'74 Schwinn Paramount w/ modern Campy
 

Hey all, I have a '74 60 cm Coppertone Paramount (P-15, I think) that I'd like to sell, and would like some opinions.

Basically, the previous owner updated it sometime in the late 90's with 9 speed Campy Chorus and Racing T components (Chorus brifters, Racing T triple and Racing T RD, Chorus hubs, basically all Campy except for the Nitto stem, Sakae handlebars, and Chris King headset) and had it professionally repainted and the frame modified so that the cable routing is internal (strange I know). The work was obviously well done, which makes me think it was all done at Waterford (nice replacement decals and all that). It's a really sweet riding machine, and looks pretty clean, other than some paint chips in the front fork and a small, shallow ding in the top tube (pics forthcoming).

I just recently had it tuned and now it rides like a dream. Is $650 an ambitious asking price, considering the "modernization" of a classic? It's a killer ride, but definitely not a museum piece. Opinions?

Sell the frame/fork separately and then sell the wheels+groupset to me :)

I'm kidding (well sort of, I am in search of a campy triple group).

I think, depending on condition and quality of the 'resto', that would be a somewhat low price.

EDIT. I missed the part about the ding in the top tube...that could hurt the price. With something like a 70's Paramount, condition and presentation is paramount (see what I did there?) since most of the people looking for them are collectors primarily and riders second.

Here's another Paramount with internal cable routing

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ion?highlight=

Post some pictures! :)

I know I know, this thread is worthless without pictures. I will post some tonight after I ride it :)
Brian, thanks for that link, the cable routing on my Paramount at least goes over the rear seat stay :)

Yeah, that cable routing looks awkward.

Pictures as promised. I've tried to show the worst of the damage (and please don't laugh at the pedals, I didn't have time to switch them out :) ):

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7176/6...0ca74bcb_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7041/6...fe52f784_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6...47d271ef_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7066/6...d2c7101b_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7201/6...94f22a59_b.jpg

A couple more:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7186/6...00b33d3d_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7041/6...154d5ca2_b.jpg

So any opinions? Is $650 in the ballpark?

I definitely think so. Much of the collector value is gone due to the ding and modernization but, as a very cool end-user rider, $650 is more than fair. Depending on your location, I'd expect that it would sell rather quickly. A nice Brooks saddle would improve the aesthetics greatly, and might worth the investment if you are lucky enough to find a used one for $50 or so.

Best of luck; that's a very cool bike.

Bob

Somebody sure messed it up as a collectable bike with that horrible paint job. If it's really a '74 Paramount, it should have chrome plated head lugs, fork crown, and rear dropouts plus 10 inches or so of the seat stays and chain stays from the dropouts. It's highly doubtful the repaint was done by Waterford or any other high end frame painter as the down tube decal font is not correct and the chrome plated lugs, fork crown, and rear triangle have been painted.

Correct starburst decal font for down tube.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...ube63-79cr.jpg

What is the serial number on the left (non-drive side) rear dropout?

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...Paramounts.jpg

Thanks for the replies. SN is E74169. As for the paint job, I suspect that the lugs and rear stays may not have been chromed; when I spoke to Waterford a while back about a possible reapint, they said "We can only save the chrome if there is chrome to save" which implies that not all Paramounts were chromed equally. But yeah, I have no idea the history of the work done on the bike, so it could have been done (ruined) by some random shop. The quality of the internal routing job leads me to believe it was at least done by a competent shop. The worst part is, someone tried to pinstrip the lugs, but obviously did a poor job and had to remove it...good idea, poor execution.

Definitely not a collector's piece, but a nice riding bicycle nonetheless. Anyway, just wanted to make sure y'all didn't think I was on crack. I'll list it for $650 and see what happens (I'm in Houston, the market is decent. Not Portland, but decent).

Just a guess, but when the folks at Waterford said "We can only save the chrome if there is chrome to save", I suspect they meant that if the existing chrome was too far gone (pitted or otherwise not salvageable), they wouldn't be able to preserve it; Waterford makes no secret that they don't like to rechrome. I've often seen resprayed Paramounts with bits that were originally factory chrome plated with paint over those bits because the chrome was too far gone.

Seriously, good luck getting your price. With the new Campy components, it should be worth that to the right buyer.

Scooper, thanks for posting the pictures or the catalog. It made me smile. Love the yellow striped shirt with the yellow pocket. I can't believe people were actually wearing that back in the days... ugh!

To the OP. Nice lug work on this bike. I can see it being contoured with white.

Heh heh.. That's what we wore back then (me included). We had the long hair, too. :)

Yep...typical Nervex lugs...thanks everyone, I think I've already found a buyer who will put the frame and components to good use (separately, of course).

One day I will find a Paramount frame that fits me, and that still has chromed lugs. They are beautiful bikes, and a great bargain for what they are, especially compared to European bicycles of similar vintage.

nikku, what size are you looking for?

Hey Stan, 62 cm would be about right for me.

My 62cm Waterford Paramount is a hair too big for me, but alas no chromed lugs. It's a great ride in spite of the relatively aggressive geometry.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...ramountmed.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...untLugsmed.jpg

Oooooh, shiny :)

Nice bike, Stan.