still there under the decals, and not somehow scraped or worn off. Unless the red paint faded to clear revealing a gold coat underneath, it has to be the red paint that faded to gold. Just using logic here...
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Also, paint oxidation is completely different than the paint colorant fading. You can buff out oxidized paint but you can't buff out loss of color. Years ago I painted my 1967 Chevelle Marina Blue Metallic with a single stage enamel. Before I sold that car the blue pigment completely faded out and the car was silver, which was the silver metallic particles used in the paint. GM's old metallic paint in the late 50's into the 60's not only oxidized quickly here in Arizona, the paint pigment also faded out and the colors never turned a different color, they just faded out. Over the years I've seen hundreds of these cars where the paint colorant fades completely away.

Again, "numerous photographs." Here is faded red English bike with a red candy shot over a silver base. I don't see one trace of the red turning to gold. Why is that?

And here is a red Schwinn where the red faded out and turned to gold? Naw, that's a gold base.

Can you prove your theory that Schwinn's red candy fades to gold? Saying Schwinn never used a gold base is just your belief, and these two pictures sure would indicate that Schwinn did in fact use a gold base during this time, so the horse is still running.

 

[Freqman1]

Ok Schwinn used a gold base wink wink

 

[Maskadeo]

They did use those Walds on some early bikes. Like it or not!

 

[Jeff54]

Ok Schwinn used a gold base wink wink

[grin, wink!]

Actually, while we're on the subject 'Opal Red' A few years back ,whenever sanded the paint and took the micro photo above, There is something unique captured.

IDK if or not whether it's occurring in the change to Radiant but as a buff in Opals and understanding the rarest and most prized is the Harlequin. And the best of these is when the stone has a full pattern. In this case, within the clear and aluminum flake mixture , below the red coat, even when the red tint craps out to fools gold, there's micro cracking leaving rectangular patterns and . The potential effect mimics the Harlequin Opal pattern called Checkerboard. In Opals if ya got Harlequin checker Opal ,ya be talking some serious buck. I.E. the micro cracking within the clear and aluminum metal flake base coat, at least on my bike, captured in my photo, lends good reason for Schwinn's name: 'Opal' The metal flake doesn't have the flash and color-play of a real Checkerboard Harlequin Opal, but the foundation or Checkerboard opal effect is clearly in the metal flake base paint.
Real precious Harlequin, checkerboard,, black Opel: