# New Find! 1940 Schwinn Liberty Autocycle



## MBL (Nov 8, 2011)

Howdy All. Its been a while since I have visited. But again, its been a while since I picked up a nice bike. Anyhoo, I have just picked up what I think is a 1940 Schwinn made Liberty Autocycle. It needs total restoration, so I figured I would check in here for some tips ect. The serial on the bottom bracket is D66474. I think this puts it in 1940 or so. It is a straight-bar frame, which is missing the tank, but otherwise appears to be complete. It is in parts. 

What I would like to do is get some of the parts rechromed and paint the frame...and fenders after the dents have all been knocked out. The fork is interesting as it does not have a lock, but it apears to have a spot for the cylinder. Basically it appears that the fork was intended to be a Cycelock but it wasn't drilled through the head tube.

The bike was the Mead Brown color and has the pinstriping and such, that I will want to do. It appears to all have been done by hand or perhaps first with a stensil. 

The handle bars are missing the cross tube and are kinda cruddy, so I might just try and find a replacement rather than rechroming the ones I have. Does anyone have any tips ect about rechroming or ideas where I can get stensils for the paint?
Thanks for any help!!!
Tim
MBL


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## SJ_BIKER (Nov 8, 2011)

*Got any pics?*



MBL said:


> Howdy All. Its been a while since I have visited. But again, its been a while since I picked up a nice bike. Anyhoo, I have just picked up what I think is a 1940 Schwinn made Liberty Autocycle. It needs total restoration, so I figured I would check in here for some tips ect. The serial on the bottom bracket is D66474. I think this puts it in 1940 or so. It is a straight-bar frame, which is missing the tank, but otherwise appears to be complete. It is in parts.
> 
> What I would like to do is get some of the parts rechromed and paint the frame...and fenders after the dents have all been knocked out. The fork is interesting as it does not have a lock, but it apears to have a spot for the cylinder. Basically it appears that the fork was intended to be a Cycelock but it wasn't drilled through the head tube.
> 
> ...




It would be helpful to know which model you have as that will determine which stencils to use.  Feel free to send me a a few pics to sj_biker@hotmail.com and i can send send you some reference pics to help you out.  I dont know where you are located but i can repair your fenders if the damage is isolate away from the creases along the edges.  I have a fender roller tool and have aquired enough experience to do a hell of a job so long as the metal was not stretched...something to think about....as for the paint ...depends on what you want to do...if you are looking for standard enamel there are lots of collectors on here  you can ask.  If your not looking to spend a whole lot then standard hardware store enamel can do the trick....you can build layers in typical worn areas and when completely dry... polish it out..theres marine paint, laquer...and the list goes on..lots of possibilties you just need to find out how much you are willing to put into the project.


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## MBL (Nov 8, 2011)

So I am thinking that I should have put this in the balloon tire section, but what the heck. Here are some pics of it as it sits. I have rims, but they are rusty too. 

























So as you see it could use some attention. I am not 100% sure how much repro parts I will want to put on it. I guess it depends on the price of rechroming. I would like to get the crank rechromed and use it as original, as well as the front hub. I dig the look.

Do the pics help in regard to the stensils needed?
Tim


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## 46powerwagon (Nov 8, 2011)

*Clean it,Grease it,Ride it.*

I think your schwinn will clean up.Grease it, find some rims and tires ride the snot out. 

Gary


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## Larmo63 (Nov 8, 2011)

*Keep it as it is.*

I would carefully clean this bike and keep it as it is. Like the others have said here, grease it, adjust it, and ride it. I would look for a tank appropriate to the year and color, this bike is a gem. 

Keep it as it is.


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## MBL (Nov 8, 2011)

Oh now you have me second guessing my plans!? Ugh. I know it is only original once, and it would look kinda cool all worn. I have some thinking to do I guess. If I get a bare tank, I'll likely have to paint the hole thing so it would match. How hard is it to put spokes to a new rim and use the old hubs? I have never actually had to build a wheel. There was a nice blue one of these that just recently sold on ebay as a restored bike. I kinda like the Mead Brown better. Well I have some time to think it through I suppose. Since there are some significan dents on the front fender and knocking them out will mess the paint further, I am still leaning toward a resto. 

Does anyone here know more about the bike I have here? Am I right about the year ect?
Thanks
Tim
MBL


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## BIKE AT THE MOON! (Nov 8, 2011)

*original!*

Clean'er up, grease'er up and go!  Please keep it original!  
You can always find a repaint and redoe one, but this one is beggin' to be kept "as is"...
just my thoughts...
enjoy, cool find!
-BATM!


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## halfatruck (Nov 8, 2011)

*1940 Autocycle...*

Here's a photo of a 1940............


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## Dave K (Nov 8, 2011)

I would not paint a tank for this you could find an original in matching patina if you are patient.  An early postwar tank would work just fine also


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## militarymonark (Nov 8, 2011)

you can always clean it up find some rims and see how it looks if you dont like it restore it. Most likely if you want to get a good return later on it, because you never know what you'll do down the road, leave it original.


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## MBL (Nov 8, 2011)

Ok so maybe I'll try and put it together as is only cleaned up. Does anyone know how I would put in a cross bar?






Mine is missing. I don't know the difference between the prewar and postwar straight bar tanks. Can someone school me so I know what to be looking for?
Thanks
Tim
MBL


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## Larmo63 (Nov 9, 2011)

*Cross bar dilemma.....*

I have heard people say that they have made a cross bar out of an old front springer strut. Find an old rusty one, and use a vise on one end. I think there was a thread pertaining to this subject I read a while back......? 

We are glad you are at least reconsidering keeping it OG. At the bike meets I go to, there is considerable interest in these being original.

It's your bike though, and many of us here have, or are right now, doing restorations. They can be frustrating and very costly. Some people might trade you something bright and shiny for what you have in your hands right now, but I were you, I would count my blessings. 

You have something very special.


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## Larmo63 (Nov 9, 2011)

Check your PM's.....


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## VintageSchwinn.com (Nov 9, 2011)

I'd happily buy the rack !!


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## MBL (Nov 9, 2011)

Thank you all for your interest in my new bike. At this point I really just want to get it together, and would rather not sell it or part it out. Of course I am missing the tank and that will be my most immediate quest to find one that is correct. I understand from a nice gentleman on Ebay that the prewar tanks and immediate post war tanks are slightly different on the bottom where It isn't easily seen...So perhaps I can put in a post war tank. 

Does anyone have some pictures of the prewar and postwar tanks so I can know what I am looking at? For now, you all have convinced me to clean it and put it together as original. I have the rims too, and will need to get a set of spokes. Are there any specific spokes I should get for these wheels? Or are all of the spokes for 26" wheels the same?

I have some rust to clean up for sure....any best practices on that? Steel wool and WD-40? I have used that on cars before.
Thanks Again!
Tim
MBL


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## MBL (Nov 9, 2011)

Oh and I meant to ask if anyone knows what the serial # of D66474 reveals about the date of the bike. I remember someone saying D was in 1940, but do the other numbers have any meaning?
Tim
MBL


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## MBL (Nov 10, 2011)

Bah!? The crown on my springer has a stress crack in it.  oh well so I'm gonna need one of these too. Now to find one with some "patina" or rust that is usable. One piece at a time a guess.
Tim
MBL


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## MBL (Nov 10, 2011)

*Progress? kinda...*

So I have some little parts on their way and I did some cleaning of the frame and fenders. I also used a broom handle to push the big dent in the fender out...kinda rolling the round end in and around the dent pushed most of it out. I have some spokes on order, and will probably take the wheels to a bike shop to have them do the spokes. Here are some pics of the bike after the "cleaning" I did.













I will keep everyone posted on the progress as it comes.
Tim
MBL


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## VintageSchwinn.com (Nov 10, 2011)

Looks great !!  Anyone who has this a prewar rack in the above exact color, a faded maroon original paint, I'm looking to buy and will pay more than going rate, thanks!


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## MBL (Nov 10, 2011)

Ok, so I was thinking that it was maroon instead of the mead brown after the cleaning. Is that what I have here?
Tim
MBL


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## Larmo63 (Nov 10, 2011)

Looks maroon to me, great job, this thread should be moved over to the "projects" threads.

You can have a part color matched to the cream so you could paint the light cover.

I'm excited to watch your progress! 

We should all keep an eye out for a tank for MBL's project too?


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## MBL (Nov 11, 2011)

From some newly-found resources, I have a line on a prewar tank I may purchase. It would need to be painted...then made to look old!? To match. If anyone has something else to consider, I'm all ears. 

Think I might do some rust removal on the wheels this weekend.
Tim
MBL


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## s1b (Nov 17, 2011)

Tim, great score!


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## Larmo63 (Nov 17, 2011)

I use long bolts when I'm at this stage of a build to keep struts, fender struts and forks/frame together. What I mean is, go to the hardware store, but a 5/16ths bolt about 4" long and a nut for the rear, and the same in 3/8ths for the front. It kinda keeps things together and indexed while you dream, build, and spend.


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## Larmo63 (Nov 17, 2011)

Kinda like this:


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## MBL (Nov 18, 2011)

Very nice. Wish mine looked as good! 
Tim
MBL


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## Larmo63 (Nov 19, 2011)

This was going to be my attempt at a "rat rod," I ended up selling it off before completion. When you want to mock up a bike with no wheels though, the nuts and bolts help.


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## MBL (Nov 19, 2011)

So as some have suggested, I have gotten lemon juice and diluted it with water to clean the chrome of the springer. It seems to be working well. Cleaned up the front hub some to. Gonna have the hubs relaced to the wheels. Its not gonna look "restored" but more of a weathered look. I cleaned up one of the truss rods, and it did really well. I'm hoping to get the springer and hub done this weekend.
Tim
MBL


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## markivpedalpusher (Nov 19, 2011)

Nice Lawrence I just use axles...



Larmo63 said:


> Kinda like this:


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## MBL (Nov 19, 2011)

Ok so I cleaned up the spring and pieced together the springer fork. When looking at the fork from the top down I noticed that the spring was ascue to the right...upon further examination, I noticed that the axis that the forks swivel on is crooked slightly...I'm not sure if you can see by the pic, but it appears that the left fork is bent out a bit. Is this easily bent back? Is this likely to be causing the spring to be pointing to the right a bit? Thanks for any thoughts on this issue!
Tim
MBL


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## MBL (Feb 2, 2012)

It's been a little bit since I have done much on this bike. I got a postwar tank for the time being untile I can find a suitable prewar or early postwar tank. Here I did a little soft assembly:










Just to get an idea of what it will look like. 

I'll probably get some new handle bars as the ones I have need the cross bar and are pretty far gone. Gonna ride this one for a good bit once done.
Tim
MBL


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## Dave K (Feb 2, 2012)

Looks great!!!!  Going to be a sweet bike when you are done.


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## Larmo63 (Feb 2, 2012)

*Yaaay, Another bike saved!*

Looks good, Tim. What tires are those? They look beefy. 

I know who has cross bars, PM me......


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## BIKE AT THE MOON! (Feb 2, 2012)

*yeah...*

Yeah looks good, keep us updated!!!
-BATM!


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## MBL (Feb 3, 2012)

The tires are just some that I picked up off ebay. They are supposed to have a Goodyear tread? I don't know, but they came with tubes and look fine for a good price too. Like 38 bucks or something like that.
Tim
MBL


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## greenephantom (Feb 3, 2012)

The red tires really tie it together.  I've tossed the red Grand Tycoons on a couple of my bikes, like night and day.

Cheers, Geoff


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## MBL (Feb 4, 2012)

Thanks for the encouragement! I am really excited to get this rideable. Been about 22 years waiting for my Autocycle!? Sent the seat off to have it restored...gotta find a few odds and ends but soon!!!
Tim
MBL


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## MBL (Feb 4, 2012)

Oh...I'm sure someone here will know. I have only one nut for my new departure rear hub....someone told me that the nut has a special thread. Something I can't get at the hardware store. Is this true? Would a basic bike shop have this?
Tim
MBL


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## Dave K (Feb 4, 2012)

MBL said:


> Oh...I'm sure someone here will know. I have only one nut for my new departure rear hub....someone told me that the nut has a special thread. Something I can't get at the hardware store. Is this true? Would a basic bike shop have this?
> Tim
> MBL




I will look in my hub parts box and see if I can fix you up with some bolts.  Will PM you tomorrow and let you know what I find


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## MBL (Feb 5, 2012)

Swung by the Ace Hardware store, and I found some nuts that fit the ND hub. They where fine metric nuts of all things. They went on with no force, so my guess is that its correct or so very close that it wouldn't matter. Getting closer!!!
Tim
MBL


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## oempartsman (Feb 5, 2012)

*Rear rack*

What happened to the front-most pair of braces on the rack? They were there in Your first post, now they're gone!

                      Pat


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## MBL (Feb 6, 2012)

I have the front rack supports, they're just not on the bike at the moment. Did a little more assembly and rode it a bit last night. Good fun! 
Tim
MBL


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## PCHiggin (Feb 6, 2012)

*Grand Tycoons?*



MBL said:


> The tires are just some that I picked up off ebay. They are supposed to have a Goodyear tread? I don't know, but they came with tubes and look fine for a good price too. Like 38 bucks or something like that.
> Tim
> MBL




Bike is sweet! Love the pre war Schwinns.Are those Grand Tycoons? I have a set on a '52 Hornet and love 'em They ride great....BTW,The Royal Lancer rocks too,is it a '55?


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## MBL (Feb 6, 2012)

The tires are just some I got off ebay. Nothing exciting. The car is a 1955 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer. Good spot!  
Tim
MBL


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## MBL (Feb 17, 2012)

Ok so I am getting closer. Welded up the front rack supports and put them on. And I got the headlight working. Rode it for about 3-4 miles last night and it seems to work pretty good. Here are some crappy cellphone pics:










So now I just really need to get some decent cross brace bars that won't break the bank...and to paint the tank. I do want to put some sort of tail light on it...but nothing that will require me to drill holes..I do much of my riding at night.
Tim
MBl


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## Larmo63 (Feb 17, 2012)

Now, aren't you glad you kept it original?


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## MBL (Feb 17, 2012)

I am glad I kept it original. Sometime down the road I hope to find an appropriate tank, but I do like it the way it is. I really do enjoy riding this ond beat up bike! Can't wait till my seat is back and on there where it belongs. 
Tim
MBL


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## MBL (Feb 21, 2012)

Maybe I'm missing something, but I can' figure out if and ir how one of those StewartWarner speedos can be installed on my high flange front wheel. Is this possible?
Tim
MBL


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## MBL (Feb 28, 2012)

Got the paint from vintage schwinn! gonna get the tank done maybe tonight. I've been doing a bunch of riding around. An now I have that speedo attached. Last pics of the tank with the old paint! 



Speedo installed!









Can't wait till I get the seat back all nice and new.
Tim
MBL


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## MBL (Sep 21, 2012)

Soon I will be taking delivery of my prewar tank! Thanks to a forum member. Still on the hunt for a decent set of crossbars. I have been getting some good use out of my bike as well, but I noticed something that perhaps is an adjustmnt that you folks here would know about.

Every so often, as I am pedaling, it seems that the sproket on the coaster hub slips, then catches. It might spin about a full half a turn, then it will catch, and I am pushing the bike along again. It seems quite random. Any ideas of why I might have such a slip as I am pedaling forward?
Thanks
Tim
MBL


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## Larmo63 (Sep 21, 2012)

The rear hub is not together properly. Maybe a disc or two are not indexing...?

Did you rebuild it?


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## bobcycles (Sep 21, 2012)

*1940*

You have a 1940 bike, good find.  Expect to pay 200-300 for a PREwar tank for your bike.  Know that they are different than post war and much tougher to find.  Fortunately Maroon is one of the easiest colors to find with bicycle.

Here's a pic of a restored 1940 I just finished.

I would not advise restoring your bike, take some finish compounds and you should be able to rub the paint out and shine it up quite a bit!


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## MBL (Sep 22, 2012)

Tank should be here real soon. I am not going to restor it. Just riding it for now. I did not take the hub apart. I guess I might need to.
Tim
MBL


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## Hb Twinn (Sep 22, 2012)

*Great find!*

You really did find a true gem there. I am always looking for original paint bikes and would consider myself blessed to find a bike like yours, it looks fantastic! The guys here are very knowledgable and helpful and will continue to be a great resource for you.
Keep up the good work and enjoy the bike as you have been, it's amazing the conversations that get started riding these old bikes around. Thanks for the great inspiration to keep them original and good luck on your continuing journey!
Now I have to go work on one of my old babies.


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## MBL (Sep 24, 2012)

Just got my prewar tank with EA hornbutton! And here I now have the proper Miller plate for my kickstand! Did 5 miles on it today!





Some good fun!
Tim
MBL


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