Oldbikeguy1960
Wore out three sets of tires already!
The debate on black Stingrays got me thinking on a few oddities I have seen, which I attribute to warranty claims.
Both bikes were for sale on eBay, and I contacted the sellers to question them since they should not have existed.
The first was a 1974 Cotton Picker. (Not a typo). Schwinn says they did not paint any Stingrays white after 1971. But the bike was white, and looked like it had been stored in a rotting garage for 40+ years. Scratches almost outnumbered the paint, had all the evidence of being thrashed to within an inch of its life. The guy didn't try to make up some wild story, he said he bought the bike to restore but has too many and it was going to a new home. It was actually very reasonably priced so he wasn't trying to sell the only 1974 Cotton Picker on the planet. I spoke to a friend that worked at the local Schwinn dealer from the 1970s until they closed in the1990s, and he told me something I believe emails the bike and for all intents and purposes verifies it as well.
As bad as it looked, it was conceivable that it was the victim of a broken frame. If the frame broke in 1974, the Schwinn dealer would put in a warranty order and the factory would send out a replacement frame in the correct color, but it would've been dated 1974 since the order came out of production frames.
The same answer explains the patina of the 1978 Pea Picker I saw another time, that seller believed but did not claim that it was a warranty bike as well.
I know there are others who may have seen similar bikes. That is why I posted this thread. I know some debate will occur as to the validity of my belief on these frames, that is your right. However, I do not expect the kind of attacks that just occurred on the Black Stingray thread. If you cannot respond in a civil and respectful manner it is my humble request that you move on, there is nothing to see here.
In the words of Mohammed Ali, "Can't we all just get along"?
Thanks, Rob
Both bikes were for sale on eBay, and I contacted the sellers to question them since they should not have existed.
The first was a 1974 Cotton Picker. (Not a typo). Schwinn says they did not paint any Stingrays white after 1971. But the bike was white, and looked like it had been stored in a rotting garage for 40+ years. Scratches almost outnumbered the paint, had all the evidence of being thrashed to within an inch of its life. The guy didn't try to make up some wild story, he said he bought the bike to restore but has too many and it was going to a new home. It was actually very reasonably priced so he wasn't trying to sell the only 1974 Cotton Picker on the planet. I spoke to a friend that worked at the local Schwinn dealer from the 1970s until they closed in the1990s, and he told me something I believe emails the bike and for all intents and purposes verifies it as well.
As bad as it looked, it was conceivable that it was the victim of a broken frame. If the frame broke in 1974, the Schwinn dealer would put in a warranty order and the factory would send out a replacement frame in the correct color, but it would've been dated 1974 since the order came out of production frames.
The same answer explains the patina of the 1978 Pea Picker I saw another time, that seller believed but did not claim that it was a warranty bike as well.
I know there are others who may have seen similar bikes. That is why I posted this thread. I know some debate will occur as to the validity of my belief on these frames, that is your right. However, I do not expect the kind of attacks that just occurred on the Black Stingray thread. If you cannot respond in a civil and respectful manner it is my humble request that you move on, there is nothing to see here.
In the words of Mohammed Ali, "Can't we all just get along"?
Thanks, Rob
And I did not tell him to STFU. He was asked by the threads originator to not post in his thread any longer so after he continued I reminded him of that request, and then said "so maybe it's time for you to STFU." It was a suggestion. 
