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Violet
- Thread starter hotrod
- Start date
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GTs58
I'm the Wiz, and nobody beats me!
Never seen an example of either one of those models.
WillWork4Parts
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
I was about to say, I definitely haven't seen an Opal Violet Jaguar...I've not seen any early Sports or Supersports either, but I have seen the mid 60s versions in the later Violet. I have seen Opalescent Violet on a few lightweights though, Paramount included, and I think there is a late 54 Opalescent Violet Traveler or Varsity in one of the New World threads.
The Opal Violet was used on the stingrays for less than a year I believe.
The Opal Violet was used on the stingrays for less than a year I believe.
Eric Amlie
Wore out three sets of tires already!
Here's another violet to add in to the mix.
'62 Superior.
Drive train not completely stock.
'62 Superior.
Drive train not completely stock.
WillWork4Parts
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
Would you say this is Opalescent Violet the same as the early Stingrays? Or is it a shade lighter since it's over chrome?
It looks lighter from here...but it doesn't have a stingray next to it for comparison, so..... Lol
GTs58
I'm the Wiz, and nobody beats me!
Schwinn never shot the candy colors over chrome, they always had the aluminum base coat. Keep in mind that the candy colors get darker as the paint gets thicker. It's very ununiform to say the least. When I was doing paint matches on the Radiant colors I had examples were my paint tests would be perfect in some areas of the frame and noticeably off in other areas. On some original examples you could still see the aluminum base around the seat and chain stays and the cantilever bars at the welds. When Schwinn changed to electrostatic painting they said they hand painted the hard-to-get areas but it seems that was a hit and miss situation over the production and some years (65) were a big miss.
1966 Varsity
1962 Superior
Stingray
Mid 50's Traveler
1966 Varsity
1962 Superior
Stingray
Mid 50's Traveler
Eric Amlie
Wore out three sets of tires already!
The '62 Superior is the standard Violet of the sixties. GTs58's photo of the '65 is a better color representation. His camera is probably better than mine.
I've never seen one of the Opal Violet Stingrays so I can't comment on that, but my '56-'57 Traveler that Gt re-posted above is noticeably darker. I would call it Purple.
I've never seen one of the Opal Violet Stingrays so I can't comment on that, but my '56-'57 Traveler that Gt re-posted above is noticeably darker. I would call it Purple.
Schwinn Sales West
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
This is a very accurate observation of the Opal/Radiant/Candy/Flamboyant Schwinn paint color shades. They were all sprayed over a silver undercoat. Actually, the Superior Pearl Orange was sprayed over a white undercoat. Basically, they are all transparent colors. You "see through" the paint shade to the silver under coat. Depending on how many coats of paint you have the colors keeps getting darker. It would be easier to paint a door on a car because you could maintain the same distance and angle of the spray gun to the surface for a consistent color shade. Keeping the paint even on a tubular bicycle frame is difficult.
These are VERY DIFFICULT transparent colors to spray in a high volume production environment. Schwinn used a Ransberg electrostatic paint booth. It had water running down the booth walls to catch any overspray. The paint was charged to be attracted to the charged part much the way powder coating is done today. This was done to give a uniform paint thickness to the frame tubes. Even with this "high tech" equipment the paint was thin around the kickstand housing and bottom bracket. They "hand sprayed" these difficult areas before the frame when through the automated spray booth.
Schwinn Hand Sprayed there high end models. I'd bet money that the Superior pictured above was a hand sprayed bike. I have a 1963 Paramount that was originally Lime Green and it looked nothing like a Lime Green production Varsity paint, it was much lighter in color like the Violet Superior painted above. The most striking Schwinn bike I have ever seen was a Terra Cotta Paramount Track Tandem hanging in the basement of Vincents Sporting Goods (Bakersfield, CA). It looked nothing like any Terra Cotta "production painted" Schwinn model.
Some colors "like" Coppertone should not be offered using a automated paint system. If you look at ten Coppertone Schwinn Bicycles they will all be different shades. And if you put them next to a Coppertone Paramount, the hand painted bike will be different.
John
WillWork4Parts
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
This is what I was looking for, your opinion of the color...as pictures laid on top of each other, all taken in different light do not make for a proper comparison and don't do these low production bikes justice. Like @Schwinn Sales West said, the high end/low production models were hand sprayed and are quite beautiful and different as a result.
WillWork4Parts
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
Never candy over chrome you say? Take a closer look at your Deluxe and Super Deluxe chain guards that have scuffs.
Take a closer look at any scuffs on your chrome tip forks.
I wish I had a chrome lugged frame to look for a silver base and offer up as an example.
