Friday, August 21, 2015

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration for His Daughter

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle After Restoration
Recently I started work on Rob's Schwinn Collegiate restoration for his daughter.  Rob is the owner of the 1987 Schwinn Le Tour restoration from last August that turned out very cool, it can be seen by clicking here.

I think the Schwinns from the 1970's like the 5 speed Collegiate, the Schwinn Suburban, the Schwinn World Tourist, and the Schwinn 3 Speeds like the Breeze and Racer are fantastic bicycles.  The are heavier bicycles but they also are not meant for racing.  They are meant for a very comfortable riding position, a very smooth and vibration free ride.  They are meant for riding around town carrying a basket full of groceries.  They are meant for running errands.  They are meant for riding and touring at a slow speed for an afternoon of site seeing.  They are durable, comfortable work horses!

You can usually find these types of bicycles in the $40-$75 range and with a little more invested and some work they come out fantastic and are way better then any Walmart bike or the ridiculously expensive new city bikes that the Bicycle Industry is pushing today.

Rob's daughter's bicycle is in a little bit of rough starting shape but nothing that will stop it from coming back beautifully.  The Schwinn Collegiate will receive a restoration along with new tires and tier tubes, new cables, new cable housings, new bearings and new brake pads.  I can't wait to see the Campus Green polished and all the chrome shining!!

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Handlebars

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Head Lamp

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Head Badge

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Front Brake Caliper

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Front Wheel Hub

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Front Wheel Rim

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Stem

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Fork Crown

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Shift Levers

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Front Fender

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Down Tube Decal

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Bottom Bracket

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Chain Guard

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Crank

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Rear Brake Caliper

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Generator

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Rear Derailleur

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Rear Wheel Hub

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Rear Fender

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bicycle Before
Rear Fender

I disassembled the Schwinn Collegiate.  The components where stiff, dirty and a little difficult to break down at times but there where no surprises. The green paint has some chips and scratches here and there but not bad at all.  The paint is very dirty and dull but it should come back very nice.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Head Tube

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Head Tube

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Head Tube

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Down Tube

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Bottom Bracket

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Bottom Bracket

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Bottom Bracket

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Seat Tube

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Rear Drop Outs

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Fork

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Fork Crown

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Fork Crown

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Fork Crown

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Fork Blades

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Fork Drop Outs

I gave the frame a deep cleaning and then started working through the polishing grits.  The frame polished fantastic!  I could not be happier with the results!!  The Campus Green paint just shines with a deep luster.  The decals are not the brightest but they are not bad either.  There are the chips and scratches but they do not show up to much against the green.  I have applied clear over the paint chips for protection, the campus green is a color that is impossible to match correctly and looks horrible when mismatched. Its better to go with the chips as they fade into the back ground.  I really like this frame polished!  I think I will remove the old blue & yellow bike shop decal before the protecting wax.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Head Tube

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Head Tube

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Head Tube

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Down Tube & Decal

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Seat Post & Chicago Decal

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Bike Shop Decal

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Bottom Bracket

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Bottom Bracket

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Bottom Bracket

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Seat Stays

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Drop Outs

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Fork

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Fork Crown

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Fork Crown

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Fork Blade

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Fork Drop Outs

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Chain Guard

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Before
Chain Guard Decal

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Chain Guard 

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Chain Guard

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Chain Guard

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Frame Polished
Chain Guard
With the frame polished it is time to start  with the components.  I started by cleaning the headset in the crock pot and polished the pieces along with the shift lever.  Headset functions and looks great and te shift levers look fantastic. I am happy with the results of the headset and shit levers.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Headset & Shift Levers
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Shift Lever - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Shift Lever - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Headset & Shift Lever
Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Shift Lever - Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Pressing Headset Cups

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Headset Cups - Pressed

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Headset Bearings
Packed

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Headset - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Headset - Complete
 With the headset complete it is time to install the bottom bracket & crank.  The bottom bracket took a while in the crock pot to clean, the grease was very stubborn.  The crank also had a lot of stubborn grease.  When the grease was removed I polished the bottom bracket pieces and then hand polished the crank.  The bottom bracket polished beautifully and the crank really polished nice.  The crank looks fantastic installed!  I love this stuff!

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bottom Bracket &
Crank - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bottom Bracket
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Crank
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Crank - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Crank - Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bottom Bracket
Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Pressing Bottom Bracket Cups

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bottom Bracket Cups
Pressed

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Bottom Bracket Bearings
Packed

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Crank
Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Crank
Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Crank
Complete

With the headset & bottom bracket complete it is time for the handlebars and stem.  The stem has the very cool head lamp attached but we will get to the head lamp later.  The whole generator and lighting system is in rough shape now and the wires are rotted.  I will get to the head lamp latter.  The stem and handlebars are in good starting shape.  After some cleaning and polishing the handlebars and stem look fantastic.  Installed they really pop against the polished Campus Green paint and polished headset.  I am very happy with the results of the handlebars and stem.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Handlebars & Stem
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Handlebars & Stem
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Stem
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Handlebars & Stem
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Stem - Exploded

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Handlebars & Stem
Polished - Beautiful!!

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Stem & Handlebars - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Stem & Handlebars
Complete

With the handlebars complete they are ready for the brake levers.  The brake levers polished very nice but these type of brake levers always do.  Installed the levers look great and complete the look of the stem & handlebars.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Brake Levers
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Brake Levers
Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Brake Levers
Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Brake Levers
Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Brake Levers
Complete

The brake calipers are fine calipers.  I disassembled the calipers and cleaned all the pieces.  With all the pieces cleaned I worked through the polishing.  The brake calipers polished beautifully and with all the pivot points greased they function fantastic.  New brake pads complete the calipers and will give the Collegiate nice stopping power.  I am extremely happy with the results of the brake calipers.  They look fantastic installed on the frame.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Brake Calipers
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Brake Calipers
Exploded

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Brake Calipers
Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Brake Calipers
Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Brake Caliper - Installed

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Brake Caliper - Installed

The Collegiate has only one derailleur being a five speed.  The derailleur is in rough shape and it is caked in heavy dirty dry grease.  I was actually a little worried about the derailleur before I got to work on it.  I disassembled the derailleur and soaked all the pieces in heavy degreaser for a long time.  With the pieces cleaned I worked on the polishing.  All the pieces polished very nice.  I assembled the derailleur with all the proper places greased.  The derailleur turned out very very nice and works great.  I am very happy with the rear derailleur.  I was worried before but now am happy with it.  I also like that the jockey wheels are a hard steel instead of the regular nylon, a sign that the Collegiate is older then most.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Rear Derailleur
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Rear Derailleur
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Rear Derailleur
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Rear Derailleur
Exploded

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Rear Derailleur
Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Rear Derailleur
Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Derailleur - Complete

The saddle is a newer saddle that is a little rough.  The seat post was actually put in upside down to accommodate the saddle and the seat collar it requires.  I am not sure how to handle that yet.  For now I polished the seat post, seat binder collar and the seat collar.  Everything polished very ncie and it all looks great installed.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Seat Post & Saddle
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Seat Post & Collar
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Seat Binder Collar
Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Seat Post - Seat Collar &
Seat Binder Collar - Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Seat Post
Installed
 Last for now is the chain guard.  The chain guard polished very nice and the chain guard hardware also polished very nice.  Installed the chain guard look great.  The Collegiate is really coming along now.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Chain Guard &
Hardware - Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Chain Guard
Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Chain Guard Hardware

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Chain Guard
Hardware

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration - Chain Guard
Complete

The wheels are a little rough in spots and pretty good in others.  They should restore nicely.  I broke down the hubs and cleaned out the old grease.  Once cleaned I started the  polishing process.  The wheel hubs and rims polished very nice, I am very happy the way things polished.  With everything polished I packed the bearings and installed the wheels to the frame.  The wheels look great installed and spin very fast and smooth.  I would have installed the gum wall tires but they are taking a long time to get here. I will install them the moment they arrive.  So far I am thrilled with the wheels.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Wheel - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Wheel Hub - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Wheel Rim - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Wheel Hub - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Wheel Hub - Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Wheel Rim - Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Wheel Bearings - Packed

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Axle Pieces - Ready

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Wheel - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Wheel Rim - After

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Wheel - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Wheel Hub - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Wheel Hub - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Wheel Rim - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Wheel Hub - Old Grease

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Wheel Hub - Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Wheel Rim - Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Wheel Bearings - Packed

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Wheel - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Wheel Rim - After

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Wheels - Complete

The fenders are rough but the chrome is good.  The fenders have a lot of dents and bends but I should be able to pound them out, at least some.  The fender struts are very rough so I will just repaint the struts silver.  Painting the struts makes a huge difference instead of trying to make whats there looking good.  I removed the front strut because it is barley hanging from the rivet.  I will reattach the rivet probably with a pan head screw and nut.  The fender chrome cleaned up really nice and then I masked off parts for painting.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender Strut - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender - Before - Dents & Twists

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender Before - Dents & Twists

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender Strut Rivet

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender - Before Pounding

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender - Before Pounding

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender Struts - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Ready For Painting

The painting of the fender struts went very well.  The struts look great and the fender polished beautifully.  I attached the front fender to the strut with new hardware.  Installed the fenders look fantastic!  They would look even better with tires installed.  I really love this stuff.  Something simple like painting the fender struts can transform the restoration.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender Strut - Painted

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender Strut - Installed

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender Strut - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Fender - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender Struts - Painted

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender Struts - Painted

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender - Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender - Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender - Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender Struts - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Fender - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Fenders - Complete

With the fenders complete I installed the cables and cable housings.  The dark Ice Gray color is the perfect color for the Campus Green color.  Now looking at the photos below I think I wired the Collegiate first and then installed the fenders, I remember it the other way around.  The cables look fantastic installed with the dark gray.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
New Cables & Cable Housings

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Cables - Compelte

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Cables - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Cables - Complete
I am currently working on the generator and lights.  I have the pedals soaking and waiting on tires.  The place I get tires from sent me the wrong size even though the invoice had the correct size on it.  They said they are rushing me the tires. Then the Collegiate will be complete.

Today I cleaned and installed the saddle.  The saddle is a little rough but it cleaned well.  It is actually pretty comfortable.  In the future Rob can pick a new one if needed.  I don't really like to choose saddles for people because they are a very personal thing. Just got to get on one and try it.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Saddle - Cleaned

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Saddle - Installed

Next i worked on the pedals.  The pedals are rough but all pedals are rough because they take a beating.  The good thing is the pedals still spin good.  I gave the pedals a good cleaning and then polished the best I could on the polishing wheels.  The pedals turned out very nice, I am actually thrilled with the results!  The rubber blocks look great and the metal polished very nice.  Awesome!!

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Pedals - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Pedals - Cleaned & Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Pedals - Installed

The correct size tires arrived this morning.  I quickly installed the tires and they look great.  Gum wall tires are so classic and just bring the whole bike together.  I love the look!  Being 26 x 1 3/8 inch tires they supply a very smooth and cushy ride.  I also installed the freewheel, pie plate and chain at this time.
Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
New Tires

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Front Wheel - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Rear Wheel - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Freewheel & Chain - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Wheels - Complete
 I gave the Collegiate a test ride and tuning and it is a very comfortable, stable and smooth ride.  I like it a lot.  The bike also look fantastic.  The Campus Green just sparkles in the sun.

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Test Ride

It was a nice day out today so I actually worked on the head lamp, generator and rear light outside on the porch with my beagle Haily.

The wiring for the generator is rotten and broken all around.  Everything will be wired new.  Today I polished all the pieces and removed the old wiring.    The head lamp has a lot of rust pitting but after polishing it turned out pretty nice.  It is not perfect but a lot better then before.  The head lamp lens was very cloudy and dirty.  After a little cleaning and a little plastic polish and it is crystal clear.  I am very happy about that!

The generator polished very nice.  The rear light bulb I think is loose in the light.  It rattles around all over.   I have actually not figured out how to open it up yet.  The plastic of the light and all the pieces are very brittle and have not figured out how to get around that yet with out breaking everything,

Tomorrow is wiring and that rear light bulb.  With the bike with the head lamp installed and the rear generator installed looks amazing.  When I look at the photos below all I can think is "Damn, that is a classy bike!!".
Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Head Lamp & Generator - Before

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Head Lamp Pieces - Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Head Lamp - Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Head Lamp - Installed

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Head Lamp - Installed - I like all the bright work in this photo a lot!

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Head Lamp - Installed - Love this photo!

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Generator Pieces - Polished

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Generator - Installed

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Waiting for Generator Wiring
I wired the generator, head lam and rear light with new wire this morning.  With the lighting system wired I found the front light bulb to be burned out and that rattling in the rear light was the light bulb shattered.  I replaced the bulbs, the rear being a special size to fit through the neck of the light.  The new lights and the new wiring have the head lamp and rear light burning bright and that is in the high sun of the late morning!  The lights should be even brighter at night or dusk.  I am thrilled how the lights turned out!!

With the lights working I gave the Collegiate one more test ride and it rides great!  A truly classic and wonderful riding bicycle.  I wonder all the time why more people don't go for a bike like this.  The only reason I can think of is most of the bicycles like this Collegiate have been sitting in garages or basements for 25 years and look beyond repair.  This Schwinn Collegiate shows the diamonds all these bikes are laying in the rough!

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Handlebars

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Handlebars & Head Lamp

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Head Tube

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Front Brake

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Front Wheel Hub 

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Front Wheel Rim

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Handlebars

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Stem & Shift Levers

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Head Tube

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Front Half

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Down Tube

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Saddle

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Chicago Decal

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Drive Train

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Crank

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Chain Guard

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Derailleur

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Rear Brake Caliper

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Generator

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Rear Wheel Hub

Rob's Schwinn Collegiate 5 Speed Restoration
Bicycle Complete 
Thank you for all the interest and work!
John Z.

3 comments:

  1. I was about to do the same thing to to my Schwinn Collegiate. What Park tool did you use to remove the rear cassette?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Did you source any parts, like brake pads, from a specific retailer? I am going to try to do this with a 71'.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What products did you use to clean the chrome & the frame if you dont mind me asking

    ReplyDelete