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The Facts About A Schwinn Serial Number

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Here is main topic of this thread....

I would like to hear everyone’s thoughts on what exactly a serial number on a bike actually is, mainly Schwinn’s. There is mass confusion with the big rumor of a Schwinn serial number, with it’s recorded date, being somehow the actual build date of a particular bike.

There is a member here that had a 65 Corvette for sale and he stated the bike was built on a specific date. Who are the ones spreading that preposterous falsehood? Even long time collectors believe a serial number is the build date. I’m probably just as tired of seeing this as Fregman is from jumping in rabbit holes.

One year only model and coppertone goodness April 15th 1965 build date, both hubs have been cleaned and re-greased, new set of kenda 26X1 3/4 tires. Located in eastern PA 18064. $300 boxed and shipped to your door.

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?44137-1965-Schwinn-Corvette-II
 
Here is main topic of this thread....

I would like to hear everyone’s thoughts on what exactly a serial number on a bike actually is, mainly Schwinn’s. There is mass confusion with the big rumor of a Schwinn serial number, with it’s recorded date, being somehow the actual build date of a particular bike.

There is a member here that had a 65 Corvette for sale and he stated the bike was built on a specific date. Who are the ones spreading that preposterous falsehood? Even long time collectors believe a serial number is the build date. I’m probably just as tired of seeing this as Fregman is from jumping in rabbit holes.

One year only model and coppertone goodness April 15th 1965 build date, both hubs have been cleaned and re-greased, new set of kenda 26X1 3/4 tires. Located in eastern PA 18064. $300 boxed and shipped to your door.

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?44137-1965-Schwinn-Corvette-II


For sometime I was also of the opinion that the Schwinn Serial Number Listing was the answer
to find out when my bicycle was built.

I believe that there are others who thought the same thing.
I don't believe we were spreading "preposterous falsehoods" perhaps dwelling in " dumbness"
because we thought we had found the answers as to when our bicycles were built...but
now I'm beginning to be aware that this may not be the case.

Your premise at the beginning of this thread was " I would like to hear everyone's
thoughts on what exactly a serial number on a bike actually is ? "

Well in my opinion...that is what you are getting..."everyone's thoughts"
and it's still continuing & we'll probably never end ...

Until someone can provide specific documentation that can be verified so that all who
witness can accept as being authenticated proof that this is the way it is...

All we can do for now is speculate.

If those individuals who claim to have a specific build time frame on their bicycles...
I would ask for documentation besides just a stamping on the frame for proof.
 
Maybe this is why we love Schwinn's, the mystery! As we all know, Schwinn was notorious for using last years parts on this years bikes (I have a 62 Fleet with a 61 stamped crank). I believe the stamped serial number was when the actual Frame was made. If you think about it, the time to stamp the serial number is when you are making the Frame. The website I visit for Schwinn serial numbers has them listed per day, or every other day. If production was at 100%, I don't think a Frame would sit around the factory for too long. I think the serial number is a close guesstimate for when the said bike was actually built.
http://www.angelfire.com/rant/allday101/SchwinnCodes2.html
 
The information that I provided in my first post should prove without a doubt that a Schwinn serial number has absolutely nothing to do with a build date. The only bikes that are exempt are the Paramounts and the other high end road bikes that don't use the standard serial number system.

Pat's Schwinncruiser site has a very nice serial number look up system and the results come back saying, "Built" and then the date. So someone that has been around bikes as long as Pat still doesn't know the facts and is spreading misinformation to thousands? If it's on the internet it must be fact, right. His site isn't the only one that is misleading the masses. On the pre-76 Schwinns there is no possible way to find out what the build date was. Many believe that the serial number dates the frame build and I believe at one time it may have, and this is when the numbers were hand stamped. That may be true in the 20's and 30's but not later down the road as Schwinn's volume grew and they began to modernized their production methods.
 
Maybe this is why we love Schwinn's, the mystery! As we all know, Schwinn was notorious for using last years parts on this years bikes (I have a 62 Fleet with a 61 stamped crank). I believe the stamped serial number was when the actual Frame was made. If you think about it, the time to stamp the serial number is when you are making the Frame. The website I visit for Schwinn serial numbers has them listed per day, or every other day. If production was at 100%, I don't think a Frame would sit around the factory for too long. I think the serial number is a close guesstimate for when the said bike was actually built.
http://www.angelfire.com/rant/allday101/SchwinnCodes2.html

"Close guesstimate"....I like that !

Until someone comes up with something else...for now...

I will go with schwinndoggy's way of thinking. :cool:
 
Maybe this is why we love Schwinn's, the mystery! As we all know, Schwinn was notorious for using last years parts on this years bikes (I have a 62 Fleet with a 61 stamped crank). I believe the stamped serial number was when the actual Frame was made. If you think about it, the time to stamp the serial number is when you are making the Frame. The website I visit for Schwinn serial numbers has them listed per day, or every other day. If production was at 100%, I don't think a Frame would sit around the factory for too long. I think the serial number is a close guesstimate for when the said bike was actually built.
http://www.angelfire.com/rant/allday101/SchwinnCodes2.html

A bike frame's component could sit around at the factory for weeks or months.

There is positive proof that the later serial numbers were stamped on the bikes component prior to any frame building. How would you explain a serial number stamped on a dropout and on this same frame there is a different serial number stamped on the headtube? How would one explain two different serial numbers stamped on a headtube with one on the top left and upside down and then one on the bottom right? How about the first 1966 numbers that are missing the year letter. After you look at a few build dates stamped in the headbadges and then compare that date with the serial number's recorded date you'll see what kind of time span there was from the SN recorded date to the finished product. The bikes I have document had a time span of a month + and longer with some months into the next year.
 
i have a white fairlady with a september 1960 stamped serial number.the crank is dated 12/60.it has the 61 starburst badge,61 stem,and a 61 dated 3 speed hub.must be a 60 fairlady,right?
just shows frame dates are frame build dates,not the finished product date.
 
So my 41 with its one year only guard and fenders must have been made in late 34... Then about 40 the got around to putn itz together :)
 
So my 41 with its one year only guard and fenders must have been made in late 34... Then about 40 the got around to putn itz together :)


33dyu6bpng-1.jpg
 
Based upon common manufacturing methods of the time, and even today, we can guess that serial number closely relates to frame build date range from the older Schwinn documentation. Out side of that, wheels and parts could be mixed in the bins (large gaylords seen in many pics) along with frames...so overlapping year specific parts with a frame of a supposedly specific year serial number is common. Standard procedure for manufacturing is to pull older inventory first, but with the amount of product being pushed through that factory, who knows what got pulled for assembly and when, and what did they have surpluses of, or what ran out and was replenished with a new improved version??? Frame serial number gets you close, that's about it. How close can be debated, continue reading...

Many people forget that the Schwinn factory sold oodles of frames and parts separately too. I have an old picture of a mini twin in factory red with decals, which came from the local Schwinn shop where I live (new owner today, brother of the second owner I know well, both worked there too as kids). I speak to the old owner and new owner often. He remembers the month he ordered the red mini twinn frame, May 1972! He ordered a mini twin frame to build for the local festival, he thought a mini twin would be a cool parade bike. They would ride various bikes every year. Since they were on sale it made sense to buy it (on sale because they didn't sell in stores well at all!). The kicker is 1972. He knows this specifically because he didn't work there until 1972. Schwinn didn't offer the mini twin in 1972, only '68 and '69, and they didn't make it in red either. He said he just asked for red, they painted it and decaled it up and shipped it to him with the drivetrain, no wheels, seats, fenders , bars etc. They were happy to get rid of another frame. He built the rest of the bike with parts from the shelves in the store. Correct Stingray parts, but various date codes. Is this the rarest mini twin of all time?

So what year bike is this mini twin??? Does it really matter...

GenuineRides
 
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