# Trying to find my childhood Stingray from the early 80's



## artfull dodger (Apr 30, 2017)

While many of you hunt for older more vintage ones from the 1960s and 70's.  My childhood Stingray dates from 1980. Emerald green and yellow in color, 3spd thumb shifter. I got it for Christmas of that year, followed by a light set and speedo for my birthday.  I was to young to install them myself yet and my dad had no clue.  So he took me and my bike to the dealership here in town and the mechanic installed them while I got to watch and hand him tools. He showed me how to lube the chain and how tight it should be.  I am on the autism spectrum, but high functioning enough that I wasn't diagnosed till later in life.  But looking back and knowing that many autistics like to wander, I did but on my Schwinn.  During the summer time or after my home work was done, I would ride all over town without supervision.  As long as I was at home or at my friends house and called home to let them know this before the streetlights came on, I wouldn't get grounded.  If I remember right, I put a good 3000-4000 miles on that bike before the BMX craze bit and I traded her in on a Preditor(sp) dirt bike in my early teens.   I am now looking to own this bike again, or atleast a clone of it as I know no clue where mine ended up.  Mom and Dad cannot even find pictures of it.  It only exhists in my memories and this catalog picture I found online.  The only differeance is mine had the shorty chrome fender in the front as well, mom was afraid I would stick my foot between the fork and tire and do endos!  Ahh, this is what happens when you have an ER nurse for a mom.      Mike the Aspie


----------



## Kramai88 (May 1, 2017)

artfull dodger said:


> While many of you hunt for older more vintage ones from the 1960s and 70's.  My childhood Stingray dates from 1980. Emerald green and yellow in color, 3spd thumb shifter. I got it for Christmas of that year, followed by a light set and speedo for my birthday.  I was to young to install them myself yet and my dad had no clue.  So he took me and my bike to the dealership here in town and the mechanic installed them while I got to watch and hand him tools. He showed me how to lube the chain and how tight it should be.  I am on the autism spectrum, but high functioning enough that I wasn't diagnosed till later in life.  But looking back and knowing that many autistics like to wander, I did but on my Schwinn.  During the summer time or after my home work was done, I would ride all over town without supervision.  As long as I was at home or at my friends house and called home to let them know this before the streetlights came on, I wouldn't get grounded.  If I remember right, I put a good 3000-4000 miles on that bike before the BMX craze bit and I traded her in on a Preditor(sp) dirt bike in my early teens.   I am now looking to own this bike again, or atleast a clone of it as I know no clue where mine ended up.  Mom and Dad cannot even find pictures of it.  It only exhists in my memories and this catalog picture I found online.  The only differeance is mine had the shorty chrome fender in the front as well, mom was afraid I would stick my foot between the fork and tire and do endos!  Ahh, this is what happens when you have an ER nurse for a mom.      Mike the Aspie
> 
> View attachment 459299






this what your looking for



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## artfull dodger (May 1, 2017)

Sans a few of the add on's, yes that is what I had as a kid.   Thanks for the picture, l nice looking Sting Ray!!  I love the bungie cords that keep with the color scheme!    Mike


----------



## artfull dodger (May 1, 2017)

Way out of my price range to say the least.  But atleast I got to see pictures of it.  Would take me a year or more to squirrel away when the owner wants for that bike.   Will just have to dream about it.   Mike


----------

