Classic & Vintage - Schwinn Superior

Received a call from an old lady about wanting to get rid of an "old" Schwinn. She had done a lot of research on it and knew enough about it to not sell it for $20 bucks :p, so $200 bucks later this is what I got. Size is around 59cm to the top of seat tube.

Number on the badge looks to be double stamped and it's 2702

number on the rear drop is 20302

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0939.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0926.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0925.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0942.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0940.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0938.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0937.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0936.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0935.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0934.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0932.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0931.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0930.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0929.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0928.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0927.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/Dsc_0916-1.jpg

Nice score! The rust is a bummer, but it'll clean up alright.

http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1981_1990/1982_06.JPG

Only one with this color I've seen right now was an 83 model provided by rekmeyata on the "saved from the dump" thread, There's also one with the same color on feebay right now.

Here's a brief catalog info on it: http://bikecatalogs.org/SCHWINN/1983...per_Sport.html (http://bikecatalogs.org/SCHWINN/1983/LightWeight/Superior_Super_Sport.html)

Something different on the catalog besides the color and most of the components is that it mentions Reynolds "531c" tubing and nuovo record derailleurs.

I believe 531c is the same as 531just. It could be an '83 model, but it was assembled on the 270th day of 1982 if your headbadge number is correct.

y old ladies no call me?

I believe the early eighties Superior framesets were built by Don Mainland in Racine, Wisconsin, using 531 tubing and Nervex Professional lugs from inventory left over from Chicago Paramount production after Ed Schwinn closed down the Chicago cage and moved Paramount production to Waterford.

Don's brazing and framebuilding skills were close to perfection. That's a very nice find for $200.

I belive 531c is the same as 531just. It could be an '83 model, but it was assembled on the 270th day of 1982 if your headbadge number is correct.

Yes, 531C was the new name for "regular" 531. The bike is from right around the time Reynolds changed the decal types, plus decal stocks deplete at different rates, accumulate in odd drawers, etc. It's the same "stuff."

You stinker - what a find!

It's a 1982 serial, but the paint job indicates it was intended to be an '83. Would you be willing to submit it to the Paramount/Superior Registry on The Headbadge?


I believe the early eighties Superior framesets were built by Don Mainland in Racine, Wisconsin, using 531 tubing and Nervex Professional lugs from inventory left over from Chicago Paramount production after Ed Schwinn closed down the Chicago cage and moved Paramount production to Waterford.

At least one was a Paramount done up to look like a Superior - the '81/82 catalog bike.

-Kurt

You stinker - what a find!

It's a 1982 serial, but the paint job indicates it was intended to be an '83. Would you be willing to submit it to the Paramount/Superior Registry on The Headbadge?



At least one was a Paramount done up to look like a Superior - the '81/82 catalog bike.

-Kurt

lol!, sure I'll submit it, got this other one to submit too, also waiting for a cleanup :).

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/guzziee/DSC_0466-1.jpg

At least one was a Paramount done up to look like a Superior - the '81/82 catalog bike.

-Kurt

Could be, but Bob Hufford posted this Superior history in THIS THREAD (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/98091):


p,

This is what I've unearthed over the last few years of digging around in the Schwinn Lightweight world.

Look for a four digit stamping in the headbadge. It will be a Julian date, the first three digits will be the sequential day of the year and the last will the the last year of the decade. "1352" would be the 135th day of a year ending in "2" (1982 in this case).

The early '80s Schwinn Superiors were built using frames and frame components (Nervex lugs, Campagnolo fork ends and Reynolds 531 tubing) that were left over after Schwinn shut down the Paramount area of the Chicago plant (due to quality issues) in 1979. They were built by a Schwinn sub-contractor in Racine, Wisconsin (Don Mainland). Don (and partner Roger Nelson) had a machine shop that built about 40% of the Paramount frames during the '70s bike boom. I've heard (but have not confirmed) that the chromed Paramount frames were all built by Don as the brazing was better (less visible after chroming) than those that were done "in house". The Schwinn Paramounts came back in 1983 as full custom bikes built at the new Paramount factory in Waterford, Wisconsin -- what has evolved into Waterford Precision Cycles (separated from the Schwinn company at the 1993 bankruptcy and co-owned by Richard Schwinn).

There were at least three different colors (orange, gun-metal-grey, and black) and a variety of decal styles. They were equipped with Campagnolo GS (Gran Sport) -- 2nd tier Campy components.

That's about all I know in regard to specs. Hope that helps.

Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO

Bob has usually done his homework before making contributions like this, and I've heard essentially the same thing from other sources.

Get it oranged. Oh baby - nice bike.

That's a nice find. I'd pay $200 for that in a heartbeat.

Could be, but Bob Hufford posted this Superior history in THIS THREAD (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/98091):

Bob has usually done his homework before making contributions like this, and I've heard essentially the same thing from other sources.

At least one source indicated that the earliest batch were unfinished Paramount frames, and that Columbus SL tubing sneaked into a few when convenient.


Get it oranged. Oh baby - nice bike.

There are enough orange ones out there. The '83s are unusual.

How unusual? I'd gladly trade my '73 Paramount frameset for my local buddy's orange 1982 Superior frameset - so I could trade for the '83, if the OP had preferred an orange one. Unfortunately, the local '82 is a few centemeters taller.

-Kurt

Not bad. Not bad.

Get it oranged. Oh baby - nice bike.

I agree with Kurt. This is a rarely seen color on a somewhat rare bike. I love the font on the decals.

The few rust spots should be easy to cleanup and protect from this point on.

Get it oranged. Oh baby - nice bike.

That's the first color that came to mind when I heard "superior". I'm pro-survivor, they are original only once, this will only get cleaned and maybe a little touch up paint on the rusty spot

These seem to be a fairly rare bike. I've been looking for one in my size for years with no luck.

As with PastorBob, I really like the Art Deco looking font of the decals.

Great find!

You might be interested in this thread about one
of these that was apparently factory repainted
as a Paramount. If it's your size, way cool find.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/774225-197-Schwinn-Paramount

If not, I want it.:love: Bet you can deal with that
amount of rust and still ride the snot out of it.:thumb:

Make sure to treat the inside with some kinda stuff like:


http://www.plumbersurplus.com/images/prod/6/Rust-Oleum-224284-rw-161330-259386.jpg

Could be, but Bob Hufford posted this Superior history in THIS THREAD (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/98091):



Bob has usually done his homework before making contributions like this, and I've heard essentially the same thing from other sources.

I have heard that story before and I heard it from the Wrench at the LBS, who has a Superior. He says he called up to Waterford trying to figure out what he had when he got the bike and got the same story from the Horses mouth (Richard Schwinn).