# Dating an Elgin - Questions



## elginkid (Jan 27, 2012)

Elgins seem to be a bit touchy since there was more than one manufacturer making them, and such broad range of available equipment that it's hard to pin them down exactly.  I've read that seatpost tubes were only curved for '40-'42, but obviously with the Bluebird, Skylark, Robin, that's not a set rule.  

For example...I have this Elgin that I bought eight years ago from the Old Spokes Home in VT.  It has the curved seat tube, but it doesn't have the streamlined downtubes.  I always guessed around a '39 for it.  (Please forgive the crazy college hair days, this was just after I got it in 2004, I think)






And I just bought this Elgin from Bikesnbuses, and it also has the curved seat tube, but it's sporting a hanging tank.  (And I'm guessing wasn't originally equipped with a chainguard)





Both appear to be Westfield built, but what characteristics should I look for to pinpoint the years?  Curved seat tubes, streamlined fender-over-fork arrangement, etc?

Wes


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## Backpedaler (Jan 28, 2012)

*Dating an Elgin*

In some parts, dating an Elgin is not socially acceptable . . .


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## RMS37 (Jan 28, 2012)

Those are both Westfield built Elgins. The curved seat tube Westfield's never were illustrated in the Sears consumer catalogs but they are easy to date by their serial numbers which follow the standard Westfield pattern with the letter in front of the serial number representing the year.


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## STUPIDILLO (Jan 29, 2012)

*Dating an Elgin- Questions*

Good question! I get different answers from people about the dates of my 3 Elgins.(All 3 are prewar, that much I am sure of.) I am also aware of the 1940-42, curved seat tube issue. One of my bikes has the curved tube and fender over fork too. Bu,t one does not. Different dates come up depending on who I ask. One will tell me that the straight tube I own is newer than the curved, and someone else say's, no it's older.0 Then a third party states, they are from about the same year, just different make frames. I do have pictures posted in the gallery,here at The Cabe.(T Stew's treasure trove of toys!!) They may not be the best, but I can always post more if needed. Take a looksie!! Thanks


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## Boris (Jan 29, 2012)

So, the top picture was your first date with this Elgin? Where did you take her?


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## hatfulofhollow (Jan 29, 2012)

Heres a link to a Sears Catalog ad I found on someones flikr acct. while searching a few months back.  If you look at the bike in the back, it looks like it has a curved seat tube.  Its a slightly different frame design than yours if you look at the head tube.  This is the type I have.  Apparently this is a scan of a 39-40 catalog, so...built in 39?  Looks like a lot of different styles for that year...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zazdatabaz/4445280444/in/photostream/

Heres another catalog scan from 1938.  The girls frames sure seem to have two different seat tubes...

http://www.goantiques.com/scripts/images,id,1384743.html

Could be why everyone says something different about what year they were from.


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## elginkid (Jan 30, 2012)

I've taken her all over.  We started on the bike trails, covering the dirt paths around Burlington, VT, up the Intervale Hill...through the hills of Cincinnati, the Low Country in Georgia, and back to the hills of Cincinnati where she's awaiting a wheelset transplant.   After that many hills we sort of had a falling out, so the other Elgin is her new beau.


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## RMS37 (Jan 30, 2012)

hatfulofhollow said:


> Heres a link to a Sears Catalog ad I found on someones flikr acct. while searching a few months back.  If you look at the bike in the back, it looks like it has a curved seat tube.  Its a slightly different frame design than yours if you look at the head tube.  This is the type I have.  Apparently this is a scan of a 39-40 catalog, so...built in 39?  Looks like a lot of different styles for that year...
> 
> Heres another catalog scan from 1938.  The girls frames sure seem to have two different seat tubes...http://www.goantiques.com/scripts/images,id,1384743.html
> 
> Could be why everyone says something different about what year they were from.




You are miss-reading those illustrations, neither of those girl's frames has a curved seat tube. As I noted earlier, all that is needed to date these Westfield built bikes is the serial number. Serial numbers on Murray built bikes are harder to decode but they too are the key to discerning the true year of manufacture for these bikes.


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