If you are trying to determine the genealogy of your bicycle by it's features, go to our Vintage Bicycle Price Guide
which details bicycle features, wheel sizes, brake types, etc., as well as showing a price estimate for your old bicycle.
If you are trying to determine the make and model of your bicycle, go to our Vintage Bicycle Picture Database
which details bicycle features, wheel sizes, etc., as well as showing a price estimate for your vintage bicycle.
| Hi Everyone, I have an old Columbia from 1970, I'm not sure of the model name. I am looking forward to restoring over this winter, this will be my first time retoring an old bike. I have a few questions, and an answer would be greatly appriciated. What kind of pain is best to use? Do I have to strip the bike before paint? Is it considered wrong to paint a bike colors it did not come in? Any other tips? Thank you in advance! |
| hi jess youve asked questions it would take several pages to answer....I reccommend getting a book on auto body painting techniques and types of paint Amazon.com has several good ones.this will explain in detail what your getting into.painting now a days can be very complex and hazardous to yer health if not done correctly.get a book....if you just want a spray can job results can be good with the right paint and preperation.changing colors means nothing unless you want it to look origional if the bike has any value probably doest have much might diminish it some.....get that book and go from there....good luck |
| I got a book out of the library, it does address many of these issues, if one really wants to detail. Also, terms used in these pages that sometimes, one doesn't know from the start, ex. wetsanding . It is called Paint & Body Handbook, by Don Taylor, Larry Hofer, our library number is 629.26 t , |
| Just picked up an old Schwinn at a yard sale for $5, and have decided to give restoration a shot. How can I determine what year the bike is for purposes of ordering/searching for replacement parts? Thanks. |
| well, you might start telling us a bit about the bike, does it have a model name? you told us, the company. Is it a ten-speed, 3 speed? Does it still have the wheels, shifters, etc.? |
| Tell us this: What does it say on it? What does it say on the chainguard? What size wheels? Mens or ladies frame? What color is this? Is it missing any parts? Is this a balloon tire, 3 speed, or a kids bike? The kids bikes could be Krates or Pickers or whatever and those are worth big money. What type of bike is what I am asking? Are the decals intact? Any damage such as rust or scratches? Often it is just recommended that you clean and get it back into a safe, ridable condition. Then ride and use it or sell it and pocket the difference. Then again, there are old Schwinns out there that are worthy for restoration. Any even you can find these if you are persistent. It depends on the bike. What model, what year and if it is rare or not. Where you found this, Did they have other bikes? If so, tell us what else there was. Perhaps you left the real prize there by mistake. It happens. Paramounts and Superiors are racing/ touring type bikes and the lightweight 10 speed style Schwinns are sought after and are worth more money than you would guess. Listen, Schwinn went back 100 years or so. They were absolutely and without a doubt, incredible. They bought up, took over and swallowed up other bicycle copmpanies and their factories and products. Many magical things vanished into what was Schwinn. Schwinn is a large subject with footnotes and things branch off from there. Many different bike names are really Schwinns. Go get the book by Pridemore and Hurd Schwinn bicycles. It is a coffee table picture book. Also, for all the dirt on the downfall and re- birth go get No hands, the rise and fall of the Schwinn bicycle Co. by: Judith Crown and Glenn Coleman The interest in old Schwinns is incredible and you are at the right web site for help. Ask us anything. Furthermore, dispite all the interest in old Schwinns. I will say that I believe that the real goodies are still out there, undiscovered. I'll bet that millions of dollars worth of spare and replacement parts are still out there in storage, in an old shop, with old grizzled codgers who have it squirreled away in barns or weherever. Do not be intimidated, go and chase this stuff. You would be surprised. |
| WOW !!! Thanks so much for the overwhelming response. You guys rock! I have determined that the bike is a 1977 (was hoping for older, but hey it's my first) and have started stripping paint and filling dents...having a great time. I do, however, want to do 2 things to the bike. 1) replace the handlebars and neck...any suggestions of where to get parts? How to size the neck and bars? It's a 10 speed bike with bars that come out, curl up and back (not down and back like a more traditional 10-speed) and eventually run parallel to the frame, only way I can describe. I wanted to replace because the crome is so pitted and worn, also dented. Suggestions? Sellers? 2) I wanted to put slightly beefier tires on the bike. I believe they are 27'' tires and very narrow, 10-speed-like tires. I wanted to beef them up...think the fork will permit, but do I need wider rims or can I use the existing ones which I think are salvageable? What product do you recommend for restoring chrome parts? Can I buy fender braces somewhere? How do I size them, from the tire size? What leather products will restore the very comfy Schwinn seat? Thanks!! -Rick |
| go to your computer,go to e-bay,type in schwinn,grap something to drink & start looking your gonna be there for a while, sometimes you can get good deals.just try not to over bid if you think its not worth it,keep in mind shipping cost, i just picked up a brand new apple krate seat,with the shocks,sissy bar,clamps&hardware for 125.00....good luck |
| what is the best way to take care of dents on something that is to be chromed? is it ok to chrome over regular autobody filler? I've used bondo on cars. or is there something better? |
| yeah building it up and grinding it will be fine, however i am assuming thatit may leave a few "holes", but if you have the patience to get it done thr right way then by all means go for it, or try and find replacement forks for less hasssle....bondo should be illegal...what bike has chrome forks? |
| Hi, As far as I know you cannot do actual electroplated chrome over bondo. Chroming requires the piece to become magnatized, and bondo can't do that. Hence you use a magnet to look for it on car bodies. If I read your question right, that the scoop. You might be able to literally bang the dents out. but I'd as someone more familiar with how to do it. Hope this helps, Beth |
| these dents are actually on a fork, which makes it impossible to hammer out. I'm thinking of builing up the steel with a mig welder, then grinding/filing them down. I'm wondering if there's an easier way though. thanks for the help. |
| what is the best way to take care of dents on something that is to be chromed? is it ok to chrome over regular autobody filler? I've used bondo on cars. or is there something better? |
| I bought a 20 inch sears cruiser bike this summer at a yard sale for $3.50. It was painted black with a spray can. It had a blue tire on the front and BMX handlebars...rough lookin bike...Anyhow i took it home and stripped it all down. Sanded and sanded and sanded. Then i went and bought some Car primer and paint. There's more colors when u buy car paint! I picked a forest green metallic. I cant afford to re-crome so i just bought some look-a-like chrome paint. It was the same stuff as the forest green. It looks aaight. I re-apolstered the seat with fake leather pants and painted white walls on the tires. (after finding a match to the black tire on back for the front...) After it was all done it looked aaight! I was just wondering if I should have clear coated the whole thing after i was done painting. You have to be reaaally carefull to not scratch the paint or it will show the primer underneith. Thanks! This is a cool site! |
| i agree "fake whitewalls" paimted onto tires is crap... i have seen alot of bikes that people paint the rim and fake whitewalls onto. the paint will come off but you just give use more work than we really need to do. |
| Do you have a picture of the bike you could send to me because the bike I picture from this description sounds like crap. |
| sounds like you're having fun with it, you can't go wrong for $3.50!! see what kind of cool parts you can find on other old bikes. I hear what you're saying about chrome, it's friggin expensive!! sometimes you can get the old chrome looking pretty good with brass wool though (even if it's painted over!). It's pretty amazing what some people consider crap too, you should see the 1971 cutlass musclebike I pulled out of a garbage bin last year, totally complete right down to the perfect seat, liscence plate, and hub shiner!! someone spray painted over most of the bike, but it comes off ok without taking the original finish off. keep having fun!! |
| Hi All, I have an old bike I'm using for parts on a project. It is filthy, and desperately needs to be washed. The problem is on the fenders and chaingaurd, rust has caused the paint to bubble and flake. The finish is like having paint quills. Is there anyway to wash these parts, without further destroying or removing the paint? I don't need to actually polish any of it. Thanks, Beth |
| I reccomend using a light detergent, maybe 1/2 cup of ammonia in about a half gallon of water. Or even try using some Murphy's Oil Soap, that is a wonderful cleaner. Good Luck |
| I am planning a full restoration of a ca.1979 Wester Ross Road Frame, and am hoping to get some feedback, experience or advice on paint shops that I have found on the web. I really like this bike, and only want to do this once. I will be getting the decals and logos from the origional maker, so its really just the quality / value of paint and prep as well as the application of decals that I am interested in. The frame also has some minor-medium rust, especially on the BB. The shops I have looked at an am considering are: Joe Bell, Cycles D'Oro, Chris Kvale, Pfieffer Pframes, Cycle Art, KoolBikes, Freshframes and Airglow.Suggestions of other I have not found also much welcomed...... Any input or advice or compliments or warnings are most appreciated. I'd also like to hear from anyone else with a Wester Ross (Lock Ewe Cycles) frame. Thanks Ian Baren |
| Just purchased 2 old wooden rims for my bike and one of them has been missing a spoke for a ong time and has an abrupt and deep ( in it. Is there a good way of straightening the rim ? Thanks |
| I am trying to take the stem off of 63 Schwinn hollywood.The stem bolt broke and I am out of ideas on how to remove.I've tried pene trating oil but has not helped.Anybody have a better plan?Thanks |
| If only the head of the bolt is broken off, place a punch against the shaft of the bolt, and smack it with a hammer. This will break the wedge section loose from the stem, letting you remove both. If the bolt has broken off deep inside, just stick another bolt of similar size in there, and smack its head, to do the same thing. |
| Thanks! I tried what you said and it worked! |
| Hello, I pulled a Montgomery Ward Hawthorn bicycle out of my grandmothers barn and am in the process of fixing it up. It is a coaster brake. It had a stripped axle in the rear wheel, so I replaced that myself with the help of the friendly people at one of the local bike coops. First, I was wondering if it is possible to convert it to hand brakes? Is there maybe some kind of conversion kit available somewhere? I just feel so unsafe when I ride because it doesnt stop very fast. Second, it is pretty badly rusted and missing alot of paint. Is it okay to sand down the rust, primer, then use canned spray paint? Third, can anyone tell me about what era the montgomery ward hawthorn bicycle's are from, to give me some idea of it's age? I am sure I will have more questions eventually, but that is all for now. Thanks! Rachael |
| It's perfectly all right to do a spray-can repaint on your bike, especially if its original paint is really rusty. You won't be hurting its value, because it has less value than the hot collectible bikes. Use the same brand of primer and finish paint. Follow the directions on the cans. For the best job, you should strip all the parts off before getting into paint prepping. It's best to use several grades of sandpaper, ending up with about 400 grit (finest grade you'll need for this stage), before priming. For a really good job, you should strip the paint, or have it sandblasted before sanding. Getting a really good paint job involves wet-sanding the primer between several coats, The same applies to the finish coats, except you wet-sand between coats with finer sandpaper (600-grit, or finer). Let it have at least several days to dry before putting it back together. Some Schwinns came with handbrakes, and they may bolt right onto your bike's frame. The people at your local bike shop can help you with this. If your coaster brake is that ineffective, you probably need an overhaul on it. You can also buy a new wheel with coaster brake pretty inexpensively. Your bike shop can sell you one, or order it for you, or you can shop for one on eBay. It doesn't have to be exactly identical to the original wheel, as long as it's the same tire size. As for the vintage of your bike, MW Hawthornes were sold for a very long time. The general age can best be determined by tire size. If it has 26 X 2.125" tires on it, it's from the early '50s and before. If it has 26 X 1.75" tires, it's from the mid '50s and later. For more specific dating, take a photograph of it as it is now, and e-mail it to Leon Dixon at the National Bicycle History Archive http://members.aol.com/oldbicycle/ He's extremely knowledgeable about that sort of thing. |
| Its fairly simple to convert to hand brakes, you can buy the calipers, levers and cables that will untversally fit any bike(as long as it already had holes where the brakes should go, like where the fender bolts to it) |
| I have a '68 Schwinn girl's bike with the horn tank between the top and bottom tubes. The horn isn't connected, and i need to know if there is a way I can reconnect or order a new horn. Any help is much appreciated. |
| www.bunchobikes.com/horn.htm www.bunchobikes.com |
| I have a fairly new CCM mountain bike whos paint has scrapes, has begun to peel off in some places, and whos plastic coating is similarly starting to peel off. I am interested in repainting the bike .. how might I go about removing the existing paint/plastic with a new coat of paint? what kinds of paint would work well? how could one ensure that the new coat is weather resistant? Moreover, should I remove everything down to the metal or could I paint over the existing paint? Any ideas/suggestions/questions .. send a reply |
| Hi just found the site I was wondering what is the best way to remove rust. I have used bronze wool for other applications with vinegar will that work on bikes? I have used it on tools before. I would like to keep the paint as original as possible. I live at the beach so rust has taken its toll. Thanks, What is the value of this bike I would guess circa 1940s. |
| Get the cleaning kit they sell here. It's easy and it works. There is a link at the top of this page. |
| I recently picked up a bicycle at a farm auction. I have no idea what make or model, I'm guessing it's from the early 60's. The former owner coated it liberally with white spraypaint, which has rendered the serial numbers unreadable. How do I remove the paint without damaging the underlying, original coat? The original is visible where the paint has flaked off, and is a very nice metallic blue. I'd like to keep it if at all possible. Thanks, Jen. |
| I've heard EZ Off oven cleaner will work but I'd test it on an inconspicious spot first. Or try cleaning with "Goo Gone" Stu |
| Hi, I am am in need of some help on what and where to go to bring my original bike back to life. Not too many dings on this bike but it it is dirty. It has a 3 speed hub that needs work/parts?? The stainless fenders are dirty and the paint is not rusted, but it has some minute scratches on the the tank and chaingard. One tank decal is missing as is the light and horn. Where do I begin to search for someone near to me do the work or where do I send the bike? Also how much am I looking at (money) to get this done and is this bike worth putting money into it? I am Lionel PostWar train collector and repair/reconditioning person and I know that some stuff is not worth the effort.I live in Scranton, PA. Thanks for your help, Jim |
| HI JIM, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU AND I ARE IN THE SAME BOAT. I'VE GOT A 1960 SCHWINN 3 SPEED THAT I'VE JUST FINISHED CLEANING UP, AND I REPLACED THE TIRES AND TUBES. THE GEARS AREN'T SHIFTING LIKE THEY SHOULD AND I LIKE YOU NEED INFO.ON HOW TO FIX THEM WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE. IF I FIND OUT ANYTHING I'LL LET YOU KNOW AND I HOPE YOU'LL DO THE SAME FOR ME. I'M REALLY ANXIOUS TO GET RIDING. GOOD LUCK TO YOU. |