Schwinn Sting ray clone?

[brentville]

I have a 70's era Western Flyer sting ray style bike that I don't really know what to do with. It's in kinda rough shape so a "restoration" is out of the question. And I don't want to put a ton of time and effort into a Western Flyer that will never be comfortable for me to ride and won't have tons of value anyway.

What about a sting ray clone? I could gather all the parts over time and have a clone that was mostly original except for the WF frame and fork. Would that be more valuable than just redoing it as a WF bike? It seems with the prices folks get for sting rays and krates that some might be interested in a clone that for all purposes looks and rides like the original.

Any thoughts?

 

[Gold Street Customs]

Well I have been collecting oddball banana seat bikes and I am going with the theory that anything old is worth something to somebody ( just have to find the right somebody). But I have a plan to build a Sears girls banana bike, so far I have a new seat ,chrome chain guard,a new set of whitewalls one being a slick, a lowrider springer nice original apes, mirrors. the plan is to flat black the frame build it and shoot for 150...worth a try.

 

[bits n pieces]

i wouldnt buy it.,i still find stingrays in the scrapyard and garbage. a bike is only worth what someone will pay. unless you are coming with something really nice, different, or rare, dont expect to make much money at all. a lot of small time bike builders like myself make a few bucks but not enough to live off. some guys make a lot but they are professionals that restore or completely customize. if you catch the right person they would pay a lot. but as i said a bike is only worth what someone will pay for it. to me the same goes for everything. your car may bluebook at $3,000 but i know i can get one dirt cheap. i just bought a 2000 impala for $50 and drove it home, she wanted $100 but to me it wasnt worth it. so unless you really like the bike i wouldnt pour a bunch of money in it. try to find some parts on garbage days and rat rod it. customize it, make it fit you. or sell as is.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd build a WILD WF Muscle Bike out of it.

Lots of good ideas here > http://www.nemusclebikes.com/

 

[Gold Street Customs]

I think its a regional thing I just dont find stingrays in the garbage, and alot of people just buy on impulse,case in point I used to work the graveyard shift get off work hit the wallyworlds and kmarts and buy hotwheels but this was like eight years ago and buy alot of duplicates take the to the swap and sell the basic cars for 5.00 a piece nothing but profit. People just dont have the time to build things anymore (well more do now thanks to the economy)and thats the ones I am counting on selling a bike to and if I dont , I have a new wheely machine 8)

 

[brentville]

Well I gues what I am thinking is this. I could go ahead and make a wild WF muscle bike. But I couldn't really ride it because it's just going to be too small and I know I wouldn't be able to sell it for what I'd have in it. The same would hold true if I just restored or rebuilt the bike as an original WF.

Around here you fight 3 other guys in the garbage trying to dig out a stingray. They go for $150-$200 unrestored and not always complete. The super nice original ones go for several hundred dollars more. So my thought is that I could put together a sting ray clone that looks nice, and looks like the real deal but that I could sell in $150 range. I'm not looking at this as business model just something to do with a garden variety muscle bike without a lot value anyway.

 

[Markm]

with tall apes and a banana seat, you might fit fine :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[CCR]

with tall apes and a banana seat, you might fit fine :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

agreed, im 6' 250# and mine fit fine. only thing i suggest is a bigger chainring at least 44t otherwise youll be spinning like mad. other than that they're a ton of fun.

i wouldnt make it a clone for resale though, too many stingrays out there at garage sale prices still.

 

[ratina]

some of those offbrand muscle bikes are worth a lot of money

 

[aka_locojoe]

If you're not a real big person the 20" muscle bikes can be pretty comfy.
I say hang on to it and wait for the Muscle Bike Build Off which I'm sure will eventually happen.

 

[ratina]

post a picture and lets see what you have!

 

[brentville]

Here's what I am talking about.

 

[johnny nightwolf]

That's rough? Man, you should see some of the stuff I ride. I say take it apart, clean, polish and grease everything, and flip it. Cool little bike, and probably worth more as it sits than it would be if you threw a bunch of Stingray parts on it.

 

[CCR]

doesnt look too bas as is, i would keep it a WF muscle bike if it were me, but i wouldnt be afraid to throw a highback sissy bar and some whitewalls on it.

stingray parts would not add any value to it though

 

[ratina]

That looks new compared to what I consider rough. The chrome doesnt even look rusty at all. I would take it apart, detail it and regrease everything and put it back together. Use a brass brush and wd40 on the chrome.

 

[bits n pieces]

id buy it like it is before you repaint it or anything. it does look really decent. it dont need much at all judging from the pic.

 

[Gold Street Customs]

As far as the condition that its in,Clean it and detail (make look like a Steve bike) it,you should get a decent return.