I am going to scratch build a 1930s style Holmes wrecker bed for my 1938 Ford COE. Anyone know what gauge sheet metal I should use for the sides and bulk head or at least what gauge Ernest used back then? I'm thinking at least 16ga. and maybe 14ga. Anyone have detailed pictures of a 1930s Holmes bed?
Nothing less than 16ga. Had a 48 ford Holmes and bed was 11ga. with round 1 1/2 around top . Will see if I can find some photos on Monday , leaving on mc ride (in rain )tomorrow .
I don't know about Holmes but if you google " tow truck images" or check out "vintage pics of days gone by" here you find lots of pictures. I love old tow trucks. Good luck!
According to the guild lines, it does. I'm looking to build a period correct wrecker bed for my 1938 Ford cab-over-engine.
If you say so. By the way I wasn't knocking it. I just have never seen what I would call a custom wrecker. Maybe I've led a sheltered life. Good luck with your project. Gregg
The first pics are from a Hambers bed,it came on his 38 chevy wrecker.. Ill give u his info and u can ask him. I bet u hell say its like 14ga. I saw that they use plywood in the inside of the walls(bedsides) Im also making a coe wrecker bed for my COE ,provided i have time and money. Good luck The rest are inspiration pics. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Google the 'Towing Museum' it will take you to the International Towing & Recovery Hall Of Fame & Museum. They have a history center & library there.
awesome rig! would buy it in the spot if i would live nearby ... think transport to germany would be too expensive
Thanks for the pictures. Five of those are very close to the style I am going for. But I will be using Ford pickup rear fenders and a custom 8" tall tailgate. One piece running boards going fender to fender. I haven't decided if I want to use a pipe to cap the bed sides or a flat bar and a spaced up hand railing.
I've owned several "Chariot Style" 40's, - early 50's Ernest Holmes Wreckers. The Medium Duty Holmes model 460, 490, 515, & 525 Wrecker service bodies were made of 14 ga. steel. The Heavy Duty Holmes model W35, & W45 Wrecker service bodies were made of 12 ga. steel. I'm installing a 1946 model Holmes Heavy Duty W35 unit, on a 1952 GMC 3 1/2 ton COE.
You need to find the thread "Post your Vintage Tow Truck Photos ! ! ! ", that's on this site. It's full of Vintage Holmes Wrecker photos.
Thanks spankster, I will have to check the weight difference between the 12ga and 14ga. Obvious the thicker the better, but I'm trying to build this COE as light as possible. I mean if the 12ga is going to be 300lbs more than the 14g! I have to consider than. I like the idea of the bed being lined with wood. How was it attached to the sides?
Only the very earliest Holmes "Road King" wrecker service bodies from the mid, to late 30's used wood lining. From around 1939 on, wood was not used anymore. A friend of mine is selling a 1940's Holmes "Traffic King" body, & booms here in town, minus the truck. You interested ? It's identical to the red, & black '46 Chevy Holmes Wrecker, in iwanaflatties post above.
I could line the box with wood and still be period correct? Spankster, thanks for the offer, but I am building a box from scratch. That way it will fit perfectly with my frame for width and length. I also want to use pickup rear fenders to help it flow better with the overall look. The box I will be making is 60" wide by 7' 6" long. The bulkhead will be curved to follow the body lines on the back of the cab. The plans for now is no boom, just the Holmes style bed.
The fellow I mentioned is: Oldschoolantiqueauto here on the hamb. U can see his album here http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=36904&pictureid=389552 Pretty similar ideas yours and his. In this picture u can see the some of the wood rotting. I was thinking 16ga and 1/2 plywood should be enough when i make(if i make)mine. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=36904&pictureid=389552
65,in my machinery handbook it list 14ga at 3.125 #per sg ft. 13ga at 3.75 , 12ga at 4.375. Did not find my picts. of my old wrecker , hell its only been 35 years since I sold it . BLUE
Okay guys thanks. To make a box 7' 6" by 5' 0" by 3' 0" high I will need 60 sq ft of sheet metal. If I use 12ga, it will weigh 262.5lbs If I use 14ga, it will weigh 187.5lbs Basically 75lbs more. Not too bad. I guess I will order some 12ga. I need two pieces 3' x 8' for the sides and one piece 3' x 4' for the bulkhead. I can order a 6' x 12' sheet to get it all. Here are my plans.
standard , Ernies towing up on the north suburbs of Chicago used to have several older style holmes boom trucks . I would give them a call to see if they still heave them . as they were used daily but kept in show truck condition . there was a junk yard near hoopeston Il that catered to old tow/service trucks it was on Il rt one . south of Watseka ( not the truck junk yard in watseka ) maybe someone will remember it from here had a bunch of old stuff . I know the service bed we had on ours was 11 ga steel but that was just the bed .
Ran into a huge snag with this bed. Then with a 3/16 x 3/4 bar plug welded on the out top edge of the bed. Then with a 5/16 x 3 bar on the top edge. Only tacked on and I have shrunk the out edge so much I buckled the 12ga. The shrinking of the edge caused indirect damage to the side of the bed. Not sure I can stretch the outer edge to fix this issue.
That sucks. You might try planishing your welds with a BFH (wear ear plugs). How are you attaching your bedsides to the floor? Any other side supports? I think I would have waited to attach the perimeter rail till the bed was more rigid... Also if you used a thinner gauge for the rail, you wouldn't need as much heat to weld.
The thing is the top 3" bar is just tacked on. Not even welded yet. The warping is caused by plug welding the 3/16 bar to the outer edge. I'm thinking that maybe I can cut loose the 3" you bar and then hammer the outer edge to stretch it back. But what happens when I add the 3" top bar again? It will shrink again and have the same issue? Or can I take a rosebud and shrink the buckled 12ga???
65 , have you thought of cutting it loose , stretch it back ., then making the top rail out of angel and attaching with huck rivits . Dress the whole bed with the hucks ? Just a thought . Blue
WOW !, You're doing a great job on that bed. I wish, I was closer to you. I had been trying to figure out how to make my '47 Holmes W35 service body into a long wheelbase service body, from a standard wheelbase service body.
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