Noted differences in Mercury Pacemaker Run '39-'41

[fordmike65]

When I first picked up my Pacemaker project, I was told that the chainring was incorrect. I believed this to be true since just about every one had a chainring with only 2 rows of slots. I also noticed that it looked like my bike also had the incorrect fenders. Now I'm getting a lil ticked cuz I figured I only needed to get a few lil bits like the headset & crank nuts and I'd be good to go & get it repainted/chromed. I thought I'd better do as much research as I can before starting the resto, cuz the worst thing is spending $1,000's of dollars on a full out resto just to find out you did it WRONG! I've been compiling pics of several Pacemakers, both of what look to be original & of obviously restored bikes. I've found that more than a few of these bikes indeed have the 3 row chainrings. Both restored & what seem to be untouched OG bikes. Maybe my chainring is correct after all??? Then I started to notice the fenders. Some of these same 3 row bikes have what seem to be Twin Bar style "pinched" fenders! Wait...could my bike have had the correct fenders after all?? Well, I still have more research to do, which is good cuz I don't have the $$$ to restore my bike yet anyway. If anyone would like to add any info,findings or even better pics to either confirm what I think may be going on here or prove my hunch wrong & put me on the right track, I would be forever grateful! Thanks so much guys. Guess I'll share my findings now.

Three rows of slots on what I believe are OG paint bikes:

Restored or at least project bikes:

Now look at the fenders as well. Can't seem to get clear pics, but it seems they are pinched?? Could this be a late run? Say 41's? Or am I just seeing things? I have a set of the flat style Pacemaker fenders should they be correct for my bike. Jut wanna find out what is right. I should have gotten the serial number off mine before even starting this thread. I will add it later tonight.

 

[redline1968]

Elgin's fenders are much more pronounced where they were pinched. The mercury are softer in the pinched areas.

 

[fordmike65]

So is there a Mercury pinched fender? Here is a pic of my girl's with the usual flat fenders:

 

[fordmike65]

Here's another view of a bike above. Belongs to a fellow member who unfortunately doesn't frequent the site much. Was hoping he'd respond to my PM's. If you look closely, it almost looks like the front fender is pinched.

 

[fordmike65]

Seat tube length?

I just noticed that there seems to be 2 different length seat tubes(above top tube). Excuse my ignorance, but did both Murray & Westfield build these bikes? Maybe this would explain the different carrier seatclamp mounts that were discussed briefly in another thread. Note how some come straight back while others drop down?

 

[rustjunkie]

The pics show 2 different types of seat post clamp areas used by Murray: one with a clamp tack-welded on and using shims, the other w/o separate clamp and no shims. From what I've seen the type with the shims is earlier, up until maybe early 1940?

 

[fordmike65]

Yes, saw that too. Thanks for the info Scott! Always a wealth of knowledge

Seems that at least in the OG bikes pictured, the bikes without the seatpost clamp do indeed have a 3 slotted chainring. If that is true, then I do have the incorrect one

 

[rustjunkie]

Could it be that the non-shimmed seatpost bikes take the "Elgin"-type fenders with the pinch?

 

[fordsnake]

Mike, outside of the chainring (which I installed) I don't believe your bike was pieced together? I bought the bike in the early 80's; it was painted with red house paint for almost twenty years, when I primed it grey. As far as I know those fenders were original.

 

[fordmike65]

Mike, outside of the chainring (which I installed) I don't believe your bike was pieced together? I bought the bike in the early 80's; it was painted with red house paint for almost twenty years, when I primed it grey. As far as I know those fenders were original.

Thanks for chiming in Carlton. A lot could have happened in the 40+ years before you picked it up, so anything is possible. I hope they are correct, but I do have a set of the flatter style should I find they aren't. I'm in no real rush to get it redone, so I have plenty of time to keep researching.