Originally Posted by CliffordK

I recently picked up a used homebuilt cargo bike for $40. Needs a bit of work.
Hopefully the restoration will go quickly. I'll try to post notes of the restoration / rebuild as it goes on.
Unfortunately it had a broken weld on the frame. The two tubes had two plates welded between them which had also broken loose. Somehow the canti brakes also disappeared between when the photos were taken and the sale. No rear wheel, but a standard 26" should be fine. And the paint job is much worse than it looks in the photos. I probably should strip and repaint.
Looking at the bike, some things are good. Some aren't so good. Some things make me wonder what the builder was thinking. Personally I think the double tube design must have had a lot of both vertical and torsional flex. The plywood might give it some strength, but it wasn't really designed for that either.
Hopefully tomorrow I'll touch up the broken welds. Then perhaps I'll put it back together and try it out, but I expect to be building a little more extensive front support system.