Well, yesterday we tore the bike apart. All the bearings are still in good shape, one even scrubbed up to look like new. But the bearing where the fork meets the tube is shot and lost quite a few balls. But I'm pleased otherwise, I was expecting them to all be pretty bad. They've been degreased and scrubbed. Does anybody know if that bearing would be a special size on a 62 Schwinn or would it be just a normal bearing? I'll take a picture if you need me to.
The frame itself is in good condition rust-wise. But the paint is shot to heck, not worth salvaging. We found a swatch of the original color and it was a beautiful red. Curse whoever thought it would be a good idea to paint it a wretched orange. I bought the aircraft stripper but the weather made it impossible to use. It's simply far too cold outside right now. But the good news is I talked to a friend of mine and his dad did work for PPG (Pittsburgh Paint and Glass) and he could get me some of their primo car paint for free! He would get me their heavy duty primer, the metallic topcoat, and their highest quality clearcoat.
In my school we have spray booths with exhaust systems and air hoses coming down from the ceiling, so we can paint it there without a problem. I need to get my hands on a gun, though. The color I chose is this beautiful metallic blue. It'll look wonderful when I clear coat it.
I have a picture of the frame by it's lonesome, but I have to wait for Taylor to upload it.
