Identifying ( another) cycle truck

[freightliner]

new to forum,

was gifted a cycle truck, my guess is early 50’s given a skip tooth chainring, has forward facing dropouts.
sn H2729xx on bottom bracket shell.
looks like chain guard might be incorrect. Don’t know about basket but is torn up enough to be original
I think there is a front stand but have not seen it yet. Any insights appreciated before I start diving in.
thanks
chuck

 

[fattyre]

What a great truck. I wouldn’t dive into anything other than new grease, rubber & leather. A true work horse right there with so many stories to tell while it’s out hauling another load.

 

[barneyguey]

7-24-1951

You are correct, that's definitely the wrong chain guard.

 

[Cyclelogical]

What a great truck. I wouldn’t dive into anything other than new grease, rubber & leather. A true work horse right there with so many stories to tell while it’s out hauling another load.

Disagree. No way it should be left in such poor condition. Why preserve its patina and history? Strip it down and powdercoat the whole thing. Maybe add whitewalls, too. Add some accessories like chrome mirrors, and a vintage old-timey sign to it and it’s a hit at the next show! It will be super unique

 

[freightliner]

Barneygeuy, are you saying it’s a 7/24 1951?

It is a valid discussion which way to go, it is only original once…..
is it tattered beyond preserving as a survivor? Go part way? go full in?
We have this same discussion on the Stovebolt about our old trucks ( i have a 46 1/2 ton chev I like to work on, prev repaint so survivor look was no option).
First up will be straightening up the basket, welding up the broken wires and see what it looks like after,
then get the hammer & dollys out to smooth the fenders a bit.
Not sure how to go about all the formerly chrome parts which are now rust finished, they are solid enough but ….(do I derust and clear coat? don’t even know what preserving options are out there)
chuck

 

[Lookn4bikes]

service and ride it for a while. if you are in love then consider paint and plating options.

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

Go part way? go full in?

Full in is a couple thousand $ and you would be lucky to break even on a sale. No need for a discussion the choice is yours only. What do you want out of this bike? Part way is the starting point, clean, grease and fix what you can. Get it running , ride it and decide. It is called a Cycle Truck for a reason, they are built like trucks they take a lot of abuse but keep rolling. You can not go wrong but you can go overboard. But I stress, what do you want out of it? Good luck and killer find