# Elgin Twin Question



## Sean (Feb 1, 2010)

Howdy-

I have an Elgin Twin that I am putting back together and had a few questions. 

Is there a refrence area showing paint options for these bikes? I believe that mine was originally a maroon color and I would love to find matching paint for it and see how the bike was painted up originally.  Were the fenders striped in the raised centers? 

I recently found, after 4 years of searching!) a rear rack (battery pack style) and head shroud (minus dual light set-up anyone have one for sale??) so I gusess that would make it a 40 or 60, maybe?

It looks like the rims were painted and striped but I'm not sure if those are the original rims to the bike. Both sets I have are the elgin style finned hubs but one set has a chrome rime and the other a painted rim. Both sets of rims however are shot- any repros out there? 

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## JOEL (Feb 1, 2010)

Maroon is one of the color options. Fenders have a stripe on the raised center and a narrow stripe along the edges. Reverse fenders also an option. With the battery rack and the dual torpedo lights on the pod, it would be a Twin 40. Twin 50 and 60 models have a different head shroud among other things (check out the Twin 60 currently on Ebay)

There are differences in the frames for different models, and Twinbars were made by both Mercury and Westfield. Be careful piecing together...


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## Sean (Feb 1, 2010)

Thanks for the reply. How can I tell the difference?


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## RMS37 (Feb 2, 2010)

It is not an easy task to explain all the differenced between the different versions of the Elgin Twin Bar. Many of the parts will interchange between models and years but if having a truly accurate restoration is your goal then there is a lot to be mindful of.

First of all the frame should be original to the model you are replicating and from the correct year. As Joel stated, Twin Bars were produced for Sears by both Westfield and Murray and some of the parts beyond the frame are specific to one manufacturer or the other. 

Paint colors are also model, year, and manufacturer specific. I have a red Westfield bike and a red Murray bike, both 4-Stars from the same year. The reds are very different, the Westfield bike being on the orange side of red while the Murray bike has a magenta cast. The reds may have been closer in hue when they were new but it points to the two factories using different paint formulas.  

Regarding model designations, the Twin 20-60 models were from the first two catalogs, the model with the twin light shroud was released in the 39/40 Fall/Winter catalog and was called the 4-Star Deluxe Twin Bar. Colors for the 4-Star were standardized during 1940 to three options, Maroon, Dark Blue, and Black; all with contrasting white fenders, chain guard, lights and battery pod. During 1940 versions of the earlier 60 and 20 were still being offered but no longer numerically named. The 4-Star version continued to be offered in the 40/41, 41, and 41/42 catalogs in the same three color combinations.

If the original paint on your frame is maroon then it most likely was originally produced as a 4-Star model (the only model catalog listed as being available in maroon) and would only be correct with the white fenders etc. 

Between your questions and some recent posts on Ballooner, I have been gathering my Twin Bar information to put a larger more comprehensive piece on the bikes together.

If you have more specific questions about restoring your project please post pictures of what you have and I’ll try to help as best I can.


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## Sean (Feb 2, 2010)

I posted some pics in my profile- for some reason they seem to be staying as thumbnails. I can email them


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## Sean (Feb 2, 2010)

Lets see if this works


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## rustyspoke66 (Feb 2, 2010)

I also have a Elgin twinnbar I am working on. With the research I have done I believe that the deluxe twinn headlight models are called a "four star deluxe", not 100%  sure but that is what they call it in the 1940 and 1941 Sears catalogue. I am new to this site but will try to attach some pages from one of the catalogues. Not haveing much luck with the pictures I will post them tomorrow. I will take new scans of the pages. Sweet bike. The headlights show up on ebay on occation, I've bought two sets for different bikes. Enjoy your twinn! JT


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## 30sRollfast (Feb 2, 2010)

Sean
awesome bike i also have a twinbar and i love it .it started in the same shape.


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## Sean (Feb 3, 2010)

Thanks. I really hope to get this thing finished soon. Should I have chrome or painted rims?

I need to find a good chrome shop and someone to roll my fenders. Any suggestions for either?


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## Sean (Jun 11, 2013)

Should get a few parts back from the chromer soon then I can get to paint prep!


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## Sean (Jul 9, 2013)

Reinstalled the re-chromed cranks sprocket and seat post on the 4 Star. Getting closer to paint.


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