Can anyone help me ID my bike ?? I do know it's a 1938 Ladies Elgin, restoration

[wlee]

Hello Everyone,

I was hoping someone could provide me data on the exact model / name and helpful details on the present value of the bike in it's current condition and what it would cost to restore the bike back to it's original condition.

I'm pretty handy and would like to attempt to restore the bike myself, but need replacement tires as the original ones have hardned and are flaking apart. That would be a great start.

Anyone who can provide me with additional data it would be greatly appreciated. I'm in NYC and this would be a killer bike to ride around in Central Park.

Thanks all,


WLEE

 

[Turtle]

I believe your bike is a 1940.

The paint looks to be in pretty good condition. I would NOT repaint it. I would get new tires. Clean and repack all the bearings and basically just clean it up. It will actually have more value if it is in clean unrestored condition.

Cheers,

 

[wlee]

I believe your bike is a 1940.

The paint looks to be in pretty good condition. I would NOT repaint it. I would get new tires. Clean and repack all the bearings and basically just clean it up. It will actually have more value if it is in clean unrestored condition.

Cheers,

Hi Turtle,

Thanks for the quick and helpful response, Do you know where I can get balloon white wall tires at a decent price locally? Should I try the local bike shop? are there good online websites where I can order these tires or are they only available via special order?

Would you know the approximate value of what the bike may be worth?

Thanks so much!!!

 

[balloontirecruiser]

Nice Elgin!

Hello,

I see solid 26 inch white rubber balloon tires on ebay very frequently; and they often come with matching bullet shaped Hunte wilde grips in the same color. I saw four or five Girl's Elgins like this in much rougher conditon (though still very solid) at a local bike show sell for $75-$125 each VERY quickly. The owner set them up and walked away and no sooner was a man taking the money to buy all five out of his wallet... :eek: The nicest was browned by very consistent surface rust, and I believe it was the exact same bicycle you have here. It sold for $125, so I would imagine yours is worth at least that, probably a bit more. Nice find.

I would not restore it- keep it riding nicely and looking vintage- they tell a story in that shape. Every chip, nick, ding, and dent is a record of some accident or enjoyable time some owner had, and and when they're presentable (as yours certainly is) it's a shame to delete that record.

 

[Turtle]

On reconsideration, the one I showed the advert for is NOT exactly your bike. Notice that the frame has two supports between the two down tubes whereas the one in the advert only has one. Elgin (which was the Sears and Roebuck brand name) purchased frames and bikes from several manufacturers. While yours has the same paint scheme, the frame is from a different manufacturer. If you look on the little decal that is on the seat tube, it will have a model number on it. This model number is also referenced in the advert.

It's not a particularly valuable bike. Usually you see similar ones sell on ebay for less than $200. Often much less. Fix it up. Ride it. Enjoy.

Your local bike store might have tires. Otherwise try Memory Lane Classics. They are a good source for thing like that.

Cheers,

 

[SirMike1983]

My first preference would be to leave it the way it is and just clean it up a bit and get it into running condition. I'd remove the rust and clean up any staining on the paint, but wouldn't do a restoration on it.

As a secondary matter, you could weigh the cost of a restoration against the improvement in how it looks. I think it's worth a look, but it will probably just lead you to the conclusion that it looks pretty decent as it is. It doesn't hurt to research and compare though.

If you're not experienced with restorations like this (or automobiles/motorcycles) then I wouldn't mess too much with the cosmetics-- a poorly done restoration can look pretty bad.

 

[chuckspeed]

It's a neato bike; the skirt guard is what makes it.

as for a resto - no. Clean it up; get the bearings regreased, the rear hub cleaned and greased, remove as much surface rust as is humanly possible, hang a fresh set of skins on the rims and ride the wheels off of it!

restoration is godawful expensive - the bike, altho cool, ain't worth the long green of a resto. Real easy to sink several hundred dollars (or more!) into a resto - and - it ain't original once it's done.

 

[supper15fiets]

....take it apert ....clean it good!....clean all the metal parts...put some new tires on them ...and off you go!!!
ww tires like these ( 320288041584 ebay nr. ) are very offten on ebay....
but please leave it originele, the bike is in a ver good condition...

 

[Turtle]

There is an Elgin very similar to yours on eBay right now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110280896670

Cheers,

 

[wlee]

Thanks for all your replies, you were all really helpful!!!

After discussing with the wife, we've decided to sell the bike if anyone is interested please email me at [email protected] I'm in Flushing, NY. We just do not have much room where we live and think someone else would enjoy the bike more than we will. We are selling the bike as is.