COE Autocar Build Thread

Picked up $500 worth of steel today for my truck bed. Here is a rough idea of what it will look like. Red lines are the truck frame and a doghouse to cover the rear of the engine. Round thing is a 120 gallon fuel tank. Stuff drawn above the red box on the left is air cleaner and stacks. the X in a box left center is the height of the exhaust where it comes off the engine. Where in hell am I going to put a muffler? LOL
Edit: forgot to mention bedside is 11'3" long and 4' high, bottom is 17" off ground.

 

And I thought I was building a custom truck bed... well done!

 

Nice!! Is that on a drafting board?

 

Yup! This is the way I do my thinking/planning.

 

After drawing up this bed, I got to worrying about weight on my front axle. Today I got out a beam and a platform scale and with the memories of 8th grade science classes about simple levers, I calculated that my front axle weighs just over 4000#. I'm estimating an additional 1000# of batteries, interior, transmission, and other doo-dads before it is all done. A Dana 60 is designed to carry 6000#, so I don't want to add any more than I have to to the front end. . One major item (850#) that can be moved is my 120 gallon fuel tank, (Durn it) so it is going in the pile of shoulda, woulda an coulda.
Seeing that there is no room underneath the truck further back, I think I'll put a pair of long skinny tanks up along side the 5th wheel. I'll taper them down in the back so they match the bed. 12x15x72" will give just about 100 gallon capacity and will leave 50" between the tanks so I could haul a sheet of plywood if I wanted. Losing the round tank in the front of the bed, will allow more room in the tool boxes that will have doors on the outside of the bed, so the loss isn't all bad.

 

Intelligent and proactive planning there Wolfcreek. I had begun wondering about weight on axles and how I will accommodate fuel tank(s) for my project vision, safely, and yet still be able to throw that sheet of plywood or whatever in there... but I must have skipped school that beam and platform scale day... chuckle; and I am renowned for my detailed long term memory.

No, I am fairly certain my plans will handle the loads as my end product will be nowhere as ambitious as some folks, but you have once again shown me how to manage these questions.

 

Mocked up a bed side today, looks pretty much like i expected. My wife says it makes the sleeper look tall and skinny.


I plan to use a simple trailer fender about 7" wide. Something like this one.

 

Your wife is right. It looks tall and skinny.

 

Once you have the roof installed on cab may look different .

 

We're still talking about the truck, right?

I'd want to see it from a little further away to get a perspective...

 

Yes still talking about the truck. Tall and skinny sleeper sort of looks a little lost. Not easy to get a sleeper into proportion with a cab. I know it took a lot of work with my F4.

They can either look to big or to small. Mind you mine is a Peterbilt and required a full chop and channel to make it fit and suit from the original size.

Best leave any wife talk out of this although in most cases they are right.

 

I thought mine looked right when paired with just the cab, now that I've added the bed mock-up, wife noticed a difference and I think she might be right. (yes I said that, tomorrow is our 43dr anniversary and I have to admit she does have some say around the place) LOL
Today, I added the top skin to the cab and a 15" extension on the top of the sail area of the bed side. I'll post pictures in a bit.
I think I will take wetskier's advice and move it outside for a better perspective, but that will take a few days

 

Here's a picture after the changes, wife loves the look now.

 

Funny thing... I was thinking about going the other way.. shorten it a little, maybe mimic a half scale outline of the cab's roof and A pillar. I feel for you... Putting the sleeper on mine has hidden the second best view of the truck.

 

Looks more in proportion now.

 

Beautiful day here in Wisconsin today, so I dragged the Autocar out into the sunshine for a look at the bed mock-up. Been almost 3 years since it has been outside.
Looked good on paper, but in reality it doesn't look like I envisioned.


Next I reshaped the radius at the rear, don't like that either.


Now I see that I have way too much daylight under the truck, added a 6" lowering kit. (strip of plywood)
This addition will make my side compartments larger which will be nice.


As I was dragging it back inside the garage, I decided to change the angle of the sail panel, don't know if it is much of an improvement, but it does give a little longer look to the bed and I am running into interference with a 5th wheel trailer and my bed side.
Plywood is cheap, but I'm feeling kind of confused as to what direction I want to try next.
I'm open to the thoughts of others, anyone?

 

Wolf C: Reverse the art deco style lines and panel details along the engine cowl and cab at same height from the rear of the cab... have them drop off as they do at the front of the engine cowl and extend only that one line for a bit longer quite close to where your panels drop down for the fifth wheel movement. I think this will make the difference you are looking for with the "panels" that you have now. Experiment with chalk lines? Wish I could do it for you with photo shop... but I do not have those skills. Even print off some photos you have here and draw the lines in... step back... adjust that rear line as needed and... yup... I think it will spring to life for you.

 

I think I understand what you are saying. I have some of that style line laying around so I will try it.
After spending some time looking at wrecker beds on the web, I think I see what I had wrong at the back end of the bed. Center point of the radius needs to move back so the radius is only tangent to the top of the bed.
Like this.

 

Steve , contact the Moose. He does wonders with photoshop. Explain your thoughts , give home some of the photos as well as the drawing . Maybe let him see the front fenders , even the color. He made up my mind on the rear quarters for me . He can make changes with a a swipe of a finger , much cheaper than even plywood . Blue

 

[/URL][/IMG] My Amateur attempt...

 

I think I understand what you mean... Take that little "triangle-ish" piece of beltline from the hood area, turn it around and terminate the new bed beltline with it. Unfortunately, that's beyond my rudimentary skills, but I think it's a great idea.

 

Hey wetskier, put my shed door back the way it was! LOL
If I go with the full height sail panel,I'm going to have to splice my bed side horizontally, so continuing the belt line will cover the splice. I'm headed out to the garage to add the belt.
Thanks guys!

 

Sorry, I should have made a pretty flower box! BWAHHHH!!! I forget... what did the original firetruck bed look like?

 

2000 gallon fuel delivery body, used as a water wagon.
Here is a pic of the beltline addition.

And one of changes to the rear radius.

I think it is time to say" damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" (or in this case "damn my waffling mind, build it.")

 

I think you have the look now Wolfcreek.

 

Just an observation, and no offense intended.......the size and shape of the sleeper is ruining the proportions of the truck. No way to hide it or make it blend in. I realize it's not something you can change, just saying.
The lower skirts and re-shaping the rear radius look to be your best bet. Keep trying new things til you like it.

 

Thanks RMR&C, no offense taken. You are right, I"m locked in pretty solid on the sleeper and I'm to the point where I can live with what I have mocked up. I'm looking at mocking up another idea, moving the leading edge of the bed back a few inches (maybe radiusing it to match the sleeper) to hopefully widen the sleeper visually.

 

As I mentioned yesterday, here are a couple more changes to the mock-up.
First I trimmed 3" off the front of the bed side. This gives 1" clearance between bed and sleeper.

Next, I cut the side back an additional 8", then added an 8" radius. By doing this the sail panel became peaky, so that got cut down to the original 48" side height.

Lastly I added some beef back onto the sail panel.

Wife and I are pretty happy with this last photo. Think I might move the top edge of the sail panel up to match the bottom of the sleeper window, add the style line and wrap it around the radius to match the sleeper and call it good.

 

I think you've found it! The wide beltline that runs across the cab and sleeper could continue directly onto the bed and maybe run the length of it with the same gap between it and the top of the bed rails all the way to the**** end. Maybe a little something along the top bed rail?.... Something small like the same pattern that surrounds the cab and sleeper windows?
You're sneaking in that rounded front corner of the bed didn't go unnoticed. Nice!