look566 rider

Good day all,

Schwinn Sting Ray, Fastback or someone cobbled this together? Frame appears to have original paint, badges (marked Chicago) and lettering accents.

27 inch wheels are correct as is FD and crankset. Head and tail lights, fenders look correct. RD and brakes have been replaced with modern pieces due to originals were past useful life. Serial is LN566756 off head tube. I will research this.

What is this? A real factory build or someone's wild mix of parts?

RobertUI 

I'm going with NOT stock. Cool tho!!!

zandoval 

Not sure but it sure is NICE! There are some bikes that the first time you see them ya wanna get on um and ride. I could see doing a Franken Bike like this with a small Mixti Frame. Ape-Hangers, Banana Seat, Heavy Duty tire rear, Thin Tire front... Fun Fun Fun...

curbtender

You can scan the catalogs. I would find the date first.
https://waterfordbikes.com/w/culture/schwinn-catalogs/

thinktubes 

Looks like a late 70's Collegiate or Varsity that has been "Manta-Rayed"

look566 rider

Got the build date November 1977. Strange things is there are no bikes with 27 inch wheels and curved TT!? I've looked at 77 catalog, only frame close is 24 inch Speedster.

look566 rider

They all have flat/straight top tubes. This example is curved.

Bianchi84

Wherever it is, it's pretty Rad!

dedhed

Small frame Varsity in that era came with a "camelback" frame. They list it in the catalog but don't picture it.
https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/sc...elback.129462/

curbtender

That would be my guess. I would expect 5 speed and 26" wheels if it was a fastback. Most Schwinn dealers had all the extras if you wanted to customize your bike.

look566 rider

Think we have a winner! Above makes sense. Richard at Waterford suggested The Cabe as well.

Now... how do I attain without Mrs Murphy noticing!

dedhed

A number of other models in the 17" frame size were also camelback so it possibly could be one of those frames as well. I wouldn't be surprised if all the camelback model frames were the same and the model differences were in components/decals. If you look at the catalogs, in the specs they state the 17" frame is camelback design on some models.

look566 rider

I'll drill down more in catalogs.

27 inch wheels on that frame though...

Wouldn't think they would fit.

Vintage Schwinn

I think that dedhed & thinktubes are correct.

That humped frame " CAMELBACK" first appeared in the early sixties as the 1963 SPEEDSTER which was simply the schwinn 'lightweight' 26"(597mm 26 x 1 3/8 tire) bike, now with another smaller frame size offering, this CAMELBACK which is about a 17 inch frame, which I think is the same size as the smallest step-thru ever offered I think in the womens step-thru lightweights.

Schwinn often recycled and swapped NAMES on various bicycles in the Sixties, Seventies & the Fifties.

IN 1961, the SPEEDSTER was a cantilever frame Middleweight (that famous cantilever style frame that Schwinn invented in '38) well the SPEEDSTER in 1961 was the basic model without do-dads and without two-tone paint, and without the useless tanks and other uplevel crap....
here are the 1961 cantilever frame "BEACH CRUISER" middleweight '61 SPEEDSTER:
https://waterfordbikes.com/SchwinnCa...Speedster.html
https://waterfordbikes.com/SchwinnCa...0/1961_06.html

FOR 1962 , that '61 beach cruiser SPEEDSTER was essentially renamed the 1962 SKIPPER (cantilever Base Model "beach cruiser" exactly like '61 speedster)


** IN 1963, Schwinn brings back the SPEEDSTER name, this time the SPEEDSTER name is on this "new for 1963" 'camelback' frame LIGHTWEIGHT**
Here is the 1963 SPEEDSTER 'camelback' frame JUST LIKE THE FRAME SEEN ON THE NEAT FRANKENSTEIN BIKE PICTURED EARLIER IN THIS THREAD.
https://waterfordbikes.com/SchwinnCa...Speedster.html
https://waterfordbikes.com/SchwinnCa...0/1963_04.html

***********SCHWINN did use this humpback 17 inch "camelback frame" at various times through about 1980 it seems.
You will need to check the old year by year Schwinn catalogs hosted by the waterfordbikes site that CURBTENDER has kindly provided you a direct LINK to earlier in this thread. I may be wrong but I seem to recall that the humpback "camelback" 17 inch frame later moved to the RACER name, and this humpback "camel back" frame was offered in a few model years, on the COLLEGIATE and VARSITY. As you know, the COLLEGIATE...etc had the 597mm 26 x 1 3/8 (37-597) WHEELS, while the VARSITY had 630mm 27 x 1 1/4 (32-630) WHEELS............................As you know, the electroforged frames between the LIGHTWEIGHT 597mm (26 x 1 3/8 597mm) and the 630mm 27 INCH wheels are basically the same. The 597mm bikes feature L.S. 2.8 (also known as Weinmann model 810) weinmann sidepulls which are LONGER REACH than the L.S. 2.4 of the VARSITY/SUBURBAN bikes with 27 INCH 630mm wheels.
****There was also a 24 INCH wheel VARSITY for a few years that DOES NOT have the humpback "camelback" frame.
I cannot remember exactly but that humpback "camelback" frame may have been once available in some 24 inched wheel variant, but I'm not certain.

https://bikeindex.org/bikes/43575
https://www.schwinnbikeforum.com/ind...?topic=24294.0
https://ratrodbikes.com/forum/thread...chwinns.35721/

dedhed

When looking at the catalog specs some of the differences to look for are the fork. Flat bladed on some models, tubular on others.

look566 rider

Many thanks for all the feed back and advice! Has helped qualify the bike as possible purchase.

As I stated earlier, does have lower level Shimano RD and new Tektro caliper brakes. All else looks correct (bars, seat, wheels) for time period built until I can have shop pull off rack for closer inspection.

So my next question is (hopefully with not getting this booted to C&V Value), what would you pay? Don't want to say what they are asking yet, don't want to prejudice your thoughts. Of course there is always what the market will bear... Not really any comps on fleabay to compare this too.

cudak888 

Lots of credit deserved to whoever eyed up a late 1970's Varsity and realized that it could be backdated into a very passable, "what if" pseudo-adult-sized Manta Ray with the right decal substitutions. Also credit to them for putting Tektro R559's on it so it has an actual hope of stopping, and a newer Shimano freewheel to replace the Atom that's a magnet for chain skate.

It's been built well and should perform a lot better than one with original parts hung on it.

That being said, this is still just a late 1970's Varsity with a $50 banana seat and Wald ape hangers thrown on it, and the two upgrades I mention are easier to acquire than the factory bits. The wheelset hasn't been touched either - those are galvanized steel spokes. If one were to attempt a similar build, one could get very close to this for $200, if artfullypurchased. Just remember to consider this when the shop gives you a price, and what you are willing to pay above the general going value of the parts for the benefit of buying the whole package, ready to go, without having to search for a year to find a minty camelback frame to start with.

-Kurt

P.S.: If they give you some crazy price such as $500 and you actually consider it, make them re-lace the wheels with stainless spokes. Make 'em earn that cash.

grant40

It definitely looked like this when it was new.

look566 rider

Thanks again for the feedback! Info provided helps temper my enthusiasm for this bike. I will look at it in further detail next time I am in the area.

Cheers!

Velo Mule

Kudos to the builder of this bike, so long as they aren't trying to pass this off as a factory original Schwinn Fastback. The details make it seem that this could have been something that Schwinn would have made if the banana seat bikes would have kept evolving. A Fastback for adults or big teens. I particularly like the mini fenders, the headlight, the tail light and the seat tube decal. Someone had their creative thinking cap on when they came across this less desirable Schwinn.

curbtender

Little brother...
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik...440234543.html

1972 Schwinn Manta Ray Stingray - $575 (willow glen / cambrian)

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