COE Salvaging a 38 Ford COE

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I remember seeing a few of those
roof-mounted "periscopes" on
some old flatbed trucks, 'back
in the day'. If you could find
another one somewhere, it might
be cool - just because no one else
has one and you don't see them
used on trucks anymore - to instal
one rather than just filing the hole
in the roof. If you checked on the
American Truck Historical Society
site (www.aths.org) and asked
around there, I'll bet one would
probably turn up and not be too
pricy. The big cut-out where the
back window used to be is a bigger
problem. Going by the size of the
hole, I wonder if the cut-out might
have been for a sleeper that the cab
may have had mounted on it by
a subsequent owner, sometime
after it's phone company service???

Mart3406
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My dad had a c.o.e tow truck back in the day(70's) that had the mirror above your head and it was a series of mirrors that had a prism effect that kept the image behind you right side up and centered in the mirror you were looking up at. made it easy when you backed up. i"d like to look at another one to confirm what I remember.There's one on a truck near where I live in a plane museum but its going to take some convincing to let them let me look. a few years back I seen a conventional diamond t that had the box behind the cab,had a padded bench seat in it that was about 8in wide, didn't look very comfortable.

 

more great fab work!

 

Nice build so far. Hopefully see this one cruzing down I55 some day.

 

very cool.

 

The cut out wasn't for a sleeper. It was for an add on crew cab that looked similar to a sleeper but had a bench seat and one door on the right side. They usually had a toolbox accessible from the outside on the left side below the floor of the crew cab. They were fairly common on phone company trucks. The add on crew cabs were usually backed up by a covered utility box. Sometimes the crew cab was integral with the box, sometimes they were separate.

 

I need to do a lot of mock up in order to get a good placement for the pedals. I started with making a seat riser out of 12ga. and a seat frame out of thin wall tubing.



Once I have the seat frame, I can mock it up to see how much foam I need for it.



Then I mocked up the floor and toe boards to get a feel where I want the pedals. I'm hoping for a floor mounted brake pedal with the booster and master under the drivers seat for access. Yes the engine will be in stock location for a true cabover.





I think there will be enough room under the floor for the brake pedal mount.



I really need to get the seat foam made to get an accurate feel for the cab, steering wheel, and pedals. Also have enough room for the chopped top. I will start with some 5" thick 2545 foam for the seat cushion. Not sure about the back rest foam yet.

 

Donor vehicle for the drivetrain.

1973 Ford Econoline E-300 motor home.


It is even a cabover setup with a 302/C6.




It only has 49K miles on it.



Wasn't easy removing the motor, but I finally got it out and in my garage.





I am thinking about using a Ford AOD trans instead of the C6. Since I have 4.10 gears, the overdrive might come in handy?

 

Mid surgery transplant photos.





I have to move the lower Chevy motor mounts rearward a few inches and modify the upper Ford motor mount in order to marry the parts together. All done with salvaged parts.

I chose a Ford 302 and Ford AOD transmission for this Cabover because it is the largest motor that will fit in stock location and under the stock doghouse.

 

awesome work, as always.

 

You don't happen to have a rear sump oil pan?? That'll help ya set it a little lower for some more clearance?

 

Yes, the econoline 302 motor came with a rear sump pan. I got lucky there. I was prepared to swap to a rear sub if I couldn't find a motor with it already.

 

Very nice project! Love COE's. How are you handling ***ling? Keep it ***led as a 39, but carry the 87 ***le also to prove ch***is ownership?

 

I like where this is going. I love wreckers. My Papaw(grandpa) was a wrecker man in TN. I used to help him alot and that's where my love for wreckers got started. He had an old '59 B-Model Mack for the big hauls. I've always wanted to build an old wrecker.

It's crazy how in the first picture of this build the stripped cab favors the rear of a humpback sedan.

 

This truck is too cool! Great build.

 

No tilt cab here. I only mention that the telescoping steering connection would ease one issue with tilt cabs.

 

I think he is referring to ***le do***entation...

Great build!

 

I think he meant how are you "***ling" it. I would be interested as well because Illinois can be a pain in the ***. Will it be ***led with one of the donor cars or do you have a clear 38 ***le??

 

Oh, I misread ***le for tilt. I'm just using the 1938 ***le on the truck. I have no ***les for the vehicles used for donor parts. All of these vehicles are from my friends salvage yard. He must have all the paper work for those vehicles. Do I really need them?

I saved all the vin numbers on the donor vehicles for my own records.

 

I would do a search for Illinois ***le here on the HAMB. Your 38 ***le has probably been revoked by the state and you will have to apply for a new ***le. They are going to want to see serial numbers. something you don't have for the 38 ***le it sounds like. What they are after is the tax money they feel owed to them and they are basing appraisals on Barret Jackson prices. Be careful.

 

Tony ,I am really liking your build on the COE,the 53 is fantastic also,I have a 55 C600 cab down in KY at my cousins barn ,future project also a 54 and 55 1st series at my place in Tn Nice work,I'm subscribed!

 

Motor mounts done. I have to pick up an AOD trans in order to finish the trans crossmember.



Remounted the cab.



A true cabover truck, a path others builders rarely take.

 

Nice work and great use of salvage parts. COE project's are the best!

 

Tony, look for a mid 70's dodge van in the boneyard, they had a master cylinder/booster that did a 90 degree turn on the firewall.

*EDIT* Oops! forgot you were going under the floor.

 

I've always loved Coe trucks there was a great one at lead east this weekend but as I took a close look there is no way I would fit in it, I'm 6'1" and it seems you need to be at least half a foot shorter to fit inside, is that true an all coe's


Our only recourse on this road to hell is we're driving a firetruck!

 

I love do it yourself builds. This is going to work out nicely. Good stuff.

 

Hey do you still have access to that 73 motorhome? I could use two small parts off of it. Let me know!

By the way I'm loving this build! Subscribed.

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Not sure if he didn't crush it yet. I will check tomorrow. What are you looking for?

 

These early Ford COEs seem to be the smallest ones. I'm 5' 7" and I built the seat to fit me with a 4" chop. Seat location is everything when it comes to drivers size.

 

The 1973 Econoline I used for the drivetrain had that 90 degree brake booster setup too.