Schwinn Sting-Ray, the first years

[60sStuff]

Originally Posted by muscle_collector

60s stuff thank you for your information and pics. i love the old bikes but am not any kind of an expert on them. you mentioned the different frame lengths, i have never known this. how much longer were they and can you tell a difference easily? any chance you have a picture of each one side by side? thanks

Good question.

The “shorty” Sting-Ray frame (May ‘63 - March ‘65) had a noticeable arch/curve in the top tube, whereas the long frame (April ‘65 and beyond) had a flatter top tube.
The D4 Terra Cotta shorty and a DA Sky Blue ‘65 long frame.
Also another very noticeable difference is the distance from the back of the seat tube to the rear frame bridge is 1 inch.

The forks and chainguard did not change. Their design and measurements stayed the same for both frames.
I hope that helps when identifying the early shorty Sting-Rays.