Prewar Cycletruck chrome chaingaurd?

[Lookn4bikes]

The catalogs I have seen show the prewar Cycletrucks came with a chrome chaingaurd but most of the pictures from internet searches they are painted. I have looked at many images of both original and restored bikes. Appears that the chrome ones are less common. Mine is a 1940 and had an aftermarket one on it.

 

[REC]

Catalog art is often a bit away from reality - I have not yet owned a pre-war CT with a chrome guard, and have only seen a couple. I have a few of these, and bought a chrome repop guard from Dan Venturi (Bicycle Bones). He sells the painted one as well. I think I have one of each on the shelf in the shed. Right now, I am still fighting with a computer replacement and most of my more current reference stuff is in the broken one. Dan is on eBay - and you can search his store there (Bicycle Bones)
REC

 

[Lookn4bikes]

I agree with the art work being off. This image of the 1940 catalog shows the stem backwards. However it does state chrome plated guard.

I bought both styles from Dan. Just trying to decide if I should age the chrome or try to match my paint.

Either would be a challenge.

 

[Lookn4bikes]

I decided to age a chrome repop I had sitting around. Not exactly the look i was going for but looks ok.

 

[Lookn4bikes]

Started out like this.

 

[BFGforme]

What did you do, smear mud on it?

 

[Lookn4bikes]

I gave it a lite bead blast hoping to get a peppering of the chrome. Then Hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, and salt mix. The overspray created a "paste" as it dried so I scooped it up and smeared it on the speed up the process.

 

[BFGforme]

Wasn't knocking it, just curious. Thinking it came out cool!

 

[mr.cycleplane]

I gotta tell ya-that guard looks fantastic! Nice work. Nothing looks worse than a fresh shiny piece of chrome on a somewhat 'patina'd' bike. Finding just the right piece to keep the originality of a bike flowing can take years of searching.