Help.. just bought it...What year is this Elgin?

[silverbear]

I just won a low ball bid on this old Elgin step through off of ebay. Since it has the rear kick stand I want to make a copy of it and sell the original stand... just saw a stand sell on ebay for 99.00. If I can come close to that then it will have paid for the bike (81.00) and part of the shipping. Anyway, here are a couple pictures to help identify it. The chain guard is distinctive and it has no fender skirts. It will get a motor and do-over this coming summer. If anyone can give me an approximate year I'd appreciate it. I did some looking on google without luck.
SB

 

[lobsterboyx]

Your best bet to pin down the exact year is to post on the CABE.. but my guess is 39-41 due to the front sprocket and the fork. id like to see some better pics too. Dont view me as an expert, i literally picked up my first elgin a few weeks ago

 

[silverbear]

Oh, that's a nice one you have there. I hope you'll post more photos.
What I posted on the step through are screen shots from the auction, so anything better will have to wait until the bike is in hand. There is a book available on Elgins and Hiawathas, but it is out of stock at a supplier on line ($20.00) and I am waiting. There is someone on ebay selling the same reference book for $30.00 not counting shipping, but $10.00 bucks is ten bucks and I'll wait.
Is that original paint on yours? What are your plans for it? I like that frame. What year?
I understand that if the Elgin headbadge is present then it is prewar, as Sears switched over to the name J.C.Higgins after WWII. If that is true, then if it says Elgin, it is pre war. I hope to compare notes with you in the future. I sure like these old Elgins.
SB

 

[silverbear]

Below are some "in person" photos of the ebay elgin. I couldn't help setting a motor and juice can tank in place to see what it will look like as a motorbicycle and as a kind of statement of intent. The crank will need to be bent a little bit, but the engine is a plug and play. Everything is there, paint is original, seat isn't torn, spokes are all there and tight. This bike must have been kept indoors somewhere and doesn't appear to have been ridden a lot. I've studied the rear bike stand and it looks like something that could be fabricated without any welding. I'll give it a shot some time before summer. I like the axles, which are different, but I can see that I won't be able to use one of Jim's clamshell adapters. If you look at the photo you can see why. The age of the spokes makes me uneasy about a rag joint sprocket, too, so I'm not sure what I'll do. I'd like to use the wheels that are on it as they're in good shape and the skip tooth sprocket can remain that way, keeping everything pretty much original. I guess rebuilding those wheels with heavy gauge spokes might be the best solution. I also like the chain guard and interesting goose neck... never seen one like that. The seat is in good shape, but it and some of the frame and fenders have a little bit of white paint speckles on it, as if someone painted something near the bike and a bit got on it. I don't know if there's a way to remove the white specks, but this paint is maybe good enough to leave alone, with some work at bringing back the color some. I will re read that part of the rustoration buildoff thread to see again what Bairdco did with his Colson, which turned out great. I think this bike should be left pretty much original, but cleaned up and yes, it will get a motor.
I have a question for anyone who might know the answer... the rear fender has spots along each edge for some kind of skirt guard. What was used? String? What did it connect to at the axle, the axle itself, just wrapped on there? Just curious. I was picturing something like a large fender washer with holes drilled along the edge fixed to the axle and either elk hide thongs or even spokes going from the fenders to the modified fender washer at the axle. It could make an interesting design motiff. Just getting ideas before actually doinganything. My plate is full at the moment with the 39 elgin in the rustoration build off.
SB

 

[silverbear]

More photos. Anyone have ideas on cleaning up the seat from speckles of white paint and treating it with something to preserve it? I still don't know what year it is.

SB

 

[bairdco]

i dunno what year, i'll do some searchin' around later for something that looks the same. as far as i know, there's no elgin database.

it's at least 1940, probably earlier. i'd say mid to late 30's. those drop stands weren't used too much after 1940.

i never thought about what the skirt guard stuff hooks to. i'll see if i can find anything on that, too.

i think white paint dots is some kind of alien culture that comes down from some weird planet and attaches itself to old bikes. every, and i mean EVERY old bike i get has white spots on it. a lot of time you can just pick at the ones on the frame, but the seats a little different. if it's leather, neatsfoot oil kinda takes them off, and softens your seat.

vinyl, plastic, or other synthetics, if it doesn't pick off, it's formed some kind of superhuman bond with it that never comes off.

or maybe try some WD40...

oh, and nice bike. nice and cheap, too. i'm waiting on something that's gonna make you jealous...

 

[bairdco]

oh yeah. the best restoration tip i can give you now, is get a strong paper towel, fold it in half twice, spray a bunch of WD40 into it, and wipe down the whole bike till it's shiny wet. let it soak in for awhile, and do it again if you want, then rub it all in.

it's amazing what it does to old paint and those light rusty areas.

 

[weekend-fun]

I would guess 40's, just by the way it looks to me. I dont know, its just a gut feelin'

Great score!Awsome bike!!

 

[weekend-fun]

i dunno what year, i'll do some searchin' around later for something that looks the same. as far as i know, there's no elgin database.

it's at least 1940, probably earlier. i'd say mid to late 30's. those drop stands weren't used too much after 1940.

i never thought about what the skirt guard stuff hooks to. i'll see if i can find anything on that, too.

i think white paint dots is some kind of alien culture that comes down from some weird planet and attaches itself to old bikes. every, and i mean EVERY old bike i get has white spots on it. a lot of time you can just pick at the ones on the frame, but the seats a little different. if it's leather, neatsfoot oil kinda takes them off, and softens your seat.

vinyl, plastic, or other synthetics, if it doesn't pick off, it's formed some kind of superhuman bond with it that never comes off.

or maybe try some WD40...

oh, and nice bike. nice and cheap, too. i'm waiting on something that's gonna make you jealous...

ooohhh! can't wait!

 

[bairdco]

skirt guard lacing from "the cabe (Classic and Antique Bicycle Exchange." you might have to join the forum to see the pics. no big deal...The Classic and Antique Bicycle Exchange - Search Results

also, do a google image search for "bicycle skirt guard" and a bunch of cool pics come up, original and DIY alternatives...

 

[mdlee1958]

The string is strung from the rear axle to each eyelet back and forth, back and forth etc etc, my mom had it on her old Monark (wish I had that frame now) that was stored at my grandparents house.

 

[BarelyAWake]

Hey nice score silverbear!

Hmm... with alla my expertise I would say that you've got yerself a... vintage bike That neck IS awesome - really classy and I love the dropstand! Interesting that you've a ducktail front fender and a dropstand, don't think I've seen that before.

If ya continue to be befuddled by the mysteries of the skirt/coat guard - gimmie a shout and I'll see if I can't swing out to my buddy's house and get some advice/take a few pics. He's got a couple similar to yers hangin' on the wall and I been meanin' to stop by and heckle him about summore bits for my bike anyway

 

[silverbear]

Thank you, guys. I did go to the classic bikes site and not only joined, but have posted a request for help along with photos. Hopefully someone there will give some answers which I will surely post here...
SB

 

[silverbear]

Here's what I learned from the Classic bikes site...

"It looks like a late 37-early 38. In 38, they started using more Murray built bikes, with the flared tube ends and wishbone style rear stays on the frame, as on your bike. The only thing that seems off is the earlier style chain guard. The fall/winter 37-8 catalog page in the Elgin/JC Higgins/Hawthorne book shows a small thumnail illustration of a girls' model which appears to have this same guard, but too small to tell the frame. That's the last showing of that guard, so logic would suggest... Also, posting the serial # may help. It should be stamped on the bottom bracket, beginning with "MOD 502", a second, catalog #, and then the serial #. Anyway, nice looking ride, and welcome to the forum!! "

I sent the numbers from a decal on the seat post and also the serial numbers under the pedal crank and a follow up email suggests that it is a spring of 1938 Elgin.
I pumped up the tires today and they hold air fine which is pretty amazing. They are bridgestones, so are likely original. I don't see checking, but there is a fair amount of wear on the tread. I cleaned up some of the spokes and discovered no rust at all. The axle hubs are also rust free and really shine up nicely. Supposedly the ridges are for cooling of the hubs, but I suspect they are mostly to look cool and give something to advertise as different and "improved". This turned out to be a very good buy, I think. You win some and you lose some on ebay. This helps make up for some of the "lose somes".
SB