December-built Sting-Rays...

[60sstuff]

Thanks guys for all your feedback!

I’m fully aware of the next years new components being applied onto the latter months of the previous year.
I have dealt with that on the muscle cars from the 60’s. Those are transitioning months.

The bicycles and/or automobiles will always go by what that manufacture stamped into that year frame.
L4 / M4 is a 1964 period, not a ‘65.
Let‘s say a worse case scenario in a court room involving a broken frame that resulted in injury in a bicycle or automobile.

Customer says I purchased this Schwinn in early 1965 because I like the new features so it must be a ‘65, but the factory stamp on the frame and warranty book clearly show a ‘64 year, not what someone thinks it is.

Also if I were to advertise an L4 or M4 on let’s say eBay, do I say it’s a 1965 ….. No.

This M4 Red Super Deluxe that I owned years ago is a 1964 and the last year for that color.

Again, Thanks for the everyone’s opinions on the factory stamped dates. Cheers .

 

[mrg]

I can see both sides here but when it comes down to it, it was a toy and had to be shipped out, fill that order before you go home! ( mostly just hourly employees ),so I don't think everything is set in stone, seen too many weird things over the years!

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

Would a Sting-Ray with a December build date be considered a model of the following year? For example, a December, 1970 classified as a 1971 model? I have seen some such indications. Changes made beginning in December and continued through the next model year.

For all intensive purposes no it would be considered the year it was stamped. However if it was a model not offered the year previous you would need to say for instance it is a '66 model with a '65 Stamp date if you wanted to be correct. If you have a bike that was stamped '65 but not offered until '66 it would also be OK to call it a '66.

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

I still do not know what to make of the '64 KS American with a '62 stamp date.

 

[kostnerave]

Thanks guys for all your feedback!

I’m fully aware of the next years new components being applied onto the latter months of the previous year.
I have dealt with that on the muscle cars from the 60’s. Those are transitioning months.

The bicycles and/or automobiles will always go by what that manufacture stamped into that year frame.
L4 / M4 is a 1964 period, not a ‘65.
Let‘s say a worse case scenario in a court room involving a broken frame that resulted in injury in a bicycle or automobile.

Customer says I purchased this Schwinn in early 1965 because I like the new features so it must be a ‘65, but the factory stamp on the frame and warranty book clearly show a ‘64 year, not what someone thinks it is.

Also if I were to advertise an L4 or M4 on let’s say eBay, do I say it’s a 1965 ….. No.

This M4 Red Super Deluxe that I owned years ago is a 1964 and the last year for that color.

Again, Thanks for the everyone’s opinions on the factory stamped dates. Cheers .

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It's been a long time since I messed with Sting-rays, but wasn't the tall loop saddle strut a '65 feature? It could be like my Violet Varsity, being a '65 build in a '64 paint color. I'm just wondering.

 

[60sstuff]

It's been a long time since I messed with Sting-rays, but wasn't the tall loop saddle strut a '65 feature? It could be like my Violet Varsity, being a '65 build in a '64 paint color. I'm just wondering.

Been around since mid-year ‘64.

 

[indycycling]

Been around since mid-year ‘64.

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Thanks Chris! I have some friends with 64 SD's that are equipped with Persons square back struts and tufted solo polo seats - was this ever available? thanks!

 

[indycycling]

I have a Violet Varsity tourist with a July '66 frame stamp and a Nov. '66 fork stamp. The frame has welded on cable bosses, an oval head badge, stem shifters, a chainguard, a color matched "S" seat and color matched grips. These features were all indicative of the '67 model year builds for the Varsity tourist. The Violet color option was not listed for the tourist in '67, so paint colors can't be used to refute GT58's next year theory. My bike has a five month span between the time the frame was stamped to when it was put into production!

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great looking bike BTW!

 

[GTs58]

The serial number is just a serial number and it's nothing like a VIN on an automobile. Schwinn kept daily records of the numbers they stamped and that's it. The serial numbers didn't mean anything to Schwinn during the production, shipping and distribution. It was intended for future reference, proof of ownership on the bill of sale, identification for city, town, county registration or license. It's just a basic form of identification and that's all it was for. Let's take the MR serial numbers for an extreme example. During the last few months of 1980 and in early 1981 Schwinn workers were on strike for 13 weeks, so there was no bicycle production. But Schwinn was still manufacturing parts. During December of 1980 Schwinn made 900,000 + head tubes and the final stage of head tube construction was stamping the serial numbers and drilling the holes for the head badge. These December 1980 stamped head tubes were use throughout the 1981 production and some even ended up on some 1982 bikes. The pre stamped drop outs were tossed in a bucket and were later distributed to the frame builders when they needed them. The time span from the stamping to the time they were used to build a frame is a total unknown and it could be days, weeks or months later, and in one known case it was years on a specific 70's model light weight that used a special/different drop out that was use on a previous light weight model.

 

[60sstuff]

Thanks Chris! I have some friends with 64 SD's that are equipped with Persons square back struts and tufted solo polo seats - was this ever available? thanks!

Who equipped the ‘64 S/D with a square back strut and a polo seat is a mystery, as I’ve never seen one advertised that way.
Various dealers or owners will do their personal modifications.