New Project Stingray

[Wonderfoole WINO]

Hi everyone! Last week I purchased this Stingray from a local shop. It obviously needs a new paint job, but for the most part everything else is present and intact.  It's even ride-able, as is  (which is rare for any bike that I buy).
 
The last bike I built was a '77 Tornado that I modified into a Stingray,  that bike can be found here.  Its present state is my avatar picture.

Tornado Project:
http://www.schwinnbikeforum.com/index.php?topic=8214.0

I want to do more of a restoration on this bike, rather than modification. I'm going to add a three speed hub with a Stik Shift that I already have, but I'll probably settle for an aftermarket seat, sissy bar, pedals, and grips. I'm not a stickler for details like that. I would like some advice on the paint. I'm thinking of painting it black, and putting whitewalls on it. Black and white with chrome accessories would look really sweet, in my opinion. What kind of paint should I use?  I've used automotive paint from a spray can in the past.  That works fairly well.  What about powder coating? So many options... Also, I know I can get the chainguard sent off to be re-screened, but what about the other markings on the frame and fork? Are those available in decals?

I'm going to take the advice of a guy on Youtube on this one. He says "build the bike first, then paint it". That should spare me the aggravation of my last project, where I painted it first then kept scratching the paint tinkering with various parts until everything worked properly.

I have just a few questions right now, more to come I'm sure.

1. The serial number (on the left dropout) is AF10100 (cool binary code eh?). If I've done my homework correctly, that makes it January of 1970. Could someone please confirm that?

2. (Third picture) What bike is this seat from? Is it worth anything?

3. (Fourth picture) Are these the sock pedals? Doesn't really matter, one of them was a bit smashed and didn't turn freely. I put the old block pedals from my Tornado on it, for now. In the bike's present (rough) state they look perfect. Ha ha; never thought I'd be using those again!

4. I wanted to see what the paint looked like under the headbadge, and discovered that the heads of the screws are smashed in, making it nearly impossible to fit a screwdriver in. This is going to take some creative engineering...

The first picture here is the bike exactly as it was when I bought it; the second is after making a few adjustments. The handlebars had to come back a bit and I just had to put the stick shifter on! Looking better already! I also swapped out that narrow pain-in-the-rear seat for one I had laying around the garage. That's when I discovered that the seat post is upside down, to accommodate that seat clamp. LOL! (Gotta do what you gotta do sometimes, I guess).

That's all for now, I'll keep the updates coming as this moves along.

[DJ Bill]

The fork darts and Schwinn for the top tube if so marked are available all over the place, other forum owners for mUscle bikes sell them, they are on Ebay, Pete's has them as does memory Lane Classics..

Seat and pedals look like they were updated when the BMX craze was on.. might be worth something to the right guy but I'm not him.

If you are going to ride the bike yourself you might want to look into an Exerciser seat post, as they are strong and tall..

Neat project.... the stock paint isn't worth saving anymore? (finally got the pic to enlarge, I see what you are up against.....guess it is time for a repaint.. )

[Wonderfoole WINO]

Seat and pedals look like they were updated when the BMX craze was on.. might be worth something to the right guy but I'm not him.

Neither am I. It's a cool looking seat but not my cup of tea. It's presently a wall ornament.

It's hard to tell, but the bike definitely had fork darts. Not sure about Schwinn on the top, but the stick shifter would probably get in the way of that anyway so I won't worry about it. Thanks for pointing out that seat post, I'll check it out. Do you know how it compares to the Wald 945 post? I have one of those on my other bike and it works just fine. It fits old school bikes but is 7/8 at the top to hold a new seat, also 15 inches long.

Yeah, the stock paint is toast. I actually prefer it that way, so I don't feel bad about taking it off. Bikes with the stock paint in good condition don't interest me as much, I like to customize.

[DJ Bill]

The exerciser post is a heavy duty and long copy of the Schwinn posts...they are marked in inches but it isn't real noticeable... If you aren't installing a Schwinn banana seat then use whatever fits your seat.

[RareBMX]

That bike is for sure a Coaster Stingray. It would have had "Schwinn" on the top tube & would have had fork darts. What it would never have had was the shifter. There shifter would require a rear caliper brake & the frame does not allow a spot to mount a rear caliper brake. The only was to make that frame work with a shifter is to find a multispeed hub with coaster brake (wouldn't be a Schwinn).
Truly it is nice ti save bikes but I would either make a custom coaster out if this bike & sell the shifter or part the whole bike out. You will have more in the bike than it is worth. Fenders, screen, banana seat, bow pedals.
It's a cool bike but the frame is not correct for 3 or 5 speed which the shifter is for. I cannot tell 100% if the shifter is a 3 or 5 spd but it will tell on the shifter.
IF you decide to sell the shifter it looks nice & I would love to buy it. Do the research but I think you will realize putting money in this might not be financially responsible but then again,  none of us look at bikes as financially responsible.

[Wonderfoole WINO]

That bike is for sure a Coaster Stingray. It would have had "Schwinn" on the top tube & would have had fork darts. What it would never have had was the shifter. There shifter would require a rear caliper brake & the frame does not allow a spot to mount a rear caliper brake. The only was to make that frame work with a shifter is to find a multispeed hub with coaster brake (wouldn't be a Schwinn).
Truly it is nice ti save bikes but I would either make a custom coaster out if this bike & sell the shifter or part the whole bike out. You will have more in the bike than it is worth. Fenders, screen, banana seat, bow pedals.
It's a cool bike but the frame is not correct for 3 or 5 speed which the shifter is for. I cannot tell 100% if the shifter is a 3 or 5 spd but it will tell on the shifter.
IF you decide to sell the shifter it looks nice & I would love to buy it. Do the research but I think you will realize putting money in this might not be financially responsible but then again,  none of us look at bikes as financially responsible.

Can't say I've ever been financially responsible with my bikes. 

I forgot to mention that the shifter is a 3 speed and I just wasn't thinking of brakes when I bought the bike. We don't need no stinking brakes... Guess I just got too excited thinking I found a bike to put under my shifter.

I'm not going for a 100% restoration on this, the bike isn't worth it. The frame itself will accept a three speed hub with no problem, the only tricky part is the brake and I'm still not convinced that it's totally impossible to get one on there. But if it is I'll just have to hang onto my shifter for now and  do another custom coaster.

[bartcycle]

I remember the Stinger seats from the late 90s. I have one in gold.

[twozs]

That bike is for sure a Coaster Stingray. It would have had "Schwinn" on the top tube & would have had fork darts. What it would never have had was the shifter. There shifter would require a rear caliper brake & the frame does not allow a spot to mount a rear caliper brake. The only was to make that frame work with a shifter is to find a multispeed hub with coaster brake (wouldn't be a Schwinn).
Truly it is nice ti save bikes but I would either make a custom coaster out if this bike & sell the shifter or part the whole bike out. You will have more in the bike than it is worth. Fenders, screen, banana seat, bow pedals.
It's a cool bike but the frame is not correct for 3 or 5 speed which the shifter is for. I cannot tell 100% if the shifter is a 3 or 5 spd but it will tell on the shifter.
IF you decide to sell the shifter it looks nice & I would love to buy it. Do the research but I think you will realize putting money in this might not be financially responsible but then again,  none of us look at bikes as financially responsible.

didnt the sturmey archer come with a coaster brake also ? i know that the fenderless " stik/shift " bike all had hand brakes .

[Wonderfoole WINO]

 didnt the sturmey archer come with a coaster brake also ? i know that the fenderless " stik/shift " bike all had hand brakes .

Sturmey Archers with coaster brakes do exist. The one I have is a freewheel.

Would it be absolutely uncouth of me to weld a bracket to the frame? A caliper brake could easily be done that way. My local bike shop suggested a disc, that would be sweet.

The little screws on the headbadge are going to cause me a headache at some point. I couldn't take a clear picture of them, they both have about half of the flathead grove left. The other half is pinched in like they where both hit with a hammer. I was thinking that perhaps I could take a little saw blade and very carefully open it back up. I'd hate to have to tape off the headbadge for painting.

[bartcycle]

if you get a Sturmey Archer 3 speed with a coaster brake avoid the TCW model.  If they slip between gears you also lose your brake.  The AWC model would be the recommended hub.