75lechamp 

My latest build - a December 1967 Paramount P12 in Campus Green. This color is my favorite from the classic Schwinn era, evoking thoughts of muscle cars like Mustangs, Camaros, etc.

I acquired from the daughter of the original owner, who bought it for her dad after saving money from babysitting jobs, etc. It was unfortunately the victim of a UPS mishap, who put a big ding in the top tube, and it incurred other frame damage. My choice was to take the insurance money, which would necessitate scrapping the frame. But who wants a '67 Paramount in the landfill? Not me.

Today was the acid test, and after riding with no hands I can report the thing rides true and straight as an arrow. As my friend Bob Freeman said, "appreciate it for what it is, not what it isn't." Which I intend to do....

bikemig 

Great color. I have a '68 Paramount. Is this all campagnolo other than the brakes?

75lechamp 

Yes it is, except for the Weinmanns. Also, the seaport is not, it's a straight alloy tube...

Early front derailleur, with a cable stop, requires a different cable clamp

AdventureManCO 

You made a great choice. Beautiful bike, ding and all.

tfbike 

Nice bike Andy. You just keep coming up with good ones.

Tom.

bikemig 

Mine has the same straight alloy tube seatpost and Weinmann brakes.

pastorbobnlnh 

Tubular or clincher rims and tires? It does look as if the crankset is 144BCD. Shouldn't a '67 have had the 151BCD? I do forget what year that transition was made.

That certainly is a beautiful P-12! Is it listed on cudak888 's Paramount registry? If not it needs to be!

Bianchigirll 

That’s beautiful. The shop sticker and registration really add to the fabulous overall classic look.

you need to make up a backstory for the dent, something like the original owner stopped to rescue a kitten from a tree but the fire truck ran into his bike.

75lechamp 

pastorbobnlnh According to Velo-Retro's Campy timeline, the BCD went from 151 to 144 in 1966. I am pretty sure this is not the original crank, although it is period correct (no date on the arms). Since this is a P12, it's highly likely the crank was a steel Stronglight, although I understand a lot of these bikes were custom orders and things could change. Thanks, Andy

75lechamp 

pastorbobnlnh I do have a set of Weinmann tubulars, to high flange Record hubs, but I'm still in the effort to rehab them. I borrowed a set of tubies from my '75 Paramount to get this on the road. They came with high flange hubs (dated 67 on the locknuts) laced 4X to Weinmann clinchers. They looked like the original wheels, laced with Robergel spokes. I will rehab this set (rusty spokes) and alternate between clinchers and sewups. Interestingly, the two rims are slightly different models, though both 27 inch. One is plain, and the other has a slight ridge at the sidewalls.... I am pretty sure, based on the 4x lacing and same vintage spokes, that these are the original wheels but would Schwinn have specced out two different rim models for the same bike?

Ridges on the left, smooth on the right

Ridges on bottom rim, smooth on top rim...?

pastorbobnlnh 

Certainly, Schwinn would have matched the rims when the bike left Chicago for the LBS. My guess would be that sometime after the bike was owned, one original rim was damaged, and this was the best match the LBS could make at the time.

Thanks for the refresher on the history of the BCD change from 151 to 144. For a time, I had a 1966 P-13 (frame was too large so I passed it on), and when I bought it came with a 151 Record crankset.

repechage

You guys do know that the paramounts built for 27" wheels had adjusted dimensions for them.
one can fit tubulars or 700c but you are fooling with Mother Nature.

maybe I should write Father Nature as it was Arnold Schwinn and Co.

pastorbobnlnh 

IIRC, it depends on the year made and model. For instance, my former 1966 P-13 ran 27 X 1&1/4 with plenty of clearance room to spare.


However, my 1971 P-13 barely had space for 27 X 1&1/8 Pasela tires. I needed to deflate the tire to remove the rear wheel.

No surprise, but with 28mm tubulars, there was more space. Still not enough for fenders.

repechage

If you ran tubulars, you were a racer.
27x 1 1/4"? You were a tourer.

the savvy Schwinn retailers ordered well.
John's in Pasadena even ordered heavier chainstays for the PAA club racers.

75lechamp 

I decided to return the Paramount back to what would have been the stock configuration as much as possible. Although I bought it from the daughter of the original owner, she could not really recall how the bike was configured back in December of 1967, understandably. However, given the catalog specs of the '67 P12, it's probable it came with a Campy Record (steel) rear derailleur. Pretty easy to find and install, done.

Different matter with the crank though. Pics I have seen, and guidance from Bob Freeman, indicates it probably came with a Stronglight 54 or 55 cottered crank, simplex rings and connectors, and a hollow stronglight spindle with Stronglight BB. Thus began my adventure with finding these items, not easy.... I also gained a new appreciation for the expertise of the old time bike shops in terms of filing and fiddling with the fit of the cotter pins. Excellent guidance from Mark at Bikesmith, where I purchased the right cotters and his press. I really like the end result, but man it was a bit of work....

To be perfectly accurate, this thing probably also came with Lyotard Berthet 23 pedals, but I once had these on a touring bike in the late 70s and it seems like I was always adjusting the bearings. I think I will stick with the period correct (toe strap loop) Campys for the time being...

juvela

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great to see you have the Titan stem & bar set

count yourself fortunate the Verot LV came with steel Y-adaptors; they were also produced in alloy which are failure prone

the one downside of the arrangement is that the smallest inner one can run is forty-three

wonderful to see an example which has eluded the usual frankening


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jdawginsc 

Thought it would look great with purple and orange!

tfbike 

Nice work Andy. I feel lucky mine is '71 so I don't have to worry about cottered.
Nice background!