I just got a Swift! I sent an email to Peter a week or two ago, and was waiting for a response, when a SwiftFolder showed up for sale on Craigslist. I paid $200 for it, which may have been a bit on the high side, considering that it was a late 1990's model and the internal hub gears are currently not switching (broken cable).

... and later that very night, got a response back from Peter, promising to answer my questions about a customized Swift in more detail. I feel pretty silly for having wasted his time.

All in all, I think it'll be worth it. I had also emailed HPM out in Oregon to ask about the Swift and their Phaser recumbent, and found out from them that bare Swift framesets are now $600. So, even if I wind up ditching most of the componentry on my Swift (I don't think that I will), I'm still getting started at a lower buy-in price.

I have a lot of work to do now, and need to get started identifying what's on here before I can start tearing it down, cleaning it up and building it back up. The paint has seen better days, but that's not as big a concern for me as what's inside.

Is there anything in particular I should do with the frame other than cleaning it up? I think I remember reading about someone in here treating their folding bike frame innards with linseed oil. Is that overkill? I'm in Jersey, so the bike is subject to road salts but not really at the ocean front or on a boat.