JimmyZ

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this but I was out riding a couple of weeks ago and happened by a garage/yard sale and bought a Schwinn Varsity for 10 bucks from an older guy who found it in a dumpster 3 or 4 years ago, who never got around to fixing it up.

Don't know what year it is, but it is yellow with black lettering, ten speed with Weinmann/Schwinn approved brake levers and the badge on the headtube and the sticker on the seattube says Chicago at the bottom if that helps. No signs of frame stress or cracks, although it could stand a new paint job. Rims need some adjustments but they look and feel solid. I've already replaced the cables and sleeves and rewrapped the handlebars as well as replaced the brake pads. All it needs now are some adjustments to the brakes and shifters, some new tubes and tires and a chain and an overall good cleaning. I am planning on rebuilding it to roadworthy status to use as a just around town bike and eventually get it repainted back to it's showroom look. It has a few spots on the frame where the primer is showing through.

The guys at my local Schwinn shop had no clue what year it was made so i thought someone here might know. I was wondering if maybe someone here had one or could identify the year by looking at it. I've included pictures of the frame, the headbadge and the shiftlevers. Apologies in advance for the quality though($30 digital camera). If anyone has any info i'd appreciate it and will keep ya posted on the rebuild.

interceptor

Looks like a 1972.

interceptor

Go here.

https://www.bunchobikes.com/serialnumber2.htm

DiegoFrogs

To be perfectly honest with you, aside from maybe wheel size, the Varsity didn't change much over 25 years. It'll friggin' run forever too (I had a '78 for a while, same size, blue... almost identical otherwise...).

JimmyZ

Wow, September '72. She's definately in good shape for her age then. Thats 5 and a half months older than me. Way cool interceptor, thanks for the link.

bigbossman 

Dang - you guys are making me feel bad. About 2 months ago I bought a powder blue 1974 Varsity for $5.00, stripped it for parts, and tossed the frame

John D.

ryang

I have a Green Varsity 79 or 80 perhaps, but it was given to me with semi-cruiser handlebars instead of what you have. Do you know the diam. of the handlebar tubing? I was looking to either assemble a new handlebar/brake lever or buy a used one on ebay to return it to stock. I wasn't sure where to find the dual lever brakes as well.

PS get rid of that carpat padding foam/handlebar tape

brokenrobot

For shame! Those thing make such nice commuters / grocery bikes...

What did you get off one that was worth transferring to anything else?!

bigbossman 

Nothing really, except maybe the tires, the chain, and brake levers.

That's why you guys have made me feel bad. Like I spray painted a church or something..... I saw it in the thrift shop yard, and thought it would be cool to have the Schwinn headbadge to put on my Mondia (what the f#@k was I thinking?). Anyway, after I got it home I tossed it on the stand and things went a little too far. In an orgy of destruction I stripped it to bare bones, just because I could.

I desperately need absolution!!

The thing of it is (like most of us, I'm sure) I had a Varsity as a young lad. A bright and shiny electric blue 1969 or 1970 Varsity, and I loved the thing. It meant freedom, fun, adventure - everything to me. I and the other rats on the street pretty much toured all over the San Fernando Valley on them - we even rode them from Sepulveda to Griffith Park one day, and actually climbed up the road to the observatory. I especially remember the "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" coming down, when my mechanical speedo hit 40mph and my friend Alan went over the side when he missed a turn (both he and the bike were unharmed). When we got to the bottom, all our rims had red streaks around the circumferences where the brake pads had melted off.

What memories I have of me and my Schwinn, and I distinctly remember the night it was stolen, never to be replaced. I was devestated, but at the time new bikes were $100.00 and my dad could not afford to buy me another one. Shortly thereafter I was introduced to girls and forgot about rat-packing on bikes for a while.........

Crap, now I gotta go find a Varsity.........

John D.

lotek 

Ok, go say 1972 hail masi's

that ought to cover things.

bigbossman 

Oh - almost forgot.....

The "Schwinn Approved" derailluers are pretty flashy - I saved those. I'll use it on the next French bike that passes through with broken Simplex stuff.

John D.

suntreader

You'd better hope that el twe doesn't hear about this.