OT-Schwinn StingRays

Wow, what a great response guys. I didn't know we had so many guys on here that collected.

If anyone has one they will part with that won't cause me to empty JR's college saving account, PM me.

 

I love the old stingrays. I had a pretty nice 1969 Apple Krate on display in my home office for about 8 years. I listed it for sale on craigslist and Fox Movie Studios bought it to use as a prop in a movie. Supposed to be in a flashback scene in the movie "Marley & Me". I guess there is a scene that goes back to 1974. now is a good time to buy one. The market and interest on these bikes has fallen. I know of guys parting out really nice bikes because they can't get the big money for the complete bikes anymore.

 

james, u have pm...

 

I got a '65, '68 &'78....just found a cheap copy in the garbage that Im going to lowrider...I think Wal-Mart sells copys now?!?!?!

 

The Walmart ones were only sold at Christmas last year. Limited Editions.

 

http://www.schwinnbike.com/ All kind of stuff over here on the forums.

 

cool thread. Ill post my Pea Picker when I get home. In the mean time, heres my swingbike. its krate inspired.

 

here we go come on jon

 

Not a Stingray but probably a lot rarer. A CCM Mustang I own. I have two smaller CCM Bobcat's but they were probably late 70's. This is a '69-'71 vintage and identical to the one my best friend had as a kid. I had a gold three speed version called oddly enough .. the Cougar and it had a bitchen chrome lightening holed red handled T shifter on it! I also had the cross checkered flag valve caps, turn signals etc...

Please excuse the O/T car. It's the only pic of the bike I have at the moment.

 

This is great, hot rods and stingray's. I have been collecting stingray's for awhile and it's kind of a thing that I have alway's done. They are a little before my time but I just love them. here are just a couple of pics. The wham-o-wheelie bars are going on a period correct sky blue 67 deluxe. Thanks, Jon.

 

I have a few. My daughters (Jennifer 11) and (Shelby 14) have grown up on Schwinn's, their first bikes were Lil' Tigers (12") (orig. and nice blue and red) that I put pnumatic wheels and tires on with coaster brakes (originals have solid tires and no brakes), next they both got 1967 "midget" Stingrays (16") (orig. and nice blue and red), next they got 20" Stingrays... (all orig. and nice) 1969 orange Krate, 1969 campus green 3 speed stick shift, 1965 violet Slic chick w/ 2 speed kick back and orig W.W. slick and W.W. front (not typhoon), 1976 red Stingray junior and we also picked up a 1970 fair lady at a yard sale for $5.00, the campus green paint was pretty bad so we decided to make a restoration project. I helped them dis-assemble and label each part, we took the frame to the powder coater and I let them pick out the color (chrome yellow), they totally hand polished the orig. chrome rims, fenders and all the other orig. parts to look like new, we bought an old accessory bicycle steering wheel with the goose neck built into it (from the early 70's) at another yard sale for $1.00 and a new repro seat from the Schwinn dealer, and they put the bike together (their first project!). It came out so cool that all the neighborhood kids always want to ride "the bike with the steering wheel" instead of their own new 15 speed mountian bikes! I reccomend bicycles as a great way to get the kids started in restoration and customizing projects (they are cheap and quick to finish, so they don't get burnt out on a long term deal) and they can actually ride and enjoy their hard work when their done!

 

This place is a sight to see. It's too bad their website doesn't list what they have. The entire second floor is a museum and the third floor is all for sale. Sting Rays, Manta Rays, etc. Lots of really nice bikes to look at. I go in there once and a while just to look.

 

James, my son David has a Stingray we bought at a swap meet in Oklahoma a dozen years ago. I think David would sell it, as he could use the gas money for trips to Childrens. I can send pics if you like, or you can come look at it. Call me.

Duncan

 

I have a few stingrays. During black friday they had those cheapo stingrays at walmart. they didn't sell to well around here I bought two for 19 bux a piece.
It is really interesting how they made the head tube flow into the other frame tubes. I believe the pieces were stamped from sheet metal and then electro welded together.
here is my hooptie.

 

I dont know if its been mentioned ( I know the date code had been mentioned) but another general rule of thumb is...

if you see the welds sitting on top .....its a repop. (AKA shitty welds)


I have a lemon peeler BTW.

 

This thread RULES!!...I'm currently doing one for my son. But, As a kid my next door neighbor had one of them 'swing frames' and i wanted that bike sooo bad growing up i tried to steal it....Learned a hard lesson there!!
Theres a video (or was) of the old commerical of the wham-o-wheelie bar on Youtube. There was a wheeliebar listed a few months back for $1500.oo

 

Not a schwinn but a huffy I did for My son...

 

Used to have several. I had some left over parts and built this...

 

Here's the one I recently picked up that I mentioned earlier.

 

Here is my one owner original stingray fastback except the rear tire and tube , I must have went through a dozen of them , I got this in 1970 or 71 after my other bike was run over with me on it. It has not seen the road for 6 years.I must have driven a thousand miles on this thing and learn to do a block long wheelie.

 

Here's a few of mine. Only two Schwinns are road-worthy right now. The blue bicycle in the back in a Schwinn Bantam with a removable top bar. The other, not pictured is the same blue, it's a Speedster (I love that bike... smooth rider.) The red bicycle is a Shelby, with some Schwinn parts, and the gold is a fairly rare Columbia Playboy.

Every year for the past few years I've put on a Fall Foliage Bicycle Run and we get a bunch of families to go out riding. I build all of these bicycles for family members... that's really the only time they get ridden.

I've got a few frames left for future build, each year we get a new one rolling for someone to ride at the festival. The kids LOVE these bikes, especially my kid brother. Below is a pic of him holding up his prize 76 Stingray, not yet built, at the N.E. Musclebike Museum.

The 76 Motobecane Fixie is another passion of mine. It's primarily my commuter now. More people stop me to talk about this bicycle. There's usually one or two fixed enthusiasts a week waiting by it after dinner or at the grocery store asking to buy it.

 

Here is my collection, collected parts for 15-20 years Restored these with the parts.

 

Check Here
http://www.memorylane-classics.com/

 

I always wanted one as a kid when they were new ( '68-'73) but they were too expensive for me to even ask my parents for one. It seemed the better off families were able to buy them for their kids.
Fast forward about 20 years- in the 90s, I got my chance, I found a '72 Pea Picker coaster and bought it. Funny, as a kid, I never saw or heard of a Coaster Krate but, Schwinn did make them. Turns out '72 was the last year of the coaster and the last year of the "Pea" so mine is a bit special.
Since then, I added a sky blue '75 Delux Stingray and changed it to a frame stick shifter.
Also collected parts, many NOS, to restore a '68 Leman Peeler I found.
Finally, I bought a nice 'driver' '69 Applekrate- Had a custom seat made, black with a red stripe, added a rear disc. I ride this one around at times.
Those were great bikes, could be very fast too but, it was the end of an era. The jumping scene, motocross scene, etc, became so popular that the street type bikes just died.
It is nice to see the interest in them now.
4 is enough for me.

Steve Barcak
www.pontiacheaven.org

 

yea! i have been into stingrays for about fifteen years. it's a cool hobby. you guys gotta check out the spring swap meet in ann arbor MI.

 

Do your wheelie bars work with the seat moving up and down? I have a set of cobra wheelie bars on my lemon peeler but the seat moves side to side,guess Im to heavy at 170 lbs.

 

Lotsa cool bikes posted here. Not a Schwinn, but here's a pic of my Nirve Cannibal. Three speed makes for easy cruising.
However, I did score a really nice campus green '69 Schwinn trike last year I found for sale sitting in some old man's yard. Got a buddy of mine that's in to StingRays really wanting it. Pays to keep your eyes open sometime!

 

Man, you're right, what was I thinking? I stand corrected. Thanks.

Now that's a Sting-Ray.

 

This is cool. I never would have thought that so many here were into old Schwinn's. Keep them coming guys!

 

here's a traditional rod 64 sting ray. i just sold this one last month.