COE 1953 Chevy COE-what chassis/donor?

I am finally looking at starting my 1953 chevy COE project and have a question on the ch***is. It seems like a very common question but I don't have much experience as far as steering fabrication goes. I would like to put her on air bags and slam it to the ground, I will also be using this as a light duty flatbed for dragging my sleds(snowmobiles) around in the winter. I have 2 options available.
Option 1- 1973 motorhome p30 ch***is, the wheelbase is around 120" with a running 454 and t400 ******. runs, drives, and stops, although a bit breezy considering it is already stripped down
Option 2- 1995 chevy crewcab long bed 3500 with a 4l80e, no motor and no steering but has brake master cylinder

Any opinions or considerations on which donor would be better for my needs would be much appreciated

 

I'd go with the '95. Parts are more plentiful and easy to find. The P30 is a great option but is going to be tougher to find parts for... easier to mount the cab and a bed to though.

 

That looks good .

 

trying to figure out which ch***is would be the best for my situation, I also have access to a 1978 chevy 4 door longbed ch***is

 

Well the thing I would do is figure out whet whelp base you want then go from there . You need to know your budget , what you'll be doing with the truck and the true condition of your donee . That 4l80e is a great trans but you'll need a controller . Discissions are not easy .

 

All of the ch***is' have a wheelbase in my range. I'm going to throw a 10'-12' flat bed on depending on which ch***is I go with. My main question is which one is the most simple to deal with for steering fabrication as that seems where most people have issues

 

Any pics of the motor home steering setup?
The MH frame is nice and straight all the way back........a huge plus to me. Plus it runs and drives.
I used an '89 Chevy 1 ton truck ch***is and kinda wish I'd gone with something else.

 

RMR&C I will have to take another picture later, but it's more vertically set with a slight tilt backwards. Has anyone put airbags on a setup with the motor up front? I'm afraid if I put it behind the cab I will have to raise the flatbed quite a bit

 

Engine placement shouldn't really matter with air bags, but you may need to raise the flatbed any way for tire clearance if you plan to "slam it". depends on the design.
Mine doesn't have bags but I've been thinking about it........

 

I had to build fender humps into my flatbed, and even then the flatbed is raised off the frame a few inches.

 

That's a great quote, I have a good one on a plaque in my house "There are no rules here, we're trying to accomplish something" -Thomas Edison

 

My '47 sitting on an '03 1500 silverado ch***is, bagged on all 4, front of engine under cab. Steering hook up was easy peasy, rotate rack, buy 1 u joint.

 

Thanks Fasttoys, That is exactly what i want to achieve. How is the legroom? Did you have to do much modification with the floor pans? Damn good looking rig if I say so myself!

 

Leg room is actually more then a standard pick up. 2 reasons: I'm using a 1990 Silverado seat which has a thinner back and I removed the recess in the fire wall and hump in floor. My fire wall and floor are both flat. That being said I do have a 4 inch raise in the floor below the seat and a larger raise behind the seat, both have removable covers for front engine/radiator access. For engine mine is part under cab and part under bed. Had I used an LS1 or LS6 intake I think I could have a completely flat bed, now I have a removable half box.

 

I need a completely flat bed, so I'm thinking about keeping the engine forward, I have a 454 and motorhome p30 ch***is with 120" wheelbase. Can't wait to start fabricating!

 

Fasttoys, how wide is your flatbed? Does anyone think an 8' wide bed would look disproportional to the cab?

 

My bed is 6' 6" wide and 12' long. 8 foot might work with dual wheels. If your looking to haul a car 7' is plenty for most cars or single wheel trucks.
Rob

 

Also I would add, I looked close at front engine, it takes a ton of leg room. Sit in a conversion van and subtract 3 inches of side leg room on each side to get an idea. Now if you go as original, cab over engine, it works but going low or engine access are both issues. I will be starting on a '54 soon and will do it the exact same way as this one. It has worked well now for over 35K miles.
Just my 2 cents.
Rob