Paramount?
 

Hey guys - saw this "Paramount" for sale on eBay this AM, and I was wondering what you thought.

Schwinn Paramount P 13 1979 Never Ridden Original Campagnolo Nervex Lugs | eBay

I emailed the seller, and the serial number is 20648, which doesn't match the normal Paramount numbering system. That (and a bunch of other stuff that just looks wrong) leads me to think that it's an early 80s Superior that someone has stuck a Paramount headbadge and decals on, but I might be mistaken. Any thoughts?

Seems like a bit of a contradiction there. I don't consider them original decals if they were added by a buyer.

It seems like there are some letters and or numbers missing from the beginning of the serial number???? What year did that groupo come out? It's Gran sport isn't it? Ask if he can post a picture of the serial number.

That is an 83 Superior that's been altered. RD is incorrect, gear cluster shows a lot of grime for 'never been ridden', wrong headbadge. Those Superiors were leftover Paramount frames with a Tange fork, hence the non-matching fork crown. Guess it's OK if you want a used Superior, but it is emphatically NOT a Paramount.

I really get disgusted with all the misrepresented Paramounts on ebay. :(

That's kinda what I thought. The serial number seems to fit well with the Superior ones from this old thread:

http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...servation.html

I agree, it's a Superior. Should have Tange fork tabs, and the braze-on on the down tube for the shifters is a dead give away. You can get the original decals for the bike. Head badges also come up from time to time; the correct color would be red like the Paramount headbadge that's on it. It would be yellow if the Superior was orange.

All that said, do some research on who made that Superior; if you're a Paramount fan, then there's nothing NOT to love about these bikes. If you want a beautifully brazed 70's Paramount, you want a Don Mainland frame. Or, you could find yourself an 81-83 Superior. Aside from the fork, it's the same thing.

I'm aware of the disirability of the Racine made Paramounts over the Chicagos, and I'd agree with you that Superiors of this era are fine bikes. I just have a major problem with someone trying to pass off a repainted Superior as a Paramount, especially for $1200. I'm pretty sure this guy knows exactly what he's doing. What's wrong with people?