What to do with this?

[DaveZ]

A friend of mine was given this form the town dump folks. It is a Schwinn New World SN H63906 making it, I believe, a 1941. I think it originally had the Sturmey Archer 3 speed because it has the sheave on it still and I can see where the shifter was, paint is somewhat darker. His question is fix it all up, paint etc or just clean it and put some sort of clear finish over it?

 

[rollfaster]

I’d just clean it without clearing or linseed oil. WD-40 with 0000 steel wool, polishing compound and wax. Sweet find. @Miq @SirMike1983 @Eric Amlie

 

[rustjunkie]

leave it be

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/so-who-prefers-to-preserve-the-crust.102071/

 

[DaveZ]

Thanks guys! So oil an grease it. Put tires on it and ride off into the sunset

 

[rustjunkie]

how about a few good snaps of that cool seat tube decal

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

I'd say that paint is not going to clean up very well.. if I had a bike like that I would take a wire wheel to all the chrome that is now rust. I like bare metal over rust and crust.

I'd like to get something older like that some day to replace my 1960 Speedster

 

[DaveZ]

how about a few good snaps of that cool seat tube decal

Will do next time I go out.

 

[Allrounderco]

Do not clear. It looks unnatural, and ruins any further attempt to preserve what's there. Like @49autocycledeluxe said, the paint isn't going to come back, at least on the fenders and guard. Frame might surprise you, however. The beauty of a good cleaning (0000 steel wool and WD40 or OA bath) is that you can always take it down to bare metal later. Once cleaned, the boiled linseed oil ($8-ish at the big box home stores for a quart) looks so good, and is so easy to apply. Please keep us updated.

 

[Allrounderco]

@DaveZ I just thought of a way your friend can get rolling in 4 hours, and not even need to get his hands dirty - PM Sent

 

[DaveZ]

how about a few good snaps of that cool seat tube decal