# Putting together a '39 Elgin



## jpromo (Sep 21, 2012)

Well I picked this up a while ago and have talked a lot about but realized I never posted any pictures. I got it along with a trailer full of parts from a guy who was keen on disassembling bikes and never got them back together. Needless to say, this was in pieces and was missing parts.

Contacted a member about a ladies bike on craigslist near him (member map put to good use!). He parted the bike out to get me this fork! I know it's a different paint scheme but looks good for a placeholder if I ever find a perfectly correct one. I picked up a universal version of the correct skinny chainguard. Of course the one I need is the same as what's on a twinbar so it's hard to come by and will likely be expensive when one turns up. I plan to weld the brackets in place, fill holes, and distress a black paint job to attempt a match.. until I find an original, again.

Finally dug in yesterday with the refurbish. I still need a horn button (just the button) to fit in a horn unit I already have. A headlight. I think the correct was a Delta frontloader but I could be wrong. I have some other lights I'd offer as trade fodder (Winner, prewar Seiss) or a Golden Meteor speedo. Without further ado:






Aluminum fenders!  the left is after I hit it with just goof off and ultra fine steel wool. It polished out real well from there.




Decal from an old eastside Detroit high school. Tars was their sports moniker.




Verify the serial number? I've been calling it a '39 but not positive.


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## jpromo (Sep 30, 2012)

Does anybody have a picture of the horn inside one of these tanks? I picked up an NOS or near it Delta horn today and the mounting holes don't line up, which can be accounted for but the worse part is that it doesn't seem like the horn will fit and allow the tank door to close.

If you have a picture of a correct horn unit or an inside the tank shot of this, that would be great!


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## jpromo (Oct 2, 2012)

Here she is mostly finished! Just in need of a correct Delta front loader Torpedo and come up with something to do for the tank horn. I'll be welding a clamp onto the chainguard and painting it to match sometime soon. I picked up a horn unit that's NOS or near to it with the correct button bezel size but the tank door will not close with it mounted due to the angle of the horn itself.









Picked up an NOS canister light and very nice repop lens for the carrier.





And a treat I've been saving for that special Elgin (or really the first period appropriate one) to come along. A Sears Elgin badged Seiss trigger horn!


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## Gary Mc (Oct 2, 2012)

Sweet!!!!!!  I love the Denby Tars decal.


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## Springer Tom (Oct 13, 2012)

*Lens*

Where did you get the repop lens? Thanks Tom


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## jpromo (Oct 13, 2012)

Hey Tom, he's a member on here with just a few posts. He sells them on ebay but gave me a fair shipped price on one through the Cabe. His name here is Labman and I'll PM you his email in case he doesn't check on here too often.


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## Buster1 (Oct 24, 2012)

Jason,

Can you tell me more about that canister light.  I need one for my '39 Elgin.  Is that correct, what is it called, where can you get one?  I have the cylindrical canister off my rack (no red lens), but it sheared off the back plate that is attached under the rack.  It was hanging on by a thread when I got the rack.

Also, here are a few pics of my '39.  I think you were offering to buy the frame and or forks a while back.   Well I think she came out fine.  Yours is looking awesome by the way!

Buster


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