Okay, as has been suggested, I'm finally starting a build thread. No more hijacking fellas threads and injecting my agendas. This will be home base for all things related to our COE project. It will initially be much more of a planning thread, but ultimately I hope to help others by sharing our experiences, as I have learned a ton from y'all who have shared your experiences. This is as much one big "Thank's, y'all!" As it is a sounding board for you guys to help a dude who's mostly clueless, and lastly a cool place to do***ent our process and progress. So, as the old saying goes, 'it takes a village!' And let's let the good times roll. ~Jon Leeth
The genesis: As she sat 1/2 way home at my in-laws' A rusty, dented heap atop a '98 Chevy one ton ch***is. Nothing pretty here.
The concept. Un-rod the '56 super cruiser truck i have photo chopped in my avatar-make it like Henry would have, but using modern tech. As a family man, my ultimate goal, is to haul as much family (realistically, grand kids) with me as is possible while pulling a trailer capable of having a decent living quarters (for 6?) and space to haul my then similarly crew cabbed '56 F-100. A super-sized toy box. I've found a company specializing in outfitting racing and stock trailers with living quarters. They even have a slew of floor plans on the web. I'll post that link later. So I've been researching cl*** 6 trucks and am finding more questions than answers. My initial thought is to build on a non-cdl F-650/750. Cat, international, ***mins? I dunno. Cat seems to be the beefiest but also the priciest to fix. And what's physically possible to fit in the normal engine bay vs moving motor out back, then what's my wheelbase getting stretched to what with motor and trans between cab and rear axle? I'd really like to maintain concept proportions in line with what looks "right". Truck width, my front fenders measure 88" out-to-out. I've found references online (of questionable reliability) ranging track widths of these trucks to be between 82-97" wide. Swap in a narrower axle from an NPR/F-550/etc or narrow the wider bigger axle are options there. Rear track, no worries, I will build my bed custom to suit me. Only thing I'm really worried about there is height for pulling the gooseneck trailer. Fold-down bedsides might become a reality there. I keep asking myself if air brakes and bigger safety factor is worth getting a cdl? As stock looking as possible yet as safe and practical as is possible using modern components.
One trick is to build the truck so it meets RV criteria, that way it could way 200,000lbs and have steam brakes and no CDL is required. As far as engines, small Cats are getting a bad rep in the medium duty world, I think the smart money goers with a ***mins. I like your over sized toy hauler idea, (I'm also thinking of building one) but if you go with 20 ft living space and 20 ft to haul a truck with, you have a 40 ft trailer ,(plus neck) you won't be able to find very many campgrounds that will have a spot for you to park in. If you shorten up the living area and put drop down beds in the hauler, or above the neck, you will find camp spots more easily. Walmart parking lot every night ****s!
Yeah, Steve, your trailer ideas are right in line with my thinking. Master bunk will be over the gooseneck. Probably have a slide or two? And definitely bunks in the garage. One thought is to fetch a school bus and repurpose the bus body as the trailer body and slip the bus ch***is under the coe. The bus body kinda has 50's-ish rounded lines and my hopes are that it might be able to be finessed a bit to hide the school bus origins? Skin over some windows with matching ribbed panels and ditch the lights and brows and paint it all silver. Bada boom! A 50s reefer? Yet another option was a brand new bare RV ch***is a fellow HAMB member had a spare of. I chatted him up a bit and his price was fair but I'm pretty sure I'd run out of gcwr with it, but the RV ***le would be a bit easier. Oklahoma has gotten as tough as Texas and California are now with vehicle ***les. Fudging one as an RV sounds problematic considering what I've been reading and am being told by tag agents. I think I really just need to throw one of my extra measuring tapes into the daily and swing into the truck sales place(s) and waste a salesman's time for 10-15 minutes comparing trucks and crawling em over. One other biggie for me is I want the 5 hand hole Budd style 22.5" wheels. I do realize the Dayton style are period correct and especially for a "Big Job" C-800 as I intend to superficially badge mine, but think the weight savings of the lighter Budd is far more beneficial in my equation. Aesthetically I much prefer the Budds too.
Not much to report. Kids' activities and life tend to always take precedence, but I stole a day and made progress toward ditching the unwanted 1 ton pickup ch***is. Another day and they should be free of one another. Front clip tried to fight me but I'm not one to be defeated : JML
Well, one more day is all she took. Hoping to maybe get a nickel out of the ch***is, but realistically would be happy if it were just hauled off. No ***le, so s****ping is a bit iffy. Once it's out, hopefully in the next day or so, I'll finally start organizing that wall of the shop. After that, I'll build a caster cart to roll the cab around on while body mods get underway. Hope to get the space functional now that I have room to breathe!
Just my 2 cents, but you've got everything torn down and you're in the grease now, when it comes to safety, there's no such thing as too safe. Get the heaviest duty axles you can squeeze in and run air ride, that way you'll have more than enough while hauling and unladen. running stock parts off of non cdl HD trucks (axles) will make it easy for you to get parts if you did have a breakdown and if you run cdl air bag suspension, you'll have a comfortable ride and the combination will provide you with the strength you're looking for to tow with. As far as air brakes are concerned, as long as your trailer has proper brakes on it and your controller is calibrated properly, there should be no need to run air brakes.
Agreed Ncurrw! My only hesitation going into the realm of air brakes and CDL rated equipment is that I've heard insuring a beast like that gets very expensive. Now that this tonner ch***is has sat in the shop for a week, I keep seeing little things I want to cut off before expelling it. The tall bed mount perches look pretty close to fitting the bill for upright shock mounts on a jag IFS front swap I have in the wings for my '56 F-100. Body mounts is body mounts. Never know when and where those will be needed... Cross members? Haven't decided on those yet.
Heres a question, are you planning on running a srw or drw axle? Also single or double axle? It sure would be interesting to see a double dually quad cab big job hauling down the highway
single rear axle with duals planning to go for a 1956 "stock-ish" look. crew cab, budd wheels, stock color, low stance - modern drive train though JML
Cant wait to see this one unfold, 56s look great from the factory so this can only be even better. John
Agreed! So as I said above, I've had my heart set on the budd style wheels. Primarily, I think, because that's the majority of examples I was able to find as I sought my COE. But having attained a great set of C-800 BIG JOB hood emblems, I'm rethinking my design a little bit. I keep looking at used school buses, their low prices, and how they often have Dayton style wheels as would an original 1956 C-800... My left brain starts arguing unspring weight; right brain responds with air sprung suspension... Questions of 22.5" low pro tire availability, and on and on my imagination short circuits. I do plan to run the gawdy big job emblems - what do you guys think, Budd or Dayton wheels? Remember, think a "period-correct-ish" 1956 super cruiser (Pics stole-burrowed from web) Translate this: Into an original sea foam green, lowered crew cab with 9ft express bed version of this: Minus the aluminum wheels, obviously. I really need to start measuring donors and doing some concept drawings...
I had a 1958 Ford custom 300 years ago that was sea foam green, that will look great on the COE. Looking forward to the concept drawings……...
Wheel choice can certainly be tough... I was completely convinced that I'd run a Torque Thrust II type wheel on mine until OahuEli did the latest PHENOMENAL rendering for me. I'm think some white artillery wheels with Ford V8 hubcaps might be the ticket now. The artwork!!! Thanks again Eli!
Well, I buzzed the last of the mounts off of the ch***is this weekend. Transmission Xmember was a bolt in job that got yanked too. Eyeballing one last bolt in Xmember before I post an ad to get the rest gone. Anybody see that mid 50s super crewser cross the block on that uPaY site? I'd do a few details different, but this thing got me charged up. I wish the front track sat under the front fender skirts a little better, but this is as close to my concept as anything else I've seen to date. If form follows function, this might be very close to where I hope to wind up. JML
Great forward thinking!! Keep doing it out loud so I can utilize those thoughts on mine. Regards, Mark.
DANGIT, I've got to go get a roll of paper towels now. My brain just exploded all over my desk... That's my kind of pic link!
Sometimes it's the little victories. I love that Craigslist! The junk ch***is found its' new home. Good fellow who only needed two of the wheels rolled up in a nice slammed 90s C30 toting a heavy 20ft car hauler, willingly hauled off the lot. Now this is the breathing room I have to work with: I know. A lot of work ahead just continuing to clean up and set up shop. Hopefully more working hours can be had in the shop this fall and winter than in previous years. I need to build the cab dolly so that is moveable. I just wish I had as clear a vision on my workshop setup as I have for my truck project..... JML
Check my upgraded cab dolly on my thread, unistrut makes jigging up easier, but It needed the 3/16 (might be 1/4") square tube for extra rigidity. I should have patented it!LOL!!!
I saw that and really liked it! And noticed where you said you had to beef it up. I was going to quiz you on it. I'm gonna start a cab dolly thread in here....
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