# PreWar Elgin Find - Year??  Have Serial and pics



## yeshoney (Mar 23, 2009)

Phil helped narrow down the year and gave me some ID help, but here is the serial for verification and some pics with the oil ports.  Weird place to put an oil port on the head tube.  I mean I understand why, but never have I seen one before now.


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## RMS37 (Mar 24, 2009)

Hi Joe, I read A150880 and I don?t see the second year/month code numbers although they may be buried under the crud. 

I have a virtually identical Elgin with the serial numbers A141663 and C8, which is August 1936. The Alemite grease fittings were a big talking point in the catalogs and the bikes originally were shipped with a grease gun.


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## sensor (Mar 24, 2009)

cant give an exact year but around 35/36.....and looks to be an oriole
if you do happen to locate some one that has an elgin serial # list im still trying to nail down an exact year for my motobike.......


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## RMS37 (Mar 25, 2009)

Hi Sensor,

This bike first appeared on the Ratrodbike site and I answered some questions there. The bike is from about August of 1936 which is discernable from the serial number. Westfield built bikes are fairly easy to date this way. It is not technically an Oriole because at the time it was built; Sears had ?moved? the Oriole name from the moto-balloon model to the curved tube model that is essentially a double top tube, tank-less Robin. Sears didn?t offer a real replacement name for this model in the catalog, but a good descriptive name would be ?Late 36 Westfield/Elgin moto-balloon? 

With any Elgin the first thing is to determine the manufacturer as the serial numbers themselves were specific to the manufacturers rather than to Sears. Beginning in 1938 Sears started to place a decal on the frame with model and manufacturer information but before that no such information was applied to the bikes.

As far as dating non Westfield Elgins by serial number, until someone finds Sears complete files on the matter (which may never have existed in any complete form in one place at one time), the onus is on us collectors to build serial number data bases to try to pin down models and years

If your Motobike/Moto-balloon is a Westfield it should not be hard to date. If it is a Snyder or 20?s or earlier Dayton built frame, then as far as I know, no one has deciphered the serial codes for these yet.

I know you have posted pictures of several of your bikes so I?m not sure right off which bike you are trying to date. If you post a picture or a link along with the serial number I?ll tell you what I can about it.


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## RMS37 (Mar 25, 2009)

Hi Sensor,

This bike first appeared on the Ratrodbike site and I answered some questions there. The bike is from about August of 1936 which is discernable from the serial number. Westfield built bikes are fairly easy to date this way. It is not technically an Oriole because at the time it was built; Sears had ?moved? the Oriole name from the moto-balloon model to the curved tube model that is essentially a double top tube, tank-less Robin. Sears didn?t offer a real replacement name for this model in the catalog, but a good descriptive name would be ?Late 36 Westfield/Elgin moto-balloon? 

With any Elgin the first thing is to determine the manufacturer as the serial numbers themselves were specific to the manufacturers rather than to Sears. Beginning in 1938 Sears started to place a decal on the frame with model and manufacturer information but before that no such information was applied to the bikes.

As far as dating non Westfield Elgins by serial number, until someone finds Sears complete files on the matter (which may never have existed in any complete form in one place at one time), the onus is on us collectors to build serial number data bases to try to pin down models and years

If your Motobike/Moto-balloon is a Westfield it should not be hard to date. If it is a Snyder or 20?s or earlier Dayton built frame, then as far as I know, no one has deciphered the serial codes for these yet.

I know you have posted pictures of several of your bikes so I?m not sure right off which bike you are trying to date. If you post a picture or a link along with the serial number I?ll tell you what I can about it.


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## Marty (May 30, 2011)

*Elgin serial C103 097*

I have an Elgin with serial number C103 097 stamped on the bottom of frame.  Also, the letters F10 and the single digit 5 are separately stamped nearby.  There is a Sears decal on the vertical frame bar with the model number 501-5026 shown as the nmber to cite for replacement parts.  Can anyone tell me the age and manufacturer?


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## lobsterboyx (Oct 12, 2011)

hate to bring this thread back from the dead, but i was wondering if you have a shot of the headbadge on this bike...


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## squeedals (Oct 12, 2011)

RMS37 said:


> Hi Joe, I read A150880 and I don?t see the second year/month code numbers although they may be buried under the crud.
> 
> I have a virtually identical Elgin with the serial numbers A141663 and C8, which is August 1936. The Alemite grease fittings were a big talking point in the catalogs and the bikes originally were shipped with a grease gun.





Man oh man...how I wish those grease fittings were on ALL bikes.


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## bricycle (Oct 12, 2011)

lobsterboyx said:


> hate to bring this thread back from the dead, but i was wondering if you have a shot of the headbadge on this bike...




Just from the side view, I would think it to be the full size V, and not the slanted ELGIN....


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## yeshoney (Oct 12, 2011)

*Headbadge!*

Ask and you shall receive...


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## yeshoney (Oct 12, 2011)

*And this is how it looks today*

Updated pics.


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## lobsterboyx (Oct 12, 2011)

beautiful!

what happened to the rack? was that not original to the bike?

I think you found the true identity of my "lincoln"... an elgin in schwinn clothing... we're going to change that...


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## bennyboy (May 29, 2012)

*Thanks guys for the Elgin information*

I have a 1936 Elgin Serial #  C6 A89542
The pictures and information you guys have shared are priceless. Thanks!


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## lobsterboyx (May 29, 2012)

heres what mine is looking like these days... does anyone have a drilled chain guard or original-esque fenders?


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## TwoSchwinns (Jan 18, 2013)

So does that mean that serial # A101097 with C6 is June 1936?
David



RMS37 said:


> Hi Joe, I read A150880 and I don?t see the second year/month code numbers although they may be buried under the crud.
> 
> I have a virtually identical Elgin with the serial numbers A141663 and C8, which is August 1936. The Alemite grease fittings were a big talking point in the catalogs and the bikes originally were shipped with a grease gun.


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## chevmann (Apr 17, 2015)

Hello all. I have this same bike right down to the paint markings, grease fittings, and location of the serial number + date code. Thanks to this thread I now know what kind of bike it is as the head badge is missing on mine. I was wondering if you all could help me to date mine. Mine is rust but used to be red. I am missing many parts and any help tracking down the correct parts would be greatly appreciated


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## Balloontyre (Apr 17, 2015)

chevmann said:


> Hello all. I have this same bike right down to the paint markings, grease fittings, and location of the serial number + date code. Thanks to this thread I now know what kind of bike it is as the head badge is missing on mine. I was wondering if you all could help me to date mine. Mine is rust but used to be red. I am missing many parts and any help tracking down the correct parts would be greatly appreciatedView attachment 209150View attachment 209151View attachment 209149



1936


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## chevmann (Apr 17, 2015)

I forgot to add that the serial number is "A62741" and what I believe to be the date code is "305". I am assuming by the low serial number and by the numerical date code that this is a very early bicycle.


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## Balloontyre (Apr 17, 2015)

chevmann said:


> I forgot to add that the serial number is "A62741" and what I believe to be the date code is "305". I am assuming by the low serial number and by the numerical date code that this is a very early bicycle.View attachment 209160




Still 1936.


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## chevmann (Apr 17, 2015)

Thanks. You have confirmed my suspicions. Now I just have to make it rideable. Here are a coupe of pics of my 1948 Zephyr that I restored.


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## chevmann (May 26, 2015)

I've come a long way in the past couple weeks. Here is a pic of my Elgin Motor Bike with all the parts except for the correct rear reflector. Does anyone know what is the correct reflector for this bike?


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## Conkity (May 28, 2015)

I love these Elgins, I think that they are the last of the motobike


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## jchicago (Jan 10, 2018)

yeshoney said:


> Phil helped narrow down the year and gave me some i.d. help, but here is the serial for verification and some pics with the oil ports.  Weird place to put an oil port on the head tube.  I mean I understand why, but never have I seen one before now.
> 
> Do you still have this Elgin?


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## removed (Feb 18, 2018)

bennyboy said:


> *Thanks guys for the Elgin information*
> 
> I have a 1936 Elgin Serial #  C6 A89542
> The pictures and information you guys have shared are priceless. Thanks!



IT IS AN ORIOLE


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