owenbly

Hello everyone:

I just bought this Paramount P-10 off the ol' Ebays. It hasn't arrived yet.

Serial number is L7395, which would put it in November of '73, right? But what do you guys make of the decals? They don't appear to be stock for a '73 or a '74. The gentleman I'm buying it from is the original owner, and swears it hasn't been repainted.

Any thoughts out there in bikeforums land?

Owen

EjustE

November of 73 would have been something like LJ55555 (where 5 any number)

L7395 does not make any sense as a serial number. Where is the serial number located. There was an earlier system with a single letter, but it was followed by 6 digits not 4. So something missing here.

EjustE

here is your bike. It looks like a '77, so if there is a "N" after the "L" you are golden. (Paramounts changed to the decals you have in '76, so it could be a 76 as well or a 78)

owenbly

WOW! good find, thanks! I was just about to reply that the serial # is on the left rear dropout, which appears to be Campy; hard to see behind the quick release lever (see attached). But that decal scheme sure seems to match the catalogue you posted. It's odd that the serial number begins with 73 though. I'm going to pore over some serial number charts online...

EjustE

Hold it for a sec What I said earlier is wrong... mea culpa. Paramounts had a different numbering system than the rest of the Schwinns: a letter followed by 2-5 numbers. The first 2 numbers are the year. Double check when you get your bike. A couple things that could be happening here: The "3" might be an "8" so it could be a '78 consistent with the decals... or it is indeed a '73 that has been repainted and 76-78 decals applied after the repaint. Another way you can figure it out, is by looking at your components and checking against the catalog specs, but components are often replaced in 30 some years.

owenbly

Aha...I was thinking repaint too. And if I squint at the picture, that 3 could possibly be a 6. But that catalogue you posted really opened my eyes -- the decals match, and all the components match, down to the Weinmann center pulls and even that rear reflector. Thanks for posting it, very helpful! I think I'm gonna have to see it in person to really judge that serial number accurately.

owenbly

...or rather "Schwinn - approved alloy center pull". Hmm...we'll see about those when I get it.

EjustE

Here is the site with all of the Schwinn catalogs of that time. Just in case it is a '73 or '76 https://www.trfindley.com/pg_schwinn_cats.htm

owenbly

Thanks again. Very helpful. And I dig the bicentennial motif on the '76 catalogue cover! To think I was riding a Takara back then...