Situation:
Seller has repainted 1982 Schwinn Superior. Badged with later PDG Paramount decals. Thinks it is a Paramount.

So far:
He has been inundated with emails telling him that it is a Superior.

Therefore:
He concludes that it is still a Paramount, probably a very limited, special, rare, valuable edition that you should bid on.



https://cgi.ebay.com/Schwinn-Paramoun...QQcmdZViewItem

-Kurt

And check out this photo from the auction:

https://i6.ebayimg.com/04/i/001/32/55/e4f7_12.JPG

Bike used to be red, before the obvious purple repaint....

As the value of vintage bikes increases so will the number of fakes, frauds and exagerations. At least this one is not as bad as the guy who took a GMC Denali and put "Cervelo" decals on it.

I wish I could remember the name of the movie where the guy is selling used taxis repainted blue. When a little old lady asks "what's that yellow paint" where a scratch occurred, the response was "that's a special primer". So that red is a "Special Primer".

Used Cars with Curt Russell.

One of my favorite all time comedies by the way.

As much as I wouldn't mind some extra evidence indicating a repaint, I wouldn't count that heavily on the red. The closest thing to red that the Superior ever came in was a bright metallic orange.

The repaint seems to be done properly - I'll wager the red is primer, and that the original color was bead blasted or chemically stripped prior to the repaint.



I never saw that one - do you have a link?

-Kurt

P.S.: Stupid question time - would you fellows kick me in the nuts if I were to build that frame up, as-is with Campagnolo Veloce and a pair of Euros 20 wheels? I'm considering going for it just because it's the first thing that's come up at a halfway decent price recently...

Sorry Kurt, no link. I should have kept that photo.

I think you are one of the very respected members of this forum and that you know what you're doing. So no, I don't think anyone would be concerned. If you know what this frame is and what it's worth and you think it's a bargain, go for it. I would in heartbeat.

For a song, since you've trashed it so thoroughly.

My status isn't what I would be concerned about. Personally, I don't have a problem with kludge builds such as this, provided the facts are disclosed, though I know some do. As it's already been Drew'ed, paintwise, I see no reason not to build it up with modernized components.


Trashing the seller, not the frameset. I wouldn't have issue with the ad if he disclosed his merchandise properly.

-Kurt

Looks like you guys are starting to get to him:

"It's come to my attention, thanks to many Paramount experts, that this frame may not in fact be a Paramount. The style of the serial number, headbadge, and other contradictory elements have led people to suggest it may be either a repainted Schwinn Superior or a Waterford."

That was there when I first posted it. What gets me is that he follows this comment with claims that insist otherwise

-Kurt

That. Is. Ridiculous.

Doh!!!

I don't know, at least the fellow kept the brand the same, the guy with the Bianchi-esque fixie with the Confente transfers I think has this one beat.

Wonderful. I especially enjoy his declaration early on that he doesn't know too much about Paramounts. Must be a powerful gut feeling that is making him ignore all of the constructive criticism.

I bought a "Torelli" frame off Ebay a couple years ago that turned out to be a fake. The seller wouldn't refund the money, even when I had Bill, the Chairman of Torelli, to say "Nope. Not a Torelli."

I guess you can never go wrong overestimating the lure of the almighty dollar.

My campus green collegiate has red primer underneath the paint. I think it's just as funny that he claims that it is an ideal touring frame. Only based on what I have read about touring frames it seems to fall short.

Go for it Kurt, a nice frame is a nice frame.

You know my original old '74 Bottecchia Special, not a high end bike by any means, had a completely chrome plated frame and some kind of yellow primer under the blue top coat. You never know. That bike never rusted in the 22 years I owned and that was in New Orleans!

Do it. You know what it is. I only kick guys in the juck for hacking stuff off of nice frames to make fixies

Yep.




I'll agree on that point - as much as I like Paramounts, they do not fill the bill as tourers. Not unless you want to do vintage credit card touring, anyway. Far as I am concerned, anything without four eyelets on the front dropout (or a pair of studs for panniers) is not a touring bike.

Sounds better then most over-the-chrome paint jobs. Some manufactures did learn how to perfect paint adhesion to the chromed surfaces - I sincerely wonder what they used.

Did I mention that I'm going to drill it out for recessed brakes?

*ducks*

Just kidding. I'll have to find a substitute for the Veloce calipers, that's for sure...


I'll keep watching it. With any luck, I might be able to nab it under $300 w/shipping. (Yea, yea, pipe dream...)

-Kurt

I wonder if he'll drive off into the sunset - in his rare "special-edition" Lamborghini with the VW bug engine...

Hmmmm...

(Coincidentally, there is a Porsche Super 90 lurking in this bug)

-Kurt

Kurt,

Save your money!!!!!!

Don't be lured into the trap of buying that butchered, hacked, and not Superior Schwinn! Just because its pedigree has been mangled, confused, and spuriously thrust upon an unsuspecting public as a "commemorative/special edition/anniversary or other short-run model" Paramount, does not mean you should come galloping up on your white horse, all Lone Rangerish, to save the day by "...build(ing) that frame up, as-is with Campagnolo Veloce and a pair of Euros 20 wheels...."

In the end it will ride basically the same as your other two Paramounts. Time for something Schwinnishly different in your fleet.

Take the fillet brazed plunge!

https://cgi.ebay.com/Schwinn-Super-Sp...efaultDomain_0



At $75 for the frame with forged dropouts, not bad. Shipping is too high. Maybe BigWoo would do a local pickup and ship it at cost. Knock out the kickstand, add your own fork, and whatever bits you want to lovingly attach. I'll send you a BB adapter, seatpost collar, and whatever other Super Sport bits I have hanging out around here, in order to get you started. As we say; "Make it your own!"

I like how you think, but I bet he can find something similar and local.

I'm w/ PB,
But I would do that build w/ a hand fillet-brazed Sports Tourer or Superior. The "warmth" of a mid-70's hand fillet brazed frameset will far surpass the fake you are contemplating.
And if that SS falls through shoot me a PM with your size requirements. I have a few too many Kool Lemon ST's and SS's right now....
Otherwise, I will gladly pick up and ship for you....Kurt, I know the seller, Richard, very, very well and the bike PB just presented you with is 5 minutes from my home. He is the biggest and coolest Retrogrouch in CO: https://www.cycleanalystinc.com/
All the cool guys on the block are riding fillet-brazed Schwinns....