COE 1941 Ford COE build

Upper WS Swiss Cheese replacement complete. Came out pretty good... Also welded up the 4 bolt holes in the roof that used to hold the Coca Cola sign.

Took a lunchtime ride for fuel.. I'm happy to report that driving the COE is still a freak show.

"What vintage is this beauty?".
"What is it?".

Pose for a picture

Come out of DDs and find a guy nearly laying underneath it to check out how it's put together.

I may need to bump moving the fuel filler up on the list.. It's pretty difficult to get to and I spilled pretty good yesterday. No damage, but soaking up fuel with paper towels ain't my favorite activity.

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Next time she's getting a ride!!!!!

 

Trying to mock up the sleeper placement... Ignore the actual sleeper sitting on the bed... The cardboard cutout is where the top of the sleeper would be at the stock height and the width cut down to 71 1/2".

It's about 1.5" outside the beltline width on each side.

 

minus 22"!

 

Can't see the picture?

 

How about this??

 

Excellent, can see the pictures now.
Looks much more in proportion now with it narrowed.

 

Skier , did you put it togeather with what ? Looks real nice . Blue

 

I haven't yet and have your kind offer in mind.. I found out recently that there is a local place that does special fasteners so i thought I'd check them out..

 

Sliced and mocked up on the truck... I mostly like it...

 

Hey Skier , is the height of the sleeper as low as it can go ? If you are going to run running boards you could lower it to the height of the cab . So air o dynamic !LOL . Got mine down to 3/8 of an inch lower than the cab . Just sayin . And wouldn't be such a big step into the sleeper . But it looks great . Here are examples of both ways . Both have been cut down , mine in both directions and the other only the width . I like both . Blue

 

Aerodynamic.... BWAAHHH!!! I like the look with the top of the sleeper a little higher than the cab, although a little lower than where I have it would be nice. But the line I feel is most important for my project is the lower one. I think the bottom of the cab and the sleeper need to be the same. Even the way mine sits now, it will need a little extra on the cab and continue that body line on the sleeper.

I've considered shortening the sleeper height, but I think any change will involve the doors, since above and below them are pretty much the framing. The other issue is having as much flat sleeper panel against the COE cab as possible. I am cutting out the back of the cab to allow the front seats to slide and recline back into the sleeper. Flat sleeper panel to COE cab will dictate the inside height of the opening.

 

Are you going to use the dropped running boards with the cab extension? Or does Ford use them . That would put the bottom of cab about 6 or so inches lower .
On mine the extended part is about 8" lower and that puts the running board below my sleeper but I'm going to extend the Running board under the sleeper and put a painted panel on top of it recessed back into area under sleeper . Blue

 

Very similar to this...

 

Exactly, except mine will be coming off the bed and match the curve on cab boards . That will allow the boards to come up with the bed to be out of the way when working on motor . I just wish mine was running and driving.

 

Definately looks better higher than the cab.

 

Here's how I did mine. (Of course mine is different because of the front wheel setback) My sleeper is 8" wider on each side and 8" taller with everything matching at the bottom. There will be a wing on the cab to smooth the airflow over the sleeper. The 8" dimension comes from the original cab corners that no longer exist, but look nice with the cab. I won't have any running boards, just a step in front of the fender and at the sleeper. Inside, my opening to the sleeper is the full width of the cab and there is a tunnel between the seats that will have some sort of a step to help entry to the sleeper. Cab and sleeper are one welded structure, so there won't be any leaks between them. ( the main reason I chose this design)

Seats will mount in the depression over the rusty place. Plywood at the top of picture is the sleeper floor, the big box in the middle surrounds the radiator.

 

Nice work Steve!!

I pulled Buford out of the garage yesterday to pick up a Jeep hardtop just up the street. I pull into the guy's driveway, he comes out and comments on Buford's coolness... Then his wife and 5 year old son stick their heads out the front door to exclaim the same thing.... That was pretty cool!!!!!!!

 

sleeper rough opening cut... I may be able to make the opening a bit larger, but I need to figure out the cab's beltline into the sleeper alum so can move the sleeper forward another inch and know where the cab's curves will land... In the meantime, I'm really at a loss on how I'll need to frame and reinforce this monster... I see bolting the sleeper and the cab together, but I'll need some structure in there and really don't have any ideas... Help!

 

Skier , are you going to the the cab into the sleeper solid or with a gasket? Is the body mounted to a sub frame on isolated with rubber or such ? Need to know all this .
On mine I was lucky in that the sleeper had storage boxes that were sturdy . I built a frame work at the height of my frame . This could be main frame or lift frame such as mine . Since my cab is mounted on rubber mounts , I mounted sleeper on same . Built a sub frame out of angel and tubeing. Works good . Mounted my frame to body with rivets but could be bolted at any height . The floor will stiffen it up a lot . Notice I used some big washers I made from Al. for some reinforcements.
Hope this helps some as I know all are different. Blue

 

Just approach it like you would a floppy bodied hotrod. Frame out with square tubing. Plenty of writeups about on what sizes to use where.

 

This really helps, guys! I have a tilting subframe that the cab is bolted to with urethane body mounts. I plan to bolt the sleeper to the subframe in the same manner then bolt the sleeper to the cab. The cab, sleeper and subframe will tilt forward as one unit.

I'm not sure if a gasket will seal the cab to the sleeper or I can goop it with something. I don't plan on it ever coming apart.

I hear you both saying "just frame it dummy"... Which makes perfect sense... frame the opening on both sides, bolt those together. Tie the new framing in the sleeper into the existing framing inside the sleeper. Ditto for the cab..

I like the square tube idea also.,.. I was thinking angle stock and trying to make something that could work together from both sides, but why not angle on one side and square tube on the other? One edge of the angle stock could protrude forward into the cab and "accept" the square tube inside the cab.

 

Skier , look at cl*** c motor homes for a gasket material. You will have a slight twisting between the two . It should take care of some of the squeaking if you bolt or tie the two togeather . As long as the tilt frame goes back to carry the body and sleeper and is stiff you should have no problem . Angle and tube will work fine . Tie the two sides togeather straight and square then put a solid floor in and it will be nice and firm . Blue

 

Thanks for setting me straight, Blue! The way you describe it, a gasket makes much more sense.

I tried to fit the linear actuator a friend gave me to the COE tilt mechanism. After figuring out how to mount it, the thing won't lift the cab. I can tilt it by hand, albeit straining my Hersheys a bit, so I know the cab is way less than the actuator's 500 lb capacity. A little further testing (and ruining my garage, bathroom scale) I find that it will only lift about 180lbs. DRAT! Ok, so even though I still have the frame-mounted scissor jack to tilt the cab, I feel committed to the fancier setup. I bite hard and order a new 1500 lb unit. We'll see!

 

Maybe there are heavy duty struts you can add to ***ist the actuator?

 

new 1500 lb linear actuator works "THE BALLS"!!!!! Just need to finish up the bracketry and permanently mount the switch somewhere (With a written list of caveats!).. Unbolt he cab before tilting, front wheels straight ahead, etc.... Took a quick video, but it's kinda anticlimactic. Maybe once the sleeper is on it will be more exciting.

 

The cab tilts with the flick of a switch! I had to move the switch after I realized with the door open you were looking straight at the BRIGHT RED cover on the switch. I figured Little Johnny would not be able to resist. Bad things could happen when LJ hit the switch. It's just inside the door jamb now so you have to stick your head *in* the door to see it. Prolly paint it black too..

 

I really like that tire/wheel combo, its a great fit for the fender and isn't too flashy.

 

Made this wood "form" last night. Hope to use it and a couple pipes to form the part of the sleeper that meets the cab's beltline. It's about 2-4" needed on each side. Sleeper is aluminum, hopefully just a couple clamps will get 'er done.