# Help with dating elgin



## bricycle (Sep 10, 2010)

5 - digit serial # has F prefix, front bar is straight, not curved behind front wheel.
When might she have been built?
thanks in advance, bri.


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## rustyspoke66 (Sep 10, 2010)

Any pictures?


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## bricycle (Sep 10, 2010)

Does anyone know what years Elgin used this style frame??
Thanks, bri.


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## 53Phantom (Sep 11, 2010)

Bri, Elgin bikes had a straight bottom bar from the 1910's to even on some models in the mid-30's but most likely, you have a 1920's Motorbike. C


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## RMS37 (Sep 11, 2010)

Bri emailed me a slightly larger picture of the frame. (still not close-up but generally adequate to pin it down)

Westfield Manufacturing was one of the two largest suppliers of the Sears/Elgin line during the pre-war balloon years. The serial number is in the pattern of a Westfield number and the frame appears to also be a Westfield pattern so putting those together yields a build date in 1941 before the middle of year (F=1941, and five digits instead of six means it was produced before production had reached 100,000 units for the year.)

Typically 1941 is the year that is associated with the switch to curved seat and down tubes on these Westfield Elgins but they are not shown in any form in the catalogs and either this bike is just before the change or both styles may have been in production at the same time.


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## bricycle (Sep 11, 2010)

Thanks for your input, CABEmen are great. (women included) 
bri.


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## Adamtinkerer (Sep 11, 2010)

Just for a reference, I believe my Elgin is a 41 of the later style Westfield frame, this is what they typically looked like.


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## bricycle (Sep 11, 2010)

Thanks for the pix, hey great idea to store pedals! Nice survivor!


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