1939 Other Makes Helms Bakery

4 Cylinder Hercules

26014UB

Clear

Gasoline

For your Consideration; A 1939 Twin Coach Divco – Helms Bakery Truck This RARE pre-war Los Angeles Helms Bakery truck is complete and in need of a restoration. But it exists! This surviving example is “So-Cal solid” and is “as-ran” Clear title in hand. This truck retains it’s genuine original Hercules 4 cylinder engine, Warner trans, Step & Drive controls and linkages, twin Coach clutch and Timken rear end. It has it’s Helms Bakery Drawers & hardware, original “Toot-Toot” roof horn, seat, steering wheel, bumpers, artillery wheels and much more. The engine compartment is unmolested and complete. It has the authentic Divco brass body tag as well as it’s dash and interior amenities, door handles, chrome, stainless, ect. Upon inspection - we saw no signs of collision or frame damage. The mechanical drive train looks complete and original. Note; The upper half of the alligator door on the rear of the truck is missing. It’s a small flat rear facing door. Some of the roof and side body skins have also been removed. What you see from the photos…is a previous owner had had begun to replace some exterior panels. The right quarter panel of the vehicle as well as the center roof have square panels that have been unstitched. The removed sheet metal panels are with the sliding doors inside the truck. The sliding doors are nice & complete and are included in the sale. These Divco Bakery bodies are “skinned” just like any modern enclosed trailer you see on the road today. Square sheets of sheet metal are simply pop-riveted to the “L” and “C” shaped channel framework. All the panels are square and overlap ¾”. It’s Not Rocket Science to re-body the Helms exterior to brand new – saving on body work. It looks like 3 sheets of aluminum or mild steel should do it. The original Helms bakery drawers and hardware are RARE and almost Non-Existent. “Lucky is He” who has those original parts for patterns with the chrome latching hardware. Note; Also included in the sale are a few “extra” Helms drawers, wooden frame & hardware pieces… that luckily got placed with the vehicle somehow in it’s past. History The Helms Bakery Company delivered baked goods to the 1932 Olympics as well as through out the Los Angeles area until it’s closing in 1968. The little trolley-shaped vehicle with it’s signature “toot-toot” whistle was a legendary and memorable part of Southern California living at that time. Divco Twin There were only 148 Helms Twin Coach Divco trucks built for the Helms Bakery. When the company closed in 1968 some of the trucks were sold off… and the rest were then scrapped. Original Helms These Helms vehicles have been featured the most prestigious Concours & Auction- events in the nation. The Hemmings Motor news “Collector Car Magazine” did a large spread on the significance of the Helms Bakery truck in the fall 2011 issue. Historically important and the recent sales data values are strong. Street Rods This Helms bakery Truck could also make a great Helms Street Rod, Shop truck, Motorcycle shop hauler, Toy hauler or Business Mascot advertising vehicle. The frame is nice and heavy for towing and a Dually Rear End fits nicely in it. I was recently told someone placed one of these Helms bodies onto a ¾ ton PU chassis and it worked out nicely. The original drive train could be retained for it’s authentic historic value…or sold to support a new build. Reference links 1. http://gombessa.tripod.com/scienceleadstheway/id5.html 2. http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2011/08/helms_bakery_truck.php 3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U90ka_QnNVY 4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=jNcpPXiNWbA 5. http://carproperty.com/1936-twin-coach-helms-bakery-truck-ad97631725.htm The winning bidder; $500 deposit required at close of auction. Balance Due in 5 days. Short term storage of the vehicle is available - to assist buyer during transporting arrangements. The vehicle has been fitted with a set of used tires and tubes holding air well. The truck measures; 14’ 5” long, 6’ wide, 7’ 6” tall.Seller will assist the buyer in the “pick-up” in the shipping or transport arrangements. Vehicle is located about 5 miles North-West of Disneyland in Southern Ca. 92804 Vehicle – “Sold As Is” Priced to Sell - Reserve Happy Bidding The Mumbo Jumbos: Upon winning your auction; $500 deposit required at close of auction. Balance Due in 5 days. Please identify your shipping information as a “Home or Business address” for your total. You may include your phone number in case we have to ask you a quick question. Some customers request the phone number be placed on the shipping label so the carrier can notify them of a package drop off. Shipping; Winning bidder is responsible for shipping. Local PU is accepted. International Buyers; International bidders are accepted. Methods of Payment; is Papal. Bank Checks may be held to clear before shipping your item. Items are described "As Is” We are not knowledgeable of all items. We photograph and describe these items to the best of our ability. Please make sure you know what you are bidding on. If you have any questions not answered by the description or pictures, please email us before placing your bid. On Aug-12-12 at 09:58:30 PDT, seller added the following information: Sir, I can appreciate your concerns; The person in whom would purchase this vehicle would expect to remove the engine, bakery cabinet, skins, windows and wooden floors to media blast the cabin and some of the rear structure and Pour 15 it. The truck's cabin appears to be made of 1/8th plate steel. The rear 2/3rds of the body is made of skinned angle and C channel with a wooden floor. The vehicle has some surface rust but it is California solid. The bakery shelving would have to be removed and sent out for re-patterning and later installed back into the truck. If you look carefully into the various internet videos and links, many of those high end restored Helms trucks have un- authentic bakery cabinets that differ GREATLY from original. This is because RARELY did these owners have any pieces of the actual original Helms bakery cabinets at all. It is almost non existent now to have the latches, locks, trim, glass, drawers & slides ect. to re-pattern a Helms Bakery Cabinet authentically. This truck does have a fair and low priced reserve. It would make great Authentic Helms or Street Rod Trolley investment. It has all the original stuff - if someone out there wants to do one up right. A 14 foot long crowd pleaser, and the next owner must be willing to restore it. Note; If you look carefully at the pic looking through the front window of the cabin, (you can spot my 2nd Helms Divco Twin truck.) that I own. In 1971 this other Divco received a 427, AT, PB and dually rear end in Fullerton Ca. Recently the 2 vehicles were kept together in plans to authentically restore one pristine original Helms Divco twin into a show truck. But now; this 2nd trolly truck with the V8 drive train and large hauling envelope meets my immediate business and advisement needs - so I decided to keep only this one truck - and sell off the originally equipped one. To the new owner; Ample storage is available in making his transportation arrangements, no worries.