wow amazing story, I search and search and you find a diamond in the rough without trying. Enjoy the journey with your boy reviving a true classic.

Thanks MAV, I wanted that Corvette. I've been wanting a cruiser since I was paper boy throwing the Denver post way back. Something always comes up! In this case a cool opportunity to hook up my kids with a really neat bike. Not to mention the history of US manufacturing/peaking/outsourcing etc. Time will tell. I just hope I didn't pay too much. My wife was like "What did you just pay??"

Decal question - my Dad's P10-9 which he bought in 1976 had rainbow decals at the ends of the chrome area on the dropouts and on the seat tube, and the Reynolds decal, but no big Schwinn or Paramount decals. Normal or did he remove them at some point?

I've been surprised at how seemingly primitive the Campagnolo components were for the 1970's. You can see pretty much identical parts in their 1950's catalogs. The shifters are clamped on and only have a steel friction washer. The nut on the brake pad interferes with the brake release. The seat post has the bolts inaccessible on the top and is annoying as heck to adjust - there's a funny wrench in the tool roll that I think is for the purpose but it's still a pain. The Cinelli stem seems to be bored out of true, as well.

Just the two rainbow stripe seat tube decals is correct for 1976. The white panel with the olympic circles and "Schwinn Quality Chicago" emblem between the rainbow stripes was phased out in the first couple of months of 1973.

I met up with several C&Ver's yesterday for a ride on the Cape Cod Rail Trail, and low and behold scottryder has acquired a 1984 Paramount wearing the tricolor decals. This is the first time I've seen in person or ridden with another Paramount of the same vintage. Scott's is a dark metallic grey while mine is a black metallic.

Scott picked this up from another C&Ver who had ordered it and never built it--- so the paint is immaculate! Interesting the original owner ordered it with the round traditional head badge instead of the winged "P" decal.



These were taken at the turn around point by the Atlantic in Wellfleet. The wind was blowing at a steady 30+ mph off the water and pelting us with sand coming up the dune. Ouch!

[IMG][/IMG]Looks like a beautiful ride. I took my 84 out yesterday (finally) for the first time.

Lol, you certainly got a good deal. The painted versions sell for less than the chrome but they sell well above $300. I would keep an eye out at thecabe.com or post a wanted ad for your cruiser. I just sold a 1968 Panther in campus green.

Does anyone really know if Don Mainland made all the chrome paramounts in 72? My 71 had a p40 designation on the bottom bracket which I assume stands for pioneer manufacturing (Mainlands shop), but my 1972 chrome p13-9 has no inscription on the bb at all. So I guess I am a little confused as to if the 72 is a Chicago Schwinn or a Wisconsin model. Any thoughts?? Thanks

I don't have one- If I ever get to looking for one- the one like Barretscv's old one or a Chrome one.

I don't believe there's any way to tell for sure.

My chrome '72 P15-9 is s/n M72274 (December), so I suspect it is a 1973 model year bike. Fully chromed Paramounts were not listed as an option for 1973, so I believe mine is one of the last chromed Paramounts made. It doesn't have any markings on the BB shell. Looking closely at the lugs, there are some faint file marks visible and I haven't seen those on chromed frames I know were brazed by Don Mainland.

Who knows?

Stan,

I have an E84 with the serial number on the BB. 535 A above Cinelli and E84 120 below Cinelli. Just to throw a loop into things mine's an 'Elite Paramount'.

Thanks, Jim. At least two May, 1984 Paramounts are consistent in that the serial number formats are the same.

There is a H84 on Ebay right now with the serial number on the bottom bracket and the new Decal set. I had him shade the number with pencil and he got H84110


Schwinn Paramount Bike 1984 Serial H84110 | eBay

Haven't seen any splatter paint yet.

Forgive me for intruding on your thread, gentlemen, if you recognize that I'm not a Schwinn guy. But when I was researching my 1959 Allegro Special I came across the following anecdote that seemed to fit the chronology well:
Any thoughts? The Allegro, with its chromed Nervex lugs, Weinmann center pull brakes, campy gears and hubs, certainly looks a lot like a Paramount. But the story sounds a bit like a story, somehow.

Hmmmmmmmm.

Maybe [MENTION=38510]Scooper[/MENTION] or [MENTION=226065]Metacortex[/MENTION] could shed some light on this?

Rudi, thanks for posting this.

My 1974 raleigh international looks a lot like a paramount too. Do you think schwinn was sub-contracted to make these for raleigh??? Of course not. Top end components and lugs / frame materials were commonly used across the board. There is no allegro paramount connection, sorry.

I agree. In fact it may be the other way around as I believe the lugset dictates the geometry and Paramounts were were made with Nervex lugs as early as 1952: Paramount ? The Early Years

A quote from that page:
According to the early Paramount Registry at least one Paramount was built using Nervex head lugs as early as 1947: Paramount Registry

On a related note I happened to be in the area of Oscar Wastyn Cycles for the first time one afternoon last week and on the spur of the moment decided to stop in. I was immediately greeted by an older gentleman who introduced himself as... Oscar! I was a little at a loss for words but mentioned this was my first visit and that I had heard about the legendary Wastyn name, after which he spent at least a half an hour or more showing and telling me about all of the vintage bikes hanging on the walls (nobody else was in the store while I was there or I would have felt guilty wasting his time). In the end I shook his hand and said it was an honor to meet him. Next time I'll be a little more prepared and spend some money...

PS: He showed me most of the bikes seen on his Museum page: MUSEUM

I've got a 1970 P15, Campy NR all around, I got it without wheels so I made the switch to 700c Wienmann 519s with Pasela 700x32, Velo Orange fenders, 1970s Schwinn large saddle bag, just added a Peltcher front rack and a Crane RD/13-32 Suntour 6 speed. Reynolds 531 frame in Flamboyant Red with chrome chainstaysm head lugs, and fork legs. Future plans since the paint is in rough shape is to fully chrome, get repop decals, and part out the Campy for 1st Gen Dura Ace. This pic shows it with the NR RD/14-28 and a random old handlebar bag + DIY decalleur.



I just slapped together this 1991 (?) PDG 354 with spares to make a 1x8 errand bike. This one has those weird flat mounting pads for the DT shifters so I used a set of old 333 friction shifters sans the clamp. Series 5000 aluminum frame, funky blue with pink marble paint job, steel fork, not sure if its Reynolds. Stiff but smooth ride. Not sure how long I will hold onto this one.

Owner says it is a 1982 since the S/N is H8205

paramount_1.jpg

paramount_8.jpg

paramount_9.jpg

[MENTION=38510]Scooper[/MENTION] check out this Paramount on Ebay. Serial #8429 on drop out with size code on bottom bracket. Unfortunately cannot read date code.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Schwinn-par...p2056016.l4276

^ I wonder if the seatpost can come out?

That's a 1984 Standard and the letter in front looks to be possibly a "C" for March or possibly a "G" for July. It should have the rainbow color decals like my '83. About September '84 the decals were changed and by that point the serial number was moved completely to the BB shell. My '83 has nothing stamped in the bottom. Note that the cable guide is on the top of the BB. By the end of the year or early '85 cable routing was moved to the underside of the BB shell.

IMO, it is over priced for a poorly done and in poor shape re-paint with the wrong decals. The drive side chain stay should not have been painted. It is all polished chrome.

I agree with you 100%. What a mess of a bike, but I was really pointing out the serial number locations. My 84 is on the bottom bracket and #66 made in 84. Yet this bike is seems to be an 84 with numbering on the drop out and seems to be a 29. Makes me wonder of a racing geometry got a number on the drop out and the touring on the BB.

Curious

About a month ago I discovered this forlorn Paramount hanging by its rear rim under the eave of a shed. It was bought new by Jeff, late husband of a dear friend. Further inquiry revealed that Jeff was quite the cyclist and rode this bike from Seattle to San Francisco when it was new and he was young! She was going to run it to the dump! So it's now my bike and my responsibility to bring this bike back to its original condition, in honor of Jeff, as much as its current neglected state and my finances allow. What I know so far is that the serial number is H945, meaning 45th built in August 1969. It has Campagnolo Nuovo Record components and Weinmann brakes. The saddle is by Brooks. I have no reason to believe anything on it is not original other than the front spokes, which have rusted badly while the rear spokes are stainless. The rims appear identical but I have not unearthed a maker mark yet. Below is the steering head after some rust removal and polishing. I have been in touch with Richard Schwinn at Waterford and my aspiration is to have them refinish the frame as original while I enlist expertise as I can to restore the components, using the original pieces as much as possible. Trust me, much advice will be asked of this forum as the project proceeds. I have preserved a number of old bikes (see 1984 Peugeot P18T elsewhere), but I have never restored one before now. Wish it and me luck!