merziac

Anybody else see this?

Pretty cool, odd, overpriced, funky, etc?

I would not be posting this if there was any way I could procure it, so tapped out right now from way too many other foolish bike purchases.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/12495922241...IAAOSw26phbKCQ

Velo Mule

Interesting. Too bad for all the updates. It may be worth $500 with all the original paint and components. With the swapped parts? The wrong headbadge. The wrong crank. A Raleigh light mount. I don't know.

Plus, it is a ladies model which historically gets less interest and they are often bought for the parts.

nlerner

That's a lotta money for an old 3-speed.

scarlson 

Interesting stem on it. Looks almost like a tandem stoker stem attached to some sort of quill adapter.

I know these old Schwinns had the smaller American steer inner diameter. It could make sense that it would need a weird stem of some sort.

wrk101

So far from original, I would have zero interest personally.

merziac

Yep, interesting was my point and agreed on the rest for the most part but the HB is the same as my 58 so between that and the brakes, levers, chain guard, bars, stem, maybe rear wheel/hub, front wheel aside from hub and whatever else, there are a lot of parts you don't want to have to hunt down.

How many Paramounts this old do we really see, let alone reasonably complete, all original or not?

This is a find/get no matter how you slice it IMO, period.

merziac

I believe it is original, the catalog page Richard Schwinn provided says "double adjustable" and I can guarantee you don't want to have to look for one of those.

Velo Mule

Good points. Thanks for posting a picture of your Paramount headbadge. They look similar. My radar when up on the headbadge of the Ebay bike because I saw the number stamped on it like later bikes.

trainman999

The bike is about a 54-55. If you look close at that bike it has had the head lugs replaced ( it should have keyhole head lugs or Neverx Siera Lige) and has a newer head badge on it probbly fron they replaced the lugs. Also look at the braizing on the left rear droupout looks 70's rather than 50's seat stay or chain stay replaced . $500 way closer to value than $900 when first listed.

merziac

You're welcome,

Well sorry, I couldn't see the numbers but you're absolutely right, my bad, maybe they wanted the HB to match the paint and decals. Still, a correct one not impossible to get, far easier than most of the other missing parts. The brake levers alone could be worth plenty I suspect, bars and stem, brake calipers too.

merziac

All the better to me in the end, took a serious if not catastrophic hit or something, had an owner who cared and lives to tell the tale.

Not cast aside, not forsaken, even these lowly 3 speeds are part of the Paramount legacy, like it or not.

This one is one of the very few I have seen that can be had pretty easy.

Colorado Kid

I agree with the others. The bike is way over priced too. Ladies bikes (like this one.) should go for about $50.00 USD or so. They are just asking too much. Move on.

JulesCW 

Really? Please send all the $50 Reynolds 531 framed, Sturmey IGH + front dynohub, rare brake-set and rarer stem equipped ladies bikes in rideable condition to me -- I'll pay freight and give you a $25 per bike finders fee!

You might not like ladies bikes, and this might be a bit overpriced, but saying this is only worth $50 is like saying Confente-built Masis are overpriced, they should only go for about $200. Hardly a realistic proposition. $50 for this bike would be a giveaway.

52telecaster

Id love a step thru 531 frame. Kinda rare.

nlerner

The step-through Raleigh SuperCourses pop up now and then. I found one at a dump in Maine while on vacation, brought it home tied to the top of the car, cleaned it up, and sold it on eBay. It went for far less than I figured it would. I also wondered if only the seat tube and downtube were from 531 as I doubt those lateral top tubes were.

macstuff 

The Stem on it is worth $250-300. Thats a long reach double adjustable Schwinn piece from the 30's- 40's. Long stem versions came on Schwinn motor-Bikes and whizzers. Short versions came on some high end lightweights through the EARLY 50's
That aside.... it has late 70's Decals and that radiant green or, iin the 70's it was called Lime green color didn't show up till 1964.
It is definitely a superior or paramount but The fork needs to come off to get the serial number since the brazing obliterated the serial #.
I'm going to say that the paint and that "Ultra-Lite" decal are original and call this a 1977 frame with parts from an older High end Schwinn. Can't read the numbers stamped into the Paramount Headbadge but I'll bet it is original also. They didn't start that practice till the early/mid seventies.
Too Bad its a ladies frame

From the replies here, it is obvious there aren't any Schwinn people replying. It is worth $500 EASY. Its worth at least $800 in parts that I can see.

daverup 

I would like one of those too. I would prefer a tall mixte, not too many around.

wrk101

Sure I see $500 in parts if not more. My lack of interest would be as a finished piece. Too many changes for my liking. But as a source of parts and maybe a restomod, great.

merziac

So you didn't see where Richard Schwinn weighed in on efbay or the oil port that is a guarantee of a 50's bike?

You obviously didn't read my comments as I am in full agreement with your $$$ valuation and while no expert, having a 1958 Paramount as well as 4 others, I have a pretty good idea of what I'm looking at as do most here.

I would encourage you to actually read the previous posts again, especially with less than 6 months and under 100 posts here.

We're always happy to have more opinions when they don't call out majority, experienced and respected here being wrong.

macstuff 

Yeah, I own several Old lightweight Schwinns. from the 40's on up. If it is a Paramount the actual serial number will be on the fork also, Which is something you haven't evaluated.
Its a complete podge bike.
If it went back to the Paramount shop for repair and Re-conditioning, it was in the 70's. Where did the 2120 Weinmanns come from? The fenders? The plastic bung ports? MEANING, it had to have come into the paramount shop as a frame and a box of random parts if at all. And why would they put a date stamped aluminum head badge on it? Hmmmm. Why a Japanese "Lite-Weight" decal. Hmmmm. If the Paramount shop did that Im switching to Huffy. Thats a Panasonic decal.

Im almost 60, I've seen a few things and can't remember half of them completely.
EVERYONE ELSE ON EARTH IS THE SAME including Mr. who the hellever
I wonder who has actually contacted the seller?
Oh, yeah, I have.
I may buy it for parts and disassemble it for you.

merziac

macstuff 

I talked with her and her husband pulled the fork and they have added pics of the serial number on the steer head.
There is no prefix which is weird. Two people that own Womens early Paramounts on the CABE don't even think it started out as a Paramount and I promise you, you can trust them before anyone else to competently pick apart a Paramount. With a garage full to look at, there is no need to rely on other peoples memories.
The headbage reads May 1977
The frame is obviously an earlier frame, but that's it, the rest is older, newer and/or wrong for a Paramount. Whoever put it together in the 70's used parts from the 40's through the 70's.
In short, its an Albatross and good for parts or a Schwinn guy that wants to refurb it again for his wife or whatever.

I wondered how many posts Id get through before the wave of misplaced entitlement washed over me. 86.
Im glad that I don't depend on post count for my self worth, when would I find time to ride a bike?

Kabuki12

I dunno , a little out of my wheelhouse . I AM a bike lover so something this odd and in ok shape(rideable) would be cool. I like the color, Schwinn had some awesome colors. The lemon yellow and purple ones ,orange, also strawberry red, they knew how to make bikes attractive. When I was eight , so 1962, my mom found an old Schwinn for me to ride , I wish I could find pictures of it. I was on top of the world as I rode around the trailer park. We were very poor so someone probably gave it to her so I could have a bike to ride. I remember falling down a lot so it was probably too big for me. It seems like I had trouble reaching the ground with my feet.

Bianchigirll 

Interesting bike. Too bad they don’t show a size, I’d like a nice step through. However I am holding out for one of you guys to find one of the taller ‘92ish Univega Via Carisma hybrids in good shape.

merziac

[QUOTE=macstuff;22279780]

"when would I find time to ride a bike?"

Hard to say, I rode 3400 miles in the last year while asking, learning, showing, trying to help and trying to figure out kinky mystery's like this one on here.

Assuming you made good on your promise to buy it and disassemble it for me since it sold, if so good on ya, maybe you can get a better deep dive with it in hand and straighten us all out.