Classic & Vintage - newbie to the boards

i was directed here from the introduction forum, hehe.

so as i said in the other thread, i'm here from richmond va and i'm mainly into vintage and custom stuff.

here's some of my collection:
1967 raleigh 5 speed:
http://a768.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/45/l_4c8d912e8af3c40bb597bc8ce1a7987f.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/vwuberalles/raleighrocks.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/vwuberalles/hyrdoplantraleigh.jpg
it was missing the shifters so i threw a coaster wheel on it so i can ride it while i track down the proper bits. i still have the original sturmey archer wheel.

1960's (?) peugeot "fixte"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/vwuberalles/fixte.jpg
mixte frame i picked up and built up as a fixed gear daily beater

another raleigh i used to have
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/vwuberalles/raleigh1.jpg

1973 schwinn world voyageur
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/vwuberalles/voyageur.jpg
sold this one, but it was all original with full dura ace.

1975 AMF flying wedge
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v139/dcisoutheast/74amf5.jpg
http:
//img.photobucket.com/albums/v139/dcisoutheast/74amf3.jpg
kinda ratty but a blast to ride.

1965 schwinn stingray
http://a194.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/3/l_83e0e2e8fccee9566859314eea7ddec9.jpg
had to use some repro parts, i just got it as a frame. i do have a 1972 3 speed stingray that's complete and original though, no pics of that one.

1980 schwinn le tour (edit: actually it's an 87, thanks for the info!)
http://a809.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/8/l_c15e3a1fceb6cfe9aaa4d811b7c2f368.jpg
custom build up as an 8 speed flatbar commuter. still a chicago-built lugged frame.

Cool. Welcome to the C & V forum.

There's a very capable fellow down there in Richmond who sometimes posts here as Poguemahone. Nice guy, good mechanic, lots of connections for tracking down bikes and parts. You might want to shoot him a PM and see what he says.

p.s. - say hi to kim. :D :p

Very cool looking rides.

Cool bikes! I gotta say about the le tour frame/fork, those decals don't look 1980 at all. Are you going by the four digit date code on the headbadge to date it, with the last digit being a zero? If so, I'd bet it's a 1990 instead of a 1980-

I'm partial to that headlight on the first bike. Nice collection & welcome to BF.

Tim,

Good to meet you. My name is Rob. I live in Church Hill, though I am currently going to school in Ashland, OR. I will be back in May.
Nice stable and welcomne to the forum.

Welcome and congrats on the nice stable of bikes! I like the Ocho!

WELCOME timpossible,ALL the bikes are great,I could go-off on each one.I won't though,I've already waisted enough of your time. I WILL say,singlin' just ONE out..THAT MIXTE is outa-site !! I love those.

Great collection! Thanks for sharing your bikes.

Cool bikes! I gotta say about the le tour frame/fork, those decals don't look 1980 at all. Are you going by the four digit date code on the headbadge to date it, with the last digit being a zero? If so, I'd bet it's a 1990 instead of a 1980-

the decals threw me as well, but it's made in chicago, which iirc they only made lugged steel le tour frames there in 1979-80 as a last ditch attempt to save the company.

it originally had 27" wheels and a schwinn chicago headbadge affixed by screws, not rivets. the badge is stamped "1297" and the serial number on the bb shell is D730716.

the decals threw me as well, but it's made in chicago, which iirc they only made lugged steel le tour frames there in 1979-80 as a last ditch attempt to save the company.

it originally had 27" wheels and a schwinn chicago headbadge affixed by screws, not rivets. the badge is stamped "1297" and the serial number on the bb shell is D730716.
Tim, your LeTour is not from 1980. Schwinn continued to make lugged steel bikes in Mississippi through the '80s and into the early '90s. Your badge number and serial number tell all: The badge tells us it was built on the 127th day of 1987, around April, and the D7***** tell us April 1987. The decals on a 1980 would look more like the ones on a 1979 pictured below.
http://www.geocities.com/sldbconsumer8/1979/79ccpg04.jpghttp://www.geocities.com/sldbconsumer8/1979/79ccpg05.jpg

okay that makes sense then... the chicago on the head badge threw me off, and i hadn't seen a screwed on badge on that late of a bike before, i thought they were all riveted since the early 80's. now i don't feel as bad bastardizing it as when i thought it was a rare 1 year only frame!

is there a later vin chart availiable online than the one at oldroads.com? it leaves off after 1982.

It's a nice le tour frame/fork, in most ways better than an '80 model. But built in Mississippi, not Chicago. Schwinn continued to use the Chicago headbadges into the early nineties, the corporate headquarters remained there, although the manufacturing plant in Chicago shut down in late '83-

Nice collection, love the Raleigh :)

is there a later vin chart availiable online than the one at oldroads.com? it leaves off after 1982.

Schwinn serial numbers into the '80's are a little sketchy, but one thing we've found discussing these '80's Schwinns is that the ones built in Greenville, Miss. usually have a serial starting with "S" (and not just for le tours), possibly designating a Greenville-built bike, then a date code (such as your "D"), then the last digit of the year (like your 7). So I'm a little surprised your serial doesn't start SD7 instead of D7, but like I said it's sketchy. What complicates things, too, is that Schwinn had bikes made in China, Taiwan, and Japan during this era also-

P.S. I really like what you've done with the le tour, it looks like a very fast ride!

I really like that Schwinn World Voyager -- sort of a poor man's Paramount. :) Welcome to the forum!

Too bad you sold the best one. he he he