We had an unusual donation made this week, a Schwinn “Black Phantom”. I looked it over, made a few notes on it and went home. Susie and I went out to dinner that night and were talking about it and I talked myself into going back and getting it. I was looking at it before I left earlier and was afraid if the wrong person started cleaning on it we might lose some of the detail of it. We normally clean the bikes as much as we can to make them shine. It would be better not cleaned too well compared to over cleaned and losing any pin striping or logos and lettering.
It was made on Friday Feb. 25th, 1955. Schwinn has some good records! I do believe that it has replacement fenders on it and is missing the tank and rear rack. I took off the gray tape from the handlebar grips and they were fine. Something that is puzzling to me is that the head badge is engraved with “B.F. Goodrich” and on the chain guard where it should say Schwinn it say’s B F G with Bf Goodrich written again under that. This could make it a little rarer or not. Also it has a badge mounted on the head tube that say’s “Good Saint Christopher Patron of Travelers”. The missing seat was originally tan with chrome springs. It is in better than most bikes of this age. I am looking forward to digging into the history of this bike as well as the bearings and such.
That is a cool bike!!!!!!!!!!!!1
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