Hi! I recently acquired a 1960 Schwinn Paramount (serial E84 on rear dropout) with Nervex lugs and not original paint. I strongly suspect the fork is not original because it has a different crown and is fully chromed. Any Paramount experts out there want to weigh in on this fork: is there any chance this is an original fork? If not, have you seen this fork on any other bikes that might be the donor, based on its characteristics?

First off, we need more pics of the whole thing, good ones and plenty of them.

Very cool regardless, we love Paramounts.

Not positive but pretty sure you're right, should have matching S/N stamped on fork if it was. These could have been chromed stock I think but not fully polished.

Check frame for front ender, check HT, lugs and tubes for wrinkles or bulging. Run your finger around them, sometimes you can feel what you can't see and visa versa.

It seems powdercoated or very thick paint, kinda plasticky. And also braze ons were likely added before powder including top tube cable guides, bottle bosses, BB top cable guides, and chainstay cable stop for RD.
looking closely, the paint is cracked especially around the bottom lug of the head tube and it seems distorted (flattened) at the posterior. Related, The headset cup had some play and did not set in the bottom completely (floating). So perhaps a frontal crash then?

Here is the serial for dating. I assume 1960?

I am glad the you got it, it was a great deal.Although a nice fork, I am not sure that it is original to the frame......none of my "P"'s have the type of lugs that you present, but I don't have any early "P"'s to compare it to,...so perhaps earlier ones have lugs like that.
In the last photo it looks like the rear drop has been bent, if so go gently when/if you try to open it up, in any event experts will chime in on the fork as well with advice on the rear drop if bent.(optical illllll)
Best, Ben

Cenilli lug.....so perhaps you are right about the front wheel bump and slight opening of the HT

Yep, looks like late 1960, I assume no # on the fork?

correct, no number on the fork

Yeah, these old ones especially are not the best to begin with, still cool as heck and some of the best at the time, more history than many as well.

The bottom HS cup is common I think, I have a 59 that it was loose on, likely from years and miles, clear loctite and shim makes it all better for me.

You have to take what you can get with these, old ones may have issues but so far my dozen have been very well preserved and able to be rebooted with great results.

Again on the 59, the RDO is kinked and may not support very good shifting with an appropriate RD, I have a couple of them and they will work ok, not going to replace the DO or try very hard to straighten it but will probably put it in the vise at some point and see. The 40's one was in very rough shape but had original HS, BB, crank and pedals that all survived just fine despite being very rusty.

My 58 with the original HS is fine as are the 40 and late 30's ones I have.

59 and 40 something not shown.

Well I wouldn't sweat it, the frame is very usable, fork is cool, HB is in great shape and none of it is a deal breaker IMO.

The PC is a great idea on this.

Strip it down and get to it.

Here's the 40's too, just for fun.

Oh, and we should move this out of sales to the regular forum.

oh crap. I didnt realize I posted this in sales! How do I move it?

I reached out to the mods, they should get to it.

Red exclaimation mark in the sidebar.

Your fork is not original. A Paramount of that time frame would have had a matching Nervex crown like this one:



If not that, then possibly a Vagner like one of these:

Yep, we already got there, no S/N on the fork, inner tangs, etc, may have had a front ender.