eddiebrannan

Friend of mine swears his bike was given him in 1977. firstflight website suggests that serial MR554063 corresponds with a bicycle made in December of 1980. can anyone clear this up?

pastorbobnlnh 

Your friend's memory is slipping. You are right. Also check out Bob Hufford's site, https://www.geocities.com/sldatabook/serial.html. A 1977 would have *N****** serial number. The Schwinn Forum https://www.schwinnbike.com/heritage/....php?forumid=4, could also be helpful.

eddiebrannan

but see the chicago serials all seem to stop at q (1979), so i'm extrapolating that r would be 1980. however everything i've read says that 60s-1979 chicago-built schwinns use this serial code. they're all clear about 1979 being the cut off date though, hence my uncertainty. any more input?

Bikedued

4 digit code on the head badge will tell too. first three numbers give the number of the day, and the last is the year I believe. So,,0123 Would be Jan 12 of 73, or 83, etc...The decade is left up to the reader, but equipment and paint colors etc usually are a dead giveaway.,,,,BD

eddiebrannan

i don't understand you at all. if that were so what is my bike?

Bikedued

The headbadge is on the front of the bike where it says Schwinn. There should be, stamped on that piece of metal, a four digit code. the first three digits are the day of the year it was made, in chronological order. So if it was made on the 365th day of the year(December 31st) of 1980, the code would read 3650. If it was the 240th day of 1985, the code would read 2405.,,,,BD

pastorbobnlnh 

Great suggestion Bikedued!
The date number looks like the four digit number in the first (round) headbadge, but it will be in one which looks like the second (oval) headbadge. Good luck.

BobHufford

This coding scheme went out to 1982 at least. This PDF version of Schwinn Bulletin #23 (copyright 1981) has been posted several times by Scooper on this site, but I can't seem to locate it, so I'll reference it on the Schwinn Forums site:

https://www.schwinnbike.com/heritage/...chmentid=40238

Note that the date that they state the move of the serial number from the dropout to the headtube is wrong -- it was in 1970.

Bob

eddiebrannan

1141 is the headbadge number, which you're saying is the 114th day of 1981. so the serial number says December of 1980, and the headbadge suggests somewhere in late April of ’81. so would the serial be frame manufacture date and the headbadge be when the bike was built up?

pastorbobnlnh 

Welcome to the fun of dating vintage Schwinns! You have reached the correct conclusion. Somewhere your friend lost three years of his life or someone switched bikes and he never noticed!

Bikedued

Yup, gotta love those red/yellow green/yellow Stingrays. I cringe whenever I see one, lol.
I have seen the parts/frame dates months apart. No rhyme or reason it seems.,,,,BD

Looks VERY clean!!

eddiebrannan

it is virtually immaculate. all original reflectors, no pitting on chrome anywhere, immaculate saddle—only the rear tire is non-original. really tip-top shape bicycle.

eddiebrannan

Can anyone give me a ballpark value for this bike please?

Bikedued

www.schwinnbike.com/heritage and hit the classifieds and/or collectors section of the message boards. You will find someone interested in a heartbeat or two. I would say $250 and up easy. The red/green eighties models are not "that" collectable, but it's still worth good money due to condition alone. Hit ebay with it, you will find the value in 2-7 days The value being what someone will pay for it.,,,,BD

BobHufford

Very nice! I think they refer to this color combo as the Ronald McDonald (ketchup and mustard) ...

camelotshadow

Just say this poor rusted stingray & my childhood past before my eyes & I took it home & worked all afternoon into the night & his bolts some of them are seized soaking in wd 40

but if anyone can id the serial number

I am so new at this & I shoudl have waited for a better patient but I fell for it.

I thought JA was september 65
but its JAK does that mean its AK 1974>
or none of the above

Serial # JAK09380

I am so hoping that this rust bucket is not a new china copy
I at least wanted one I could have had as a child but alas I had a 5 sp violet fastback stingray I think prob late 60's & I loved it but time & weather in NY rusted it & my parents thru it out & now for some reason I want to ride it again

So it anyone can put a date/ age to my new rust bucket
gosh I'll do my best its no show bike but I pumped up the tires & they seem to hold & it rides quite well when I get the seat adjusted & the bolts free to let me do it

oooh the seat is dead dead dead but I will try to recover it...

LOL

Thanks

ooooh my sore hands
this bike fir its size is SOOOO heavy!!!

camelotshadow

Just learned about headbadge # & its there 2688
arghhh is it an 88?
That's not what I wanted...

OOOH well have to clean it up & hope some young man wants to buy it so I can find a more suitable bike.

It's a nice bike if was a young man I;d have all sorts of fun with it.

pastorbobnlnh 

I'm almost certain you have brought home a 1978. Made the 268th day that year, so in late September which also equals "J" as the first letter in your serial number. Your second letter should be "P."

The color, decal style, and chainring all point to this era. In fact, were Stingrays even made in 1988? I'm not up on the muscle Schwinnns, but I'll bet it is a 1978. As far as your serial number, look at it again. I've seen miss-stamped numbers that made no sense. The other option is to pull the cranks out (which should be cleaned anyway). There is a date in the middle of the shaft running through the BB shell. Best of luck.

camelotshadow

Serial number on front side is
JAK09380

I at first was hoping it was JA hence 9/65
I now know something is wrong w that assumption.

the badge # is
2688

268 day is almost September technically its October 6 unless it was a leap year.

Funny thing is the Lakers were playing today & its Lakers Yellow
I had already thought the bike was a September bike & thats so nice as my bithday is Sept 30...

LOL

It just got some areas of deep rust.





That's the numbers couldn't be anything else...

Thanks for the info.

Bikedued

Well, call me crazy, but the only Stingrays I've seen with three letters at the front of the serial number,
were the late nineties copies. I had one of the coaster brake Apple Krates, and it had three letters, with the first letter set off a tiny bit, just like that one. See if the back rim has any knurling on it, and what brand is the rear hub? Also, where the chain stays are joined to the bottom bracket(pedal bearing area). Does it have smooth rings, or are they rough looking? The color is "Kool Lemon" btw.,,,,BD

camelotshadow

The Schwinn site seems to have an idea the JAK is a 98 to 2000 code.
If it got that distressed in 10 ears its not worth my time if its 10 years old I'll see if he will trade me for a GT Vertigo that I looked. I don't know what this guy is doing...

Yikes...

How can I tell.
Something is seriously wrong w the serial number

https://www.schwinnbike.com/usa/eng/f...ad.php?t=69782

This is not good at all. He could have sold the other bike I looked at & he doesn't hae to consider a trade but he thinks he has this great bike & mentioned it was maybe a 70's.
I rather not tell him about the possible JAK.
I paid too much for this bike & thing that gets me its looks like its 30 or 40 years old & left out in rain

camelotshadow

I just saw your post & I did find similar info but not too much on this.
I have to think you're right but this bike looks like its had 10 winters in NY

I paid too much
I feel so bad
Guess stupid buying a bike on a whim

Money is real tight too.

Do you think if he'll do it its better to trade him for the other one I looked at if he wants too...A GT Vertigo.
It seemed to have prig parts & I know thats 90 or 2000's b ut least it wasn't rusty.
Still cranks felt better on this one
The bike rides decent but I paid almost $100 for a rust bucket with no value as its not collectible esp as this onw would take too much to fix right

OOOH I feel awful

I'll have to ask him for the other bike & I have to put this one together

This is my 2nd all nighter doing bike research & I bought a rusty "Lemon"

Well I laughed

camelotshadow

I just saw your post & I did find similar info but not too much on this.
I have to think you're right but this bike looks like its had 10 winters in NY

I paid too much
I feel so bad
Guess stupid buying a bike on a whim

Money is real tight too.

Do you think if he'll do it its better to trade him for the other one I looked at if he wants too...A GT Vertigo.
It seemed to have prig parts & I know thats 90 or 2000's b ut least it wasn't rusty.
Still cranks felt better on this one
The bike rides decent but I paid almost $100 for a rust bucket with no value as its not collectible esp as this onw would take too much to fix right

OOOH I feel awful

I'll have to ask him for the other bike & I have to put this one together

This is my 2nd all nighter doing bike research & I bought a rusty "Lemon"

Would a nice cond GT Vertigo beat a rusty lemon Stingray 98 repo?

J still seems to being up September or should the 4 letter code be October 6 ?

Did the repos have the 4 numbers on head badge

Then 2688 would be 268 day 98

whats with the JAK09380?

Well I laughed

Glennfordx4

Man that looks every part of a 30+ yr old schwinn even the headbadge has screws not rivits as I thought the new ones had. I would pull the crank as was said and look for a date and what type the rear hub is,I don't think the junk chrome they used on the newer bikes would servive 10 years of NY winters,if it is a repro there should be a made in china sticker on it somewhereI have a new one in the box but it is put away or I would look for you.I would love to have some of the vintage stingrays and Krates I had as a kid growing up in the 70's but I would settle for a repro(after I got my new one I couldn't bring myself to open it) but if I had a used one like that I would make it into what ever model Stingray of Krate I wanted and not worry about the value or having to keep it all original.I built (it is a work in progress) a 70's Columbia into a fun bike,I swapped out the broken 3 speed wheel and installed a 5 speed wheel put a repro slick on it and a original Shimano 5 speed click-shift on it(it's not hooked up yet), put a 36" sissy bar and a aftermarket springer front fork.Right now it has black rims but I have a set of silver ones and a new front tire to put on it after it is painted,I am still trying to find a banana seat that is bigger and wider then the old one I am using (without paying a ton of cash for) I had one but it was all duck tape.I have had so much fun riding this around town and it is pretty comfy even for a guy that is 6' and 250lbs. My nephew put about 10 miles on it during a family ride a few weeks ago.One of the only original parts to the bike is the rear fender which is perfect,funny as the bike was really hammered when it was drug out of the trash.

BobHufford

The 'J' for September would be the frame build date, the four-digits in the headbadge are the assembly date code, so this combination is likely.

It looks like the headtube junctures are too rough to be Electro-Forged like the old ones.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/varsity.html

Don't feel too bad about over paying. I'm sure we've all been there (over paying / under selling). Back in the mid-1990s I sold a '65 Deluxe Sting-Ray (violet, C-8) for three times what I paid for it (I bought it for $60 from a buddy who paid $10 at a garage sale). My kids didn't like riding it with the wide bars, so I sold it (about five minutes after I posted it) for $150. I probably could have tripled that amount if I knew then what I know now.

I say keep it -- customize it to be a 'Ray you can ride.

Bob "Still have a '66 3-Speed 'Ray I need to fix up" Hufford
Springfield, MO