1973 Stingray seat

[prairieschooner]

I believe that I have a '73 Stingray coming... owner is out of town until the 22nd. The seat doesn't look great so wanting to know what would be the original seat cover for this bike... (the one that is on it looks crooked at the STINGRAY badge or could this have been original??).
Also wanting a slick for it and possibly a 2 speed Kickback.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

I believe that I have a '73 Stingray coming... owner is out of town until the 22nd. The seat doesn't look great so wanting to know what would be the original seat cover for this bike... (the one that is on it looks crooked at the STINGRAY badge or could this have been original??).
Also wanting a slick for it and possibly a 2 speed Kickback.

Thanks in advance!!

View attachment 2200135

That is the correct seat, often the seat covers are slightly askew and sometimes the tag is crooked or seems it due to the seat pattern. The seat you show does not appear to be that bad. The slik's come up for sale fairly often but finding a correct '73 dated cane be a chore. Your bike is most likely not set wide enough accept the 2 speed but you can set the rear to accept it. Being a '73 you would looking for a yellow band 2 speed which would have been used in 1973 which is more difficult to find then a blue band in 28 hole IMO. The blue band is an over drive hub used with the 36 tooth early Stingray's in '69 they went to the 48 tooth front chain wheel and the yellow band under drive. Blue band is a higher gear when engaged. Red and Yellow are a lower gear when engaged. Good luck, everyone should have a Stingray

 

[60sstuff]

Post #2 is well said.
I have several seats on my Stingrays that the ribs are a little crooked and some also have seat tags crooked too.

These bikes were mass produced with slight flaws and were never thought of as being a collectible decades later.

PS, that 73 era Stingray tag and rusted rivets look very nice. DO NOT TRY TO CLEAN THIS TAG. The black paint on the tag will be removed if cleaned and permanently ruined.

 

[blakekennedy]

So noobie question, when did they come out with the full color seat? I always thought that seat was a later one, maybe 75 when they came out with some changes? I’ve only seen 73’s with the color matched chrome mylar seats and the typical silver ones. Not trying to confuse anyone, just curious.

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

So noobie question, when did they come out with the full color seat? I always thought that seat was a later one, maybe 75 when they came out with some changes? I’ve only seen 73’s with the color matched chrome mylar seats and the typical silver ones. Not trying to confuse anyone, just curious.

Not exactly sure of the dates but in 1973 a Deluxe would have the mylar stripes and the standard would have solid color.

 

[indycycling]

So noobie question, when did they come out with the full color seat? I always thought that seat was a later one, maybe 75 when they came out with some changes? I’ve only seen 73’s with the color matched chrome mylar seats and the typical silver ones. Not trying to confuse anyone, just curious.

69 was the first year for seat color to match the bike, Deluxe for example, prior it was silver glitter

 

[blakekennedy]

69 was the first year for seat color to match the bike, Deluxe for example, prior it was silver glitter

I’m talking about the ones without the chrome mylar strips. I knew the deluxe bikes had colored seats from 69-74, but they all had mylar strips.

 

[60sstuff]

I’m not that knowledgeable on the later year Stingrays but I can offer what’s shown about the New style 1968 seats in a 1970 Schwinn catalog.

In 1968 the Deluxe seats had a Silver inlay (chrome mylar) applied on different colored glitter seats.
The Standard seats also came in different colors without the Silver inlay.

I’m assuming these two style seats went into the 1973 year on Deluxe and Standard models?

 

[Hoagie57]

I’m not that knowledgeable on the later year Stingrays but I can offer what’s shown about the New style 1968 seats in a 1970 Schwinn catalog.

In 1968 the Deluxe seats had a Silver inlay (chrome mylar) applied on different colored glitter seats.
The Standard seats also came in different colors without the Silver inlay.

I’m assuming these two style seats went into the 1973 year on Deluxe and Standard models?

View attachment 2202844

View attachment 2202845

View attachment 2202846

These are the "nice" Stingray seats

 

[blakekennedy]

Well that solves that mystery. I assumed the standard colored seats were wrong on some late 60s/early 70s bikes I’ve seen around, but the catalog does show they existed. I always assumed they were later as it is more common to see them on the late 70s bikes. Learn something new everyday.