1951 ford COE project help.

Hello my name is Seth.
I have a 1951 ford COE cab that i picked up for 200.00.
I need help from you guys who have built them.
First what frame to use.
I want to build a coe pick up or something similar to KOOKS chevy coe.
I have a couple of frame choices but I would like to see what frame and steering set up to use.
Thanks in advance
This coe was a desert express truck as you can see in the door signage.
The last picture is close to what I want in the end.
I want to keep the door signage and weathered look since its very important to me.
Thanks again

 

There is a COE thread on here with a ton of pics and ideas, do a search, I think it is " can we start a COE thread"

 

Yes thank you.I have read the entire thread and it was the only reason I joined the site just didnt want to ask newbie questions on that amazing thread.
BTW i have been taking notes but I would love more info.
thanks
Seth

 

I'm with ya. So much info on there and so many options. I just want someone to tell me what the easiest thing to do is but I don't wanna get yelled at in the COE thread. I'll monitor this one.

 

One of my friends is building a COE and he is using a 1 ton chevy box van ch***is. His cab fit very nice on the ch***is. He is planning on running a Caddy engine mounted behind the cab with a roll back bed to haul cars on.

 

That sounds cool.I have been talking to a member that did a 48 coe and he says that a 1988 gmc 1500 is a good choice.
I could have it for free.
I will need help oh the steering part.I have the idea but it will be hard getting there.
I want to shorten the frame and mount the engine in the stock position.
I am a short pos and have lots of leg room and the heat dont bother me.
After all its 126 out here,
Thanks for the support I hope to get the big guns here.

 

Despite the heat and other stuff(51 f1 carb bs),I am actually getting some stuff done.
1-Cleaned the COE cab and did some repairs on the sheet metal
2-got the donor truck stripped to the ch***is and running gear.
Donor truck is a 1981 3/4 ton chevy deluxe dually.sbc and 4 speed.
3-Placed the cab and front end on the ch***is and I am in the process of figuring how and where to mount the cab.
I am undecided if I want to use the sbc or a 270 GMC or any beefy 6 cyl to gain a little more leg room.
4-I located a hood.
5-I got 4 wheels and new tires for the COE at $50.00 US dollars a piece.


I need the experts input:
a)Do I keep the sbc and raise the cab a little to keep some of the heat out of the cab and gain some room.??
b)Do I look for a beefy 6 inline and gain some leg room??
Here are some pictures if you don't mind.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=26339
Thanks.
Seth

 

About the only real way to get good leg room is to put the engine behind the cab, not under it.

 

x2 on what phat rat says. I am building a 48 ford COE and that is what i am doing. I made the floor all flat except for the toe board and have all kinds of leg room.

 

I would have no idea how to hook the ****** and accelerator and where would you mount the radiator.
I guess if you let me see your set up,I could duplicate it.
there is noway I could figure it out on my own.
I am going with a short wheel base COE with a wreck/tow truck bed,Will it still work with the engine mounted behind the cab?
Could I take a sneek peek at yours?

 

one of the guys i know in wash state is doing one on a ford 1-ton ch*** with a 7.3 de.and 5-sp trans.with a 8-foot box on it.will look kool when he is done.

 

So cool! Want more pics though!

Klaus

 

With the motor in the back it's easiest to run an automatic. Cable shift and cable throttle are the way to go. Radiator in front and use tubing to get the water back to the radiator. I was building mine with a 30" semi sleeper and had a Cad 500 under the sleeper. I don't know if you can tell by this pic but the floor was big enough to be a dance floor. LOL

 

that is awesome phat rat,how bout pics of your engine/******??
got a link??

 

No link but I'll see if I have any pics of it. The truck is long gone as I sold it uncompleted back in 02.

 

Thanks phatrat any pic would be awesome.

 

I have sent you some pictures of my build. But to agree with the others, if you want it to sit low, you either have to put the engine behind the cab or have the engine into the cab feet area. You could mount the engine under the cab and have the cab up high, but it will be tall as stock. Engine behind the cab then an auto trans is many times less h***le than manual. One problem you may have with your plan for shorter wheelbase is that with engine behind you may not have enough driveshaft space, or an awfully short driveshaft.

 

Hey man!!
I have seen a guy with a direct drive set up,****** yoke directly connected to the rear and yoke.
I guess I could put the engine behind the Cab and Reinforce the bed floor to protect the engine if I want to put stuff in the bed.
Or I could make a dog house that is very strong and removable so I can have access to the engine to work on it.
Or a tilt bed.??
May I ask where you sent the pics???
Thanks,good to hear from ya,I heard you werent feeling good lately.

 

Connecting the engine directly to the differential requires you to make the engine mounting to go up and down with suspension movement. You still need a slip yoke on the trans to account for thermal expansion and other small tolerance issues. Some race cars have solid mounted rear and they don't have the problem of the engine being able to move with suspension.

I thought I sent you pics over email? I send a lot of people pics from my COE build, I could be confused........ If you want any specific pics just PM me your email address and I can send how I built my COE. My 49 on 74 GM ch***is is very similar to your basic parts.

Depending on how low you mount the engine relative to the frame behind the cab and how your bed is relative to the frame, it may not require much height on the engine cover.

I am fine, just busy with life and 53 GMC project so don't spend as much time here.

 

use a caddy eldorado or olds toranado engine and trans mounted in the bed

or use a econoline van frame and keep it all ford

 

I forgot about suspension movement.
Thanks.
I will PM you.

It was hard enough to get this far,
I will prolly use that set up on another COE???If I succeed with this one...

 

my name is Al. I just registered on the site because I have an all original 51 ford f5 coe. would like to chat with anyone out there about these trucks

 

this is Al email address is alsrpme@yahoo.com

 

do you have a phone number Al?

 

even tho I would love to have a slammed coe,I also love the way a stock short wheel base coe wreckers look.
So leaving the engine flush with the floor would make the cab sit higher up but thats ok,I would like to make something like this now:

 

This is what I got done today.
i Still have to bring it forward a couple of inches and start my steering set up

 

i am just starting one with a ten foot box on it on a city bus ch***is which is straight all the way back and flat has dually rear. peterbuilt tilt tele column, vac / hyd brakes. small air compressor and tank which i will mt under floor , radiator, intercooler and condenser and fans in stock location. motor home 19.5 wheels 6 lug, axle in front with springs and air bags, air bags in rear with long trailing arms like a nascar deal. ***mins deisel 5.9 12 valve and 4 speed allison. putting it in the rear behind cab, eng and trans is 6 ft long most will be under floor in bed. can drop cab over rails 12 inches for a low mean look and standard heigth of ch***is. it is 204 inches and im shortening it to 154 inch like a 4 door ford f250.

 

nice drgrcr50 I am going to have a 110'' wheelbase truck so no room to put it behind the cab.
I will just have to **** it up and leave the engine in stock location and insulating the **** out of the floor and firewall.
I will sacrifice comfort for the right look

 

LINK TO MY STEERING SET UP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zXHOghs3fU

 

That looks like it will work fine...What did you use for u-joints? Thanks for the vid, I need all the ideas I can get!