Lou Sebo 1960 Paramount
#1
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Lou Sebo 1960 Paramount
I have a 1960 Paramount frame owned by Lou Sebo.
It is at Waterford for restoration. Richard Schwinn confirmed with Scott Wastyn this was one of the last Paramounts built by Oscar Wastyn.
Sebo was a longtime customer of Oscar.
If anyone has info on Louis “Lou” Sebo I’d appreciate it.
The frame was clearly a repaint and is being restored to the blue original original color that was under the gray, with pinstripes and correct decals.
Any help is appreciated. I’m trying to find a picture of Lou Sebo with his Paramount or a contact to the Sebo family for any photos.
Thanks,
Dennis
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#3
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Merziak, your bike looks amazing. How you sourced the components is incredible.
I’ve been looking at 1960 era gear but it’s rare and usually not as well preserved as you have.
I definitely need help setting this frame up correctly.
Dennis
I’ve been looking at 1960 era gear but it’s rare and usually not as well preserved as you have.
I definitely need help setting this frame up correctly.
Dennis
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Wonderful find and cool beginning to the back story. I hope you can fill in more info as you proceed with the restoration. I believe I've spotted the difference in the way the rear drops are different on a Wastyn Paramount as compared to a Chicago Paramount. The stay ends are pointy instead of rounded.
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#5
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Looking forward to seeing the progress on this one.
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I have a provenance report from Waterford for my 1963 and '70 Paramount, admittedly neither is exceptional but gave me the documentation I wanted. And I like having an autograph from R. Schwinn on each, of course... Yours is a nice surprise that spotlights your bike as special amongst special. An early Christmas present for you (or late, whichever...) I'm looking forward to seeing the post-Waterford refurb and your final build on this one.
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#7
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How much info were you able to get on your '63? I've been thinking about getting a report for my '62 but I've heard that there is very little to report in those years.
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Is it just the photo angle or did Lou Sebo have a really long torso and monkey arms?
(Looking at top tube vs seat tube.)
Very cool bike, and your post has me almost convinced a provenance report on my '71 would be worthwhile.
(Looking at top tube vs seat tube.)
Very cool bike, and your post has me almost convinced a provenance report on my '71 would be worthwhile.
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A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
#9
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Everything was in great shape, this had been very well maintained its whole life.
Here's the thread.
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...nt-p-12-a.html
Bob Freeman in North Bend Wa. near Seattle is an expert in these and may be able to help. I can reach out to him if you want.
Send me a PM
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No custom drawings were available for either bike.
#11
Full Member
[QUOTE=pastorbobnlnh;20948474]Wonderful find and cool beginning to the back story. I hope you can fill in more info as you proceed with the restoration. I believe I've spotted the difference in the way the rear drops are different on a Wastyn Paramount as compared to a Chicago Paramount. The stay ends are pointy instead of rounded.
[
pastorbobnlnh It is more likley that the pointy stay and fork finishing represents the transision to Schwinn factory production from the Wastyn's. Of the 200+ pictures of 1938-1959 Paramount's you can find on the internet, all the A Paramount's ,all the P Paramount's, and all the three digit number Paramount's through frame 833 have round stay and fork tretment. Frame 871 (a late 57 or early 58) to least Frame E 83( pointy forks and round rear) has pointy tretment
[
pastorbobnlnh It is more likley that the pointy stay and fork finishing represents the transision to Schwinn factory production from the Wastyn's. Of the 200+ pictures of 1938-1959 Paramount's you can find on the internet, all the A Paramount's ,all the P Paramount's, and all the three digit number Paramount's through frame 833 have round stay and fork tretment. Frame 871 (a late 57 or early 58) to least Frame E 83( pointy forks and round rear) has pointy tretment
Last edited by trainman999; 05-27-19 at 03:07 PM. Reason: bad spelling
#12
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Beautiful.
I wonder when the repaint was done. Obviously, the seatmast decal could be had back then, but someone did an excellent job of factory-style pinstriping, but in the wrong spot (on the lug instead of at the edge). It's not factory, but the quality of the work is - that's the intriguing part.
My '61 Paramount - serial F54 - which, sadly, is sans its original fork, has the Schwinn treatment at the rear drops, without points. However, they are not filleted with as much silver as the later ones - and given how much effort this would have taken, I can see why.
It's very neatly done. The seatstay has been soldered with a constructeur level of finesse. Given the production run, I'd assume this is one of Wanda Omelian's frames.
-Kurt
I wonder when the repaint was done. Obviously, the seatmast decal could be had back then, but someone did an excellent job of factory-style pinstriping, but in the wrong spot (on the lug instead of at the edge). It's not factory, but the quality of the work is - that's the intriguing part.
My '61 Paramount - serial F54 - which, sadly, is sans its original fork, has the Schwinn treatment at the rear drops, without points. However, they are not filleted with as much silver as the later ones - and given how much effort this would have taken, I can see why.
It's very neatly done. The seatstay has been soldered with a constructeur level of finesse. Given the production run, I'd assume this is one of Wanda Omelian's frames.
-Kurt
#13
Senior Member
My '61 Paramount - serial F54 - which, sadly, is sans its original fork, has the Schwinn treatment at the rear drops, without points. However, they are not filleted with as much silver as the later ones - and given how much effort this would have taken, I can see why.
-Kurt
-Kurt
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-Kurt
P.S.: Side note, but a good place to ask: If anyone here happens to have above-average PHP skills and would be willing to help out, I'm working on replacing the Paramount Registry as part of a redesign of The Headbadge. I've designed it with form fields for automatic submissions, but I need to call on each dropdown form conditionally. I'm not well up enough to hook into the primary plugin to do so. PM if you can help.
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This is the dropout treatment on my '64 P13. I consider the provenance report to be money well spent and am glad I got one. Not only did it list how the bike was built up when shipped, but it also revealed the dealer it was shipped to, which happened to be a now gone dealer in NW Indiana.
No idea where it has been all these years, someone posting here claimed to have seen it I think in Minnesota, but now it's "back home again in Indiana" for now anyway 🤗
No idea where it has been all these years, someone posting here claimed to have seen it I think in Minnesota, but now it's "back home again in Indiana" for now anyway 🤗
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The '64 looks pretty standardized. Factory Reynolds rounded/ovalized tube ends, with the top soldered to the edge, and the lower chainstays fully filleted. Same as Bob's pair.
Don't know why they went for two approaches, but everything seemed to be for a reason on the Paramounts. The 1010's probably finished better when the chainstay area was filleted.
-Kurt
Don't know why they went for two approaches, but everything seemed to be for a reason on the Paramounts. The 1010's probably finished better when the chainstay area was filleted.
-Kurt
#17
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Richard Schwinn wrote me that he would share the details of how he and Scott Wastyn identifies this frame as a Wastyn.
He said he would supply a report and pictures once the frame was painted.
I’ll update the post with that info.
Min the mean time I’m still hoping someone who sees this may have an idea how to research Lou Sebo.
I think some grandkids are in the Chicago area but I haven’t cold called yet.
That usually doesn’t go over really well.
Thanks everyone -
Dennis
He said he would supply a report and pictures once the frame was painted.
I’ll update the post with that info.
Min the mean time I’m still hoping someone who sees this may have an idea how to research Lou Sebo.
I think some grandkids are in the Chicago area but I haven’t cold called yet.
That usually doesn’t go over really well.
Thanks everyone -
Dennis
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It's cool to have a provenance like this-
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#19
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https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/wh...me-fork.30131/
A quick google search of "Lou Sebo Chicago" turns up this entry.
Maybe you can contact the OP, sounds like he bought his bike from the Sebo family.
Good luck with that cool bike!
A quick google search of "Lou Sebo Chicago" turns up this entry.
Maybe you can contact the OP, sounds like he bought his bike from the Sebo family.
Good luck with that cool bike!