Here's a story that you end up telling your grandchildren.

While on a visit to my dad in California, I noticed that he had a bunch of 'junk' as he called it, in a barn at the back of his property. I asked if I could 'browse'. He said sure..and said "If you find anything you want, put it to the side and you can have it"

I came across about 12 bicycles and a pile of assorted rims, wheels and tires. My father said that the bikes came from an estate sale that he gave $5 a piece for. From the price, I thought they were junk until I started actually 'looking' at them. Here's what I discovered.

(7) late 60's to early 70's Schwinn Paramounts with Campy components, Brooks saddles, Durex Ambrosio 700c wheels. One was bright yellow. The unusal thing about this bike is that I am told is that the Prugnat lug set has been painted over and that the right stay has been left bare all the way to the crimp in the stay for the chainwheel. Leading one to believe that this may be a painted all-over chrome sample. Pics are here.

The others were black, brown, two orange, white and a yellow 'girl's' bike.

(1) Possibly Early 70's Raliegh Record Ace decked out with Camy components and tubed Durex Ambrosio 700c wheels

(1) Motobecane Grand Record

(2) Nishiki Mountain Bikes

(1) Giant AT720 Mountain Bike

I only had the opportunity to bring back two bikes home with me, but will be bringing the rest back soon and will post pics.

Just to get the fellows interested - the Paramount, E70xx (May 1970):


Mind you, I'm still quite doubtful that it is a full-chrome Paramount, but it's not out of the question that it is. Could have had some frame repair that damaged the chrome in one spot too.

-Kurt

Where exactly in CA is this barn?

I <3 your Dad.

that is just sick...

Nice find!

Wow....unbelievable.

Someday I'll have a story like this. Until that day...I'll drool over your good luck.

F.W. Schwinn is happy, somewhere.

Fork looks bent. Junk it.

Sometimes, I lay my head down at night wishing to wake up to a fantasy such as this one.

Wow 7? Thats gotta be a nuovo record! I look forward to seeing the rest of them!

I forgot. I had snapped some pics with my phone. Here are a couple when I started to go through them from the barn.

Raleigh



Paramounts lurking behind the Nishiki



Motobecane Grand Record



Enjoy.

wow! btw I browsed through your pictures and one of the bikes has a 50th anniversary goup on it...which is worth a lot as you'll probably find out!

the blue one in the back

My curiousity:

Obviously you're pops didn't know the value of these since they were piled up in a barn.

Have you since told him that theyre worth some nice coin since your visit ? Or are you waiting til they are all in your possession to break the bad news ?

lol

Okay, so far this week we've had threads on barn finds with a Raleigh 3-speed in Ontario, a Raliegh Ti track bike in NZ, and now a barn in California full of Paramounts.

Unreal.

I did have a pic of the black Schwinn Paramount with the Campy 50th group.



Yes.. I did tell my dad about the value. He's just glad he didn't take them to the local swap meet. After he bought them, he thought he could at least double his money ($10 each). Cut him some slack. He's almost 70 and he doesn't get out much. Although he does some to run across unbelievable stuff. Ask me sometime about the 59' Willys Jeep or the '69 Mustang Convertible...

Strike that...don't ask...they aren't in my garage...

looking forward to some more photos! hope its all still in good condition.

Ladies' Kool Lemon Paramount at 10 o'clock!

EDIT: That Grand Record also has a pre-1967 Record 151bcd crankset on it. Of any find I've ever seen, this takes the #1 cake for having the largest amount of very uncommon Campagnolo components thrown in the mix.

-Kurt

P.S.: I don't know if its the photo or not, but the top tube on the Moto looks as if it might be caving in. Not sure. Could be a camera optical illusion.

Eagle eye Kurt!

I spotted something else: The Paramount the 50th Anniversary group is mounted upon was built prior to 1967 - it has a Nervex bottom bracket shell. Remember, the later ones retained the Prugnat BB shells, even after the Nervex fork crown, head lugs, and seat lugs were brought back in 1970/71.

I said it before, and I'll say it again: I've never seen a more eclectic load of Campagnolo in one lot...

-Kurt

i love the look of the raleigh. would love to see the brake cables run under the bar wrap but thats beside the point, would make a pretty ss/fg

You lucky, lucky Bast*rd!!
Are any of them your size!!?? You've got to hang onto at least 1!!

EDIT (#2): Added more things spotted

I've been compiling lists of what I've spotted so far:

-1: The "Raleigh" has a milled Campagnolo NR crankset.

-2: The Raleigh isn't a Record Ace, nor is it a International, nor a Competition, nor a Super Course - I don't think it is a Raleigh, to tell you the truth - I think it is another Paramount. The top tube braze-ons support this theory, and Internationals have wrap-around stays. The Competition has a sloping crown fork, and the Record Ace has vertical dropouts and a different fork crown.

-3: The photo of the Nishiki Blazer shows two orange Paramounts:
--3a: EDIT: The one on the left is a post-'63 P12, for it has the later decals, chromed fork ends and stays, but painted lugs. It was also upgraded afterwards, for it has Campagnolo components, and a 144bcd Record crankset. I can't make out if it is a third-generation Record headset or some kind of a clone like an Edco. Probably third-gen Record.
--3b: The one on the right has a Dia-Compe Grand Compe stem for some reason - that isn't original - and it has a third-generation Nuovo Record headset. Campagnolo sidepulls, but note that one of the spacers holding the front brake on is the square design used on Weinmann centerpulls. Even though it seems to be equipped with partial Nuovo Record, the brake hood tops appear to be Dia-Compe, and it has Suntour barcons.

-4: I spy the yellow men's Paramount in the background of the same shot with the Nishiki Blazer and the two orange Paramounts.

-5: The Moto Grand Record pic shows a ladies' Kool Lemon Paramount in the background. It is post-'63, for it has the later decal set - not the "Disneyland" type - and it has Weinmann centerpulls. Seatpost appears to be the original Nuovo Record post.

-6: Moto Grand Record has a 151bcd Campagnolo Record crankset pre-dating 1967 - it appears to have the matching left arm as well. Brake levers are Nuovo Record standard-reach. The brake calipers appear to be Nuovo Record as well, and are most definitely post-CPSC revisions of 1978 - note the spoon Q/R lever, and the vinyl-dipped brake block guides. The rear NR derailer is also post-1978, but the front derailer is pre-1973.

-7: Giant/Paramount pic: The Paramount has a 50th Anniversary crankset, rear derailer, front derailer, and rear brake caliper - but the rear hub is a high-flange Record, probably original to the bike.

-8: Black Paramount BB closeup: The bottom bracket shell is Nervex, which means the Paramount frameset pre-dates the change to Prugnat BB shells in 1967 (they changed the lug set back to Nervex in 1970/71, but kept the Prugnat BB lug for ease of construction (as I mentioned before). This is further confirmed as the Campagnolo cable routing clamp on the downtube is of the earlier type with a brazed on "tunnel," and a cable stop at the other end, which was made for the early Record FD's that had built-in cable stops. What I can't figure out is how they routed it on the other side, seeing that the 50th Anniversary FD has no built-in stop.

-Kurt

I searched through the smileys, and couldn't find the one for "we're not worthy", so I'll use these



Way to go! Dave

Whooooah! what a find! Now who's gonna be the first to take a gander at what all that is actually worth, say, stripped down and put on ebay? Unbelievable...