Rabid Koala

Looks like we are going to have matching "his and hers" Opaque Blue Paramounts!

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...5996&rd=1&rd=1

Really, I didn't think my bid would win it.

Scooper

Very cool! It'll look like you bought 'em new as a matching pair!

Rabid Koala

Hey, when I met her back in 1974, she rode a Varsity.

Even though I will have to put tourist bars on it, and probably a set of Twin Sticks, it will be a big improvement over the Super Course she has now.

And if she hates it.....I can always part it out!

Scooper

I love the way sellers who don't know bikes see a Reynolds decal on them and assume the frame is aluminum.

Blue Order

Very cool! And even cooler, knowing that this wasn't a Britney Spears-related post.

pastorbobnlnh 

The other day my 14 year old daughter asked me, "Daddy, could you build me a bike for four?" I said, "Sure! Sooner or later Rabid Koala will have 4 Paramounts I could weld together so you and your buddies can go riding in style."

I can't wait to see your side by side pictures after it arrives.

Rabid Koala

My garage will have more Paramounts than I ever saw in a Schwinn shop.....

Pastor Bob, is Paramount gluttony a sin? My wife is a P.K. and won't offer up an opinion on THAT!

McDave

+1,000,000. I was looking at "it's" feedback the other day and there are nearly as many "feedback withdrawn by mutual agreement" as there are positives!

el twe

Nice catch! I've got some Twin Stick shifters from a '72 Super Sport. PM me if you're interested.

BobHufford

Don't ya hate it when that happens. Congrats on your impending arrival!

Bob

pastorbobnlnh 

Naw! Let's just call it preservation of those things we longed for in the past.

If I were your father-in-law, I'd pull you aside a ask, "Son, are taking adequate care of my daughter? Are you providing for her needs? Do you treat her with respect? Etc.? Etc.?"

For this reason my daughter doesn't seem to want to bring any of the boys around this summer, even the ones who attend our church, and would think my old bikes were kool. I spotted the most recent crush riding an old Puch 10 speed the other day. I pulled along to admire his ride, and she kept muttering under her breath, "Daddy don't stop! Daddy don't stop!" So I invited him over to see my collection!

evwxxx

Ohhh,,,bad dad! I got in trouble when the #1 daughter actually brought one home last year. Trying to make "idle conversation" with him I asked him what college he was attending back there in Wisconsin. Of course, the reply was negative,,,,he was more into "playing the guitar",,,that pretty much ended the idle conversation for me,,,,later I was accused by daughter #1 of "grilling" him about what he did!! Good grief!

Rabid Koala

UPDATE:

Mrs. K's new Paramount is ready to ride with a whole lot of cleaning and touch up, and modifications to suit her preferences. She did not want to sit on an old, stiff as a board Brooks saddle, so her old padded one goes on the Paramount, with upright bars and stem shifters. I had purchased a set of Twin Stick shifters from el twe, but she preferred the Power Shifters from her old Super Course. Not to worry, the Twin Sticks will find a home on a future project!

Here it is pretty much as it came out of the box after a little assembly work:



It was in pretty rough shape. I was expecting better but wasn't terribly surprised. It was covered by an oily haze, long since solidified. I can only guess that it was kept around machinery or something like that where there is a fine oily mist in the air. Fortunately, the chrome was pretty good. These two photos give a pretty good example of the grime and overall condition:




After much cleaning and touch up, we have something worthy of riding once again:



And we now have "his and hers" Paramounts!



One other thing....A big THANKS to whoever was thinking and decided to put the reflective bicycle license underneath the Brooks. Obviously this bike was owned by someone who really cared for it back then, and didn't want to foul the looks with this ugly license.

Walter

That's exactly what I thought when I saw this thread.

Congrats on the new addition.

jet sanchEz

Geez, that is a nice job you've done of cleaning it, did you use oxalic acid?

Rabid Koala

I did use some OA, but mostly just for the small parts.

For the paint I used Blue Coral clearcoat polishing compound, followed by Zymol wax. I used Testors paint for the touch up spots, then carefully wet sanded and followed up with the polishing compound. Not perfect, but a massive improvement.

I also cleaned years worth of crud off the decals (very carefully) the same way.

I did try soaking a complete wheel in OA. The rims were fairly true, the butted chrome plated spokes were rusty. I made a box from 2 x 6 lumber and lined it with plastic. I pulled the bearings and axle and coated the races with a heavy coat of grease.

It worked, but the spokes were pitted. I will relace the original wheels with stainless steel spokes that will stay nice. I think the rust would soon return to those chrome plated spokes.

Scooper

Wonderful! You've done a great job cleaning it up, but I wonder what the previous owner was thinking to let it fall into such a state of disrepair. Talk about sinful.

Now, get matching jerseys and have a friend take a picture of the two of you riding side by side on your matching Paramounts.

Lamplight

Great bike! And good job cleaning it up. I could have used your cleaning skills last Saturday when I was tearing down a Nishiki that actually made me shudder a few times from nastiness.

VPR

nice, but 600$ is way too much, although I dont know anything about these bikes

Rabid Koala

Try buying the components alone for that price. Good luck!

Dr.Deltron

I think VPR forgot this......at the end of his post.

Either that, or he/she really doesn't know anything about those bikes.

Which, BTW, are incredible! Love the upwrong bars, but that stem's gotta go!
Much too much reach.

TBART

Good deal on that Paramount & a good job cleaning it up too!

Tom

brew

very cool, i really want to get a paramount in the future

ollo_ollo

Good job on the clean up. I recently sold a Centurion with those same Power Shifters. The Co-ed who bought it was really taken with them. Seemed to be the main selling point. Go Figure!

dck

Beautiful job. Did you use the #1108 brush enamel or the #1208 rattlecan? I've got an opaque blue Paramount that needs a little of the same treatment.

I had a set of wheels that were in the same shape, didn't even bother trying to clean the spokes, tore them down and respoked with double butted stainless. Went cross-4 to match the original.