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-   -   Yard sale find; '85 Super Le Tour! (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=1178919)

thook 07-20-19 10:21 PM

Yard sale find; '85 Super Le Tour!
 
for $5! (and, a bontrager privateer, to top it off...also $5). i was thrilled, for sure, but not clued really to the schwinn's exact "virtues". so, i did some web digging and i'm pretty pleased. as well, i found a direct replacement fd right away since the original is busted.
now, the bike needs a fair amount of cleaning up along with some fresh pads and at some point some bar tape, but the frame itself has some surface rust where the paint has been chipped/scratched. what's a good way to go about taking care of this to treat it and bring some luster back to the paint?

Mr. 66 07-21-19 07:45 AM

85 super le tour, nice pickup. For your frame I would wash with something like windex w/ vinegar, then I'd try a light solvent wd 40 perhaps, or motor oil. Car wax does pretty good on rust stain, but if the paint is still dull I'd try rubbing compound.

Murray Missile 07-21-19 11:39 AM

I bought an '86 Schwinn Prelude a couple years ago with dulled paint and slightly faded decals, it also had some scratches with light rust. I gave it a good cleaning and rubbed down the rusty areas with Never Dull. I then washed it down with rubbing alcohol to remove all the wax, oils and solvents and gave it 2 coats of Krylon clear. It brought the shine back and brought out the color in the decals. It will also help preserve the paint and decals, I didn't touch up the scratches, I left them. I like bikes with "history" and they were part of that. The pictures don't show the difference very well but in person it was quite dramatic. The faded decal was on the other side of the top tube so you can't see the difference on that either but it looked much better after the clear coat.


Before:


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8647b0906b.jpg

After:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5ba48b6e33.jpg

thook 07-21-19 11:52 PM


Originally Posted by Mr. 66 (Post 21037433)
85 super le tour, nice pickup. For your frame I would wash with something like windex w/ vinegar, then I'd try a light solvent wd 40 perhaps, or motor oil. Car wax does pretty good on rust stain, but if the paint is still dull I'd try rubbing compound.

thanks!!

so, basically ammonia with vinegar? and, solvent/wd40? just on the spots of rust, right?

the paint i think just really dusty and not too oxidized. i'll try the washing first and then wax to help protect. but, i can't imagine wax doing well on the spots where there's a solvent...ie wd40. wouldn't really stick

thook 07-22-19 12:08 AM


Originally Posted by Murray Missile (Post 21037736)
I bought an '86 Schwinn Prelude a couple years ago with dulled paint and slightly faded decals, it also had some scratches with light rust. I gave it a good cleaning and rubbed down the rusty areas with Never Dull. I then washed it down with rubbing alcohol to remove all the wax, oils and solvents and gave it 2 coats of Krylon clear. It brought the shine back and brought out the color in the decals. It will also help preserve the paint and decals, I didn't touch up the scratches, I left them. I like bikes with "history" and they were part of that. The pictures don't show the difference very well but in person it was quite dramatic. The faded decal was on the other side of the top tube so you can't see the difference on that either but it looked much better after the clear coat.




nice job on the resto!!

i'll have to see if a local auto store has the nevr dull. i did look it up and read mostly good reports on it. there is a fair amount of surface rust around the bottom bracket and on the pedals. everywhere else is pretty light, though

Cycle Tourist 07-22-19 12:11 AM

My '77 SLThttps://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...371f1d7c53.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...96c35db677.jpg

thook 07-22-19 12:18 AM

on second thought, i may do some buffing and the clear coat. apparently the frame is clear coated from the factory, according to the catalog. maybe could use a refresh!

thook 07-22-19 12:20 AM


Originally Posted by Cycle Tourist (Post 21038701)

wow! that's beautiful! did it come with cyclone mechs originally?

thook 07-22-19 12:33 AM

hey...do you guys think i could swap out cages on the rear derailleur? it came with a cyclone-s and short cage. but, the sugino gp crank has mounts for a granny ring, so i'm going to swap out the bottom bracket and make it a triple. i'd like to, anyway

Cycle Tourist 07-22-19 01:10 AM


Originally Posted by thook (Post 21038709)
wow! that's beautiful! did it come with cyclone mechs originally?

​​​​​​Yup. What you see is what I got. I'm selling this on eBay now and it's got more pictures. All I did was pull it apart, clean and polish it and add the usual consumables.

sdn40 07-22-19 01:17 AM

Try some rubbing compound. Easiest way to bring back a finish. I use Meguiars Ultimate Compound. If you like, follow that up with a wax containing sealants to hide any minor imperfections and add further gloss

Cycle Tourist 07-22-19 01:24 AM


Originally Posted by thook (Post 21038713)
hey...do you guys think i could swap out cages on the rear derailleur? it came with a cyclone-s and short cage. but, the sugino gp crank has mounts for a granny ring, so i'm going to swap out the bottom bracket and make it a triple. i'd like to, anyway

If the FD works with the two big rings, adding a granny "should" work as well. Why change the BB? If it's because the granny will rub on the frame then I get it. FYI sometimes getting a longer BB axle will push the big ring beyond the ability of the FD to reach and then your either looking for a FD that works, going back to the double or looking for just the right size BB axle. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it ain't.

thook 07-22-19 03:41 AM


Originally Posted by sdn40 (Post 21038728)
Try some rubbing compound. Easiest way to bring back a finish. I use Meguiars Ultimate Compound. If you like, follow that up with a wax containing sealants to hide any minor imperfections and add further gloss

thanks! yeah, i'll start with a compound and see what happens. i just started rubbing the frame with a wet finger and notice some shine coming back. main concern is the propensity for rusting. arkansas is uber humid.... particularly this time of year. i want to get the existing rust off and try to seal it, you understand.

thook 07-22-19 03:58 AM


Originally Posted by Cycle Tourist (Post 21038734)
If the FD works with the two big rings, adding a granny "should" work as well. Why change the BB? If it's because the granny will rub on the frame then I get it. FYI sometimes getting a longer BB axle will push the big ring beyond the ability of the FD to reach and then your either looking for a FD that works, going back to the double or looking for just the right size BB axle. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it ain't.

i'm sure the FD will work with a triple being of the cyclone family. by the eye, it just doesn't appear to be enough room to accommodate a granny without stay rub. i'll try, but i've got a choice of spindles of the same era that should have the right length, though; two SR's and a sugino. and, i understand what you're saying regarding pushing the spider arm out. i've run into that before on my wife's mixte

so, is your SLT a 56cm, too? mine is and had to adjust the saddle fore/aft differently than my usual position. it's about a 1cm forward. it's great, though, because even with the typical short insertion of the SR quills, the frame being taller than my usual means i can actually get the saddle to bar height nice and even without riser trickery! :)

Cycle Tourist 07-22-19 09:38 AM


Originally Posted by thook (Post 21038791)
i'm sure the FD will work with a triple being of the cyclone family. by the eye, it just doesn't appear to be enough room to accommodate a granny without stay rub. i'll try, but i've got a choice of spindles of the same era that should have the right length, though; two SR's and a sugino. and, i understand what you're saying regarding pushing the spider arm out. i've run into that before on my wife's mixte

so, is your SLT a 56cm, too? mine is and had to adjust the saddle fore/aft differently than my usual position. it's about a 1cm forward. it's great, though, because even with the typical short insertion of the SR quills, the frame being taller than my usual means i can actually get the saddle to bar height nice and even without riser trickery! :)

Mines a 59cm. The bikes a little small for me. I bought it as a flip. The owner wanted to sell all the components separately. That always seems wrong to me. Maybe as I get older, keeping all your original parts is more and more important.😂

76SLT 07-22-19 11:51 AM

Super LeTours are great bikes. Here's my 76.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fd6ac70e51.jpg

thook 07-23-19 01:56 PM


Originally Posted by Cycle Tourist (Post 21039198)
Mines a 59cm. The bikes a little small for me. I bought it as a flip. The owner wanted to sell all the components separately. That always seems wrong to me. Maybe as I get older, keeping all your original parts is more and more important.😂

you must be a tall'ish fella, then. it would appear, also, you on on the coast. CA? FL? don't answer if you don't want. just curious.

as for bikes, with me it depends. something like your flipper, i'd keep it together. many mass produced bikes are kinda made to part out...lol. as for the body, otoh, definitely....keep your parts!!! they're there for a reason no matter doctors say. but, that's just my opinion. :D

thook 07-23-19 01:59 PM


Originally Posted by 76SLT (Post 21039431)
Super LeTours are great bikes. Here's my 76.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fd6ac70e51.jpg

is the chrome fork crown actually the crown, or is it like my old "regular" le tour that has a glued on chrome cover? nice blue, btw!

thook 07-23-19 02:01 PM

oh, and has anyone a clue about the cage swap question? i've got a BL GT i'm not going to use for anything and figured i might ask before going through trouble.

Cycle Tourist 07-23-19 03:49 PM


Originally Posted by thook (Post 21041373)
you must be a tall'ish fella, then. it would appear, also, you on on the coast. CA? FL? don't answer if you don't want. just curious.

as for bikes, with me it depends. something like your flipper, i'd keep it together. many mass produced bikes are kinda made to part out...lol. as for the body, otoh, definitely....keep your parts!!! they're there for a reason no matter doctors say. but, that's just my opinion. :D

Yup. 6'3" in CA. Just bought a Panosonic sprayed black. They didn't even pull the water bottle clamps. I took all the spray paint off. Most of the parts are frankenbike. Except.https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...57bb5e6b26.jpg
Beautiful

76SLT 07-23-19 05:23 PM


Originally Posted by thook (Post 21041378)
is the chrome fork crown actually the crown, or is it like my old "regular" le tour that has a glued on chrome cover? nice blue, btw!

I've never had it off so I can't say with certainty, but it looks like it's really chromed. The edges are painted blue, but it doesn't look like a chrome cap like I have on a Fuji I have.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7992f346c2.jpg

thook 07-24-19 09:30 AM


Originally Posted by 76SLT (Post 21041699)
I've never had it off so I can't say with certainty, but it looks like it's really chromed. The edges are painted blue, but it doesn't look like a chrome cap like I have on a Fuji I have.

yeah, that's genuinely chromed. you can see the brazing. i was just curious because i found it funny schwinn would chrome the fork blade on the le tour and then not do the crown (or simply the entire fork) and use a plastic cap instead...haha

thook 07-24-19 09:34 AM


Originally Posted by Cycle Tourist (Post 21041580)
Yup. 6'3" in CA. Just bought a Panosonic sprayed black. They didn't even pull the water bottle clamps. I took all the spray paint off. Most of the parts are frankenbike. Except.

bottle clamps? as in the cages? poor panasonic!

those 600 levers are snazzy. i've got one on my keychain. i got them with a 600 derailleur set i've yet to use. i'll never use the DT levers, though. unless i can convert them to bar ends....which i've yet to figure a way to do it. i've seen web pictures years ago of a yellow early 70's dawes galaxy with them, but no clue how it was done

Cycle Tourist 07-24-19 10:46 AM


Originally Posted by thook (Post 21042569)
bottle clamps? as in the cages? poor panasonic!

those 600 levers are snazzy. i've got one on my keychain. i got them with a 600 derailleur set i've yet to use. i'll never use the DT levers, though. unless i can convert them to bar ends....which i've yet to figure a way to do it. i've seen web pictures years ago of a yellow early 70's dawes galaxy with them, but no clue how it was done

The clamps that hold the bottle cages.
Maybe a stem clamp could be attached to a bar end with one side devoid of the square boss and the other side sporting those nice 600 levers. You'd need two to complete the look.

a stem clamp for levers could

thook 07-25-19 08:35 PM


Originally Posted by Cycle Tourist (Post 21042686)
The clamps that hold the bottle cages.
Maybe a stem clamp could be attached to a bar end with one side devoid of the square boss and the other side sporting those nice 600 levers. You'd need two to complete the look.

a stem clamp for levers could

thanks for replying. turns out, after reviewing a thread i'd started years ago, that the 600 levers will work on regular shimano pods, but i have to get the spacers to adapt them that rivendell sells. i'd completely spaced out that little detail.


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