screaminDOHC

I picked up 2 stingrays for $70. Not sure if I got a fair deal or not. One is a (year unknown, anyone??) purple boys single speed stingray deluxe. The second is a bicentennial 5 speed (with headlight, dynamo, speedo (broken?)...

I do not plan to restore them, but rather clean them up, re-grease, re-cable and re-tire them for my young twins (they are 2, so I have a few years for this project).

Thoughts???

SquidPuppet

What is the serial number on the purple one?

Kactus

Seeing the crazy prices they're getting for Stingrays, I think you did great. After your kids outgrow them, you should be able to sell them for a big profit ($150/ea.?).

screaminDOHC

I don't see it on the headtube. Where would I find it?

OldsCOOL

I sold this one for 300.00 last year.

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SquidPuppet

Look on the left dropout above the axle and the underside of the bottom bracket. They were in different locations in different decades.

Sometimes you'll find a production code stamped on the head badge too. We can determine when it was built with that as well.

Murray Missile 

Are you sure the purple one is a single speed? Looks JUST like the one I had when I was a kid with the tiny chainwheel and front brake, mine was also purple and had a Bendix 2 speed rear hub. If it IS a 2 speed you did REAL well! Oh yeah, mine was a '67 or '68 IIRC.

repechage

The purple one is much earlier.
You did well. I would consider looking for another coaster brake example. Hand size and strength required for caliper brakes and the whole gear concept is not often a good mix.
You do run the risk that what you think would be cool and fun to own may not be shared by your kids.

BigChief 

The purple one is a good find. Mid 60s. If there's blue stripes on the rear hub, you have a real winner. The earlier Stingrays with the 2 speed Bendix kick back hubs are the most desirable for collectors.

SquidPuppet

What is the giveaway that indicates mid '60s?

BigChief 

I worked at a Schwinn Dealer in the late 60s/ early 70s. I was an apprentice. My job was assembling the kid bikes so the owner could attend to his high end 10 speeds. The easiest thing to see about the older ones is that they still used the small chainring. They also did away with the fishtail chainguard in the later 60s.

Bikerider007

My guess would be the bi centennial would be limited and quite collectible, especially since it is 5 speed.

Trueblood

While we are on purple Stingrays, does anyone know what the Chinese remake of about 10 years ago is worth? Not one of the Wally world krates, but earlier, and purple.

SquidPuppet

Thanks! So the "mag" chain ring was introduced in the '70s?

repechage

The "Mag" sprocket was developed for the Krates, so later 60's. by 1969 the coaster brake bikes also got a version of the Mag sprocket, flat spokes and fewer teeth.
I had a '66-'67 with the tail fin chain guard, got stolen, my '69 did not.
Purple was not a long lived color, Schwinn catalog followers and the frame number will get you a build / model year date.
I always thought the stick shift string rays were the coolest of the multi speed versions.
Ok, the two speed kickback bikes were cool too.

Cyclist0108

I had that bike (in blue) when I was a kid.

Metacortex

I believe the "Mag" sprockets were introduced in 1967.

repechage

Definitely by '68.

thinktubes 

Nice finds, should be fun riders.

As a kid, I owned a mid-60s Stingray with the "holes" sprocket and a early 70's version with the "mag" sprocket. Both bikes were single speeds and I remember the one with the larger "mag" sprocket was a real ***** to turn over. Anyone know the difference in tooth-count?

Metacortex

Definitely by '67.

BigChief 

I must have assembled and tested a hundred different Sting Ray, Chopper type bikes while I worked at the LBS. We sold Schwinn and Raleigh. My favorite was the Schwinn Manta Ray with 24" wheels and a 5 speed derailleur. I haven't seen one since the 70s.

RobbieTunes

Great projects, and your kids will be cool beyond measure. They may not know it at the time, but some old man will stop them on the street and tell them all about their bikes. Sort of like what happens to hipsters now on old high-end frames.....