bigwoo

My cousin just called me all excited because he has been looking for a "build" project/frame....

He is sending me some photo's but, I am blanking on this description: "It's a (original paint) 2-tone Opaque red and white frame, nice lugwork, round "Schwinn Approved-Made in Japan" head badge w/ 6 digits stamped into it...starts with a 6-----...."

Is this a Traveler??

(For some reason, I thought the 2 tones didn't start until the 80's but, weren't the round Japanese badges from the 70's??)

well biked

Here's an '83 Traveler catalog page I found on one of the Schwinn forums, posted there by Sierra: https://www.schwinnbike.com/heritage/...74.........Six digit date code? Are you sure it's not a four digit code? Do you know what the numbers are?-

cudak888 

Are you a Match Game fan?

-Kurt

bigwoo

B'ding!!

bigwoo

Much appreciated but, it's not maroon, it's closer to a candy apple/fire engine red.....with very white/white accents... yep, it's got 6 digits stamped onto the "Schwinn Approved-Made in Japan" badge which, I think that I've seen on several very early Le Tours....the 6 digits were stamped on the bottom dead center...

well biked

My long lost and beloved '79 Traveler was the color you describe, absolutely the most brilliant, beautiful red paint I've ever seen. But there wasn't anything two-tone about it, other than the fact that the decals were white. I've got no clue about the six digit date code (all the ones I've seen had four digits), maybe Bob Hufford can chime in-

cudak888 

"We polled a recent studio audience and got their best response to this: 'Blank...Paramount.' Now, three of the six stars are permitted to help..."

-Kurt

well biked

Here's a link to Bob's site, a catalog page for the '79 Traveler. The bike was available in "Scarlet Flame" (the red I refer to above) or "Pearl Blue": https://www.geocities.com/sldbconsume.../79ccpg06.html

I think the same colors were available in '80, but I'm not sure-

bigwoo

I'm absolutely with you on the 4 digit date codes.... I'm also with you on the brilliant red: not quite candy apple but, unique...Gosh, now I'm excited to see the photos when he sends em'.... I wonder if he meant red frame with white lettering....I honestly remember seeing (very old/early) Japanese head badges with 6 digits and, I dont think it had anything to do w/ date of manufacture....I could have sworn the badges I did see were a 70's model....5 or 6 centered numbers.....


I'm rubbing the Official Super-Secret Magic Scooper & Bob H lamp now...need your help guy's... again

rhenning

Schwinn did put a 5 didget code on the bottom of some of their 1970s bikes. It was their Zip code in Chicago. Starts with a 6****. Roger

well biked

Yep, I'll bet that's what bigwoo's cousin is referring to, the corporate headquarters' zip code: 60639

bigwoo

60639 ! That's it, that's the number I've seen numerous times... thank goodness... I thought after seeing it once or twice that I was losing my mind!!

pastorbobnlnh 

Here's a pic of the headbadge on my '79 Traveler, albeit in the Pearl Blue. Late '70s to about 1980 Travelers were either this color or the red you mention with white decals. In '81 or '82 they offered a two tone, red/white, but I believe it was made in Tawain.

TheSojourner

I am buying a Travelr that looks EXACTLY like you are describing (https://dayton.craigslist.org/bik/736463415.html). What I'm trying to do is narrow down the model year and where it was made (hopefully in the US). I'll post some pics after I pick it up today.

Scooper

Revived old thread.

The head badge should have four digits lightly stamped in a very small font. This represents the build date. The first three digits are the day of the year (001 - 365) and the fourth digit is the last digit of the year. You determine the decade by the decals and components.

Links to on-line Schwinn catalogs are HERE, so once you have an idea of when the bike was built, you can browse the catalogs to pin it down.

Good luck.

Caferacernoc

I have the exact same Traveler. Red with white headtube and white panel in seat tube. My FIVE digit headbadge code ends in a 9. So I assumed it was a '79.

Scooper

If your FIVE digit headbadge code is 60639, it's the Schwinn factory ZIP code in Chicago.

The four digit code is very lightly stamped and is difficult to see without really looking for it.

Links to on-line Schwinn catalogs may be found HERE, so once you have an idea of what the build date is, you can browse the catalogs to confirm the model year of your bike.

TheSojourner

Thanks for the links, but I poured over the LWDB catalogs (up to '79), and the catalogs in the link ('80 to '90) before posting. None of them show the red/white two-tone paint job on a Traveler. The cloest thing I found was the '81 Sports Tourer (https://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1...0/1981_11.html), but it's not a Traveler and it's black and red two-tone. The red Traveler that is listed on the same page does NOT have a two-tone paint job. I'm lost, guess I might just have to wait till this afternoon when I meet him to pick it up (provided it's a 25" or a 27" frame, he doesn't know).

I'm guessing it's a Japanese made frame and not form Chicago?

Caferacernoc

"The four digit code is very lightly stamped and is difficult to see without really looking for it."

Stamped where if not the headbadge?
Thanks.

pastorbobnlnh 

Cafer,

If you look at my picture of the Headbadge on my 1980 Traveler, you can see the date number stamped between the S in "Schwinn" and the A in "Approved."

Mine was built by Bridgestone in Japan on the 282nd day of 1979, which is October something. Interestingly the original Shimano cable casings used on the derailleurs, had "Oct 1979" printed on them. I bought mine in East Point, GA in April 1980.

TheSojourner

Well I just picked it up! Must have looked pretty funny riding around the gas station parking lot in cowboy boots and on an old Schwinn to boot (pun intended)! Well worth the $75 IMHO.

Anyway, mine only has three numbers (356), and it's on the right-hand side of the head badge. Also, the head badge doesn't look exactly like your picture in that it doesn't say Japan, just the 6-something number that is apparently the Chicago zipcode of Schwinn. If it helps, it's a 25" Traveler (best I can tell by the largely missing top tube decal), is fire-engine red and white two-tone (the headtube is white and a portion of the seattube), and came with center-pull dia compe brakes, a Shimano FE front derailer, a Shimano 400 rear derailer, a 5 speed cassette, and the rear serial number is 2347224. (link to Craigslist ad here https://dayton.craigslist.org/bik/736463415.html).

Sierra

No, that paint scheme never made it into the catalogs. I've been trying to figure out what year(s) they are from also, but haven't been able to get close enough to one to read the date code on the headbadge. Looks about late seventies though.

TheSojourner

SOLVED MY OWN MYSTERY! https://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...8&d=1208447644

My bike is a Taiwanese made Schwinn. The give away apparently is the two separate number/letter codes on the rear dropouts. The left dropout has 2347224 which apparently doesn't mean squat. The right rear dropout on the other hand, is G1281 which means Taiwan (G) December (12) 1981 (81).

So it's a 1981 Schwinn Traveler manufactured in Taiwan. Now I won't feel so bad if I repaint it blue and green!! To be honest the paint is ate up anyway, and the stickers are pretty much shot. Was kind of hoping for Chicago or at least Greenville, but there's actually something liberating (read: less guilt in painting it) about it being a cheap import...

Scooper

Yep; the"G" means it was made by Giant in Taiwan, and 1281 means December 1981. Because it was made in December, it's probably a 1982 model.

Caferacernoc

Mine is exactly the same. 60639 on the bottom of the headbadge. 356 on the right:

https://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk158/Caferacernoc/

The stickers were shot so I removed them but I love the paint job.