COE Autocar Build Thread

I agree with Wetskier, "I think you've found it!" These mods have made a marked difference in aesthetics and and give it a "period correct" appearance. Jeeeez I am jealous. Fine tune it as you have suggested and get 'er done. Your wife and you have lived with the truck for a long time and your combined instincts are likely correct. My wife and I learned to live in a new home for several months before repainting any colours on walls. The home spoke to us through that time if you get my gist. I think your AutoCar has spoken; chuckle.

One last comment... Just like a slightly ugly dog, even if it isn't perfect (and will you actually ever really know that?) you will learn to be devoted to the*****er, imperfections and all.

 

Do you really need a 120 gallon fuel tank ??? That's a lot of topside weight.
I think the front of your box sides need to be the height of the beltline of the cab OR if the sides start at the height of the cab roof then the box sides should be the height of the beltline. The rear of the bed should either be square OR the curves should match those of the front. But I think the cab actually has too many sharp lines to have curves in the box.

 

Over the past few weeks I've finished up a few details on the frame, mounted shocks on both rear axles and built the support for the air cleaner and exhaust stacks behind the cab. Today I started on the bed. Nothing worthy of pictures yet, but I got to thinking about how to mount the bed to the frame. Old farm trucks I've known usually had straps welded or bolted to the bed that were then bolted to the frame, with a strip of wood sandwiched between the bed and frame rail to minimize squeaks and rattles.
Does this sound right? How have others done it? How many places should I have it bolted, front, middle and rear, on each side for a total of 6 places?

 

Here is a picture of my exhaust stack and air cleaner support. It is also the front bed mount. The big square tube actually carries the exhaust between the stacks. There is an inlet on the front side that is connected to the turbo with 1 elbow and about 18" of flex pipe. Intake will come out the bottom of the air cleaner, (big square box) then forward to the intake side of the turbo. Only thing missing is a muffler, (no room) wonder how a 318 cu/in. Chainsaw engine will sound with 5" pipes and no muffler?
I only have one stack temp mounted 'cause I didn't buy the exhaust clamps yet.
Will be going to Back to the Fifties in St Paul this weekend, anyone else?.

 

Nice Steve , very heavy duty and the chain saw should sound great . Blue

 

Yeah Blue, when in doubt, make it stout! I find it really embarrassing when your exhaust stack is sticking through someone else's windshield.
I have a plan "B" for the muffler situation, baffles that fit in the stacks similar to motorcycles and zoomies. only much larger.
Wife wants to know where the flame throwers will be. Oh boy! I will have a small LP tank for the camp stove I'm putting under the sleeper....

 

Got the framework for the floor welded up and scored a pair of rear fenders today at Iola. Fenders are going to need some gentle persuasion to become the right width/radii, etc.
I've decided to go with steel treadplate on the bed floor and spray with black bed liner, haven't decided on body color or bed liner on the fenders

 

Steve , this was sent to me today from a guy in Seattle. He wanted to know if he could get the COE secret handshake . Blue


Just got another email , my friend just bought it . Guess lol have to show him .

 

Oh hell yes! Ask him what year and tell him he is now part of a very cool, very small crowd.

 

Steve , just talked to Jerry . It's a 37 . Blue

 

Don't want to start any fist fights on our playground, but that little nubbin above the Emblem says 40 or newer. 39 and older had a radiator cap sticking out of the nose. Wood framed cab? Or has it been converted. What chassis is it on?
I know a lot of these old trucks never had a****le issued so there is no paper trail. The Connecticut registration papers listed mine as a 47, (Which I'm pretty sure is correct) but the****le I came up with says 48, although the serial number is lower than my 47.

 

I'm ready to order bed floor material now! 2- 4"x10" sheets of 1/8" steel tread plate @$140 each. (have to wait until my guberment subsidy (SS) in two weeks. Going to try to get the bed sides rolled for the rounded front corners next week. I'm getting pumped by the headway this summer!

 

Couldn't tell you Steve . He in Wa. , closer to you than me .
LOL I don't care what year , it's just cool . Looks to me the frame is made for a container mover .

 

so you're saying yours is from the LOWER FOURTY EIGHT... Bah dum bump...

 

Been making a little headway, my honey let me borrow money from our slush fund for the deck plate. This bed is starting to look imposing in my little (4 car) garage.

Bad news on the side steel rolling. I had bought 4'x12' material so there wouldn't be any seams in the side. Well, today I got the 2 pieces back from the shop that said they could roll the 8" radii, one has about a 12" radius of way more than 90 degrees, so that one is toast! The other has 2 (about) 6" radii, too far apart to be blended and fixed, so it is also toast. When I pointed this out to the "boss", "well that's the best we could do." No offer to cough up 2 new pieces of material. I left before anyone got killed!
I can salvage enough straight material for the straight part of the sides, just have to come up with a way to make the radii and patch everything together.

 

After the shock of getting my steel back trashed, I have formulated a plan, that will have 1 vertical seam at the front corner of the bedside, wife tells me it will look OK.
Has anyone done any do-it-yourself spray or roll on bed liner. Local Rhino-liner dealer wants $850 to prime and spray the deck, no sidewalls, very little masking. Linex quoted $350 for the same job, but admitted that their product fades and weathers within a year.
I've heard good things about U-pol Raptor as a d-i-y spray-on, anyone?

 

Used some raptor roll on , on my running boards . Be sure they are clean . They did fade in the Texas sun , but still on after 9 years . Blue

Will be doing the inside of my bed with it again , bottom and sides of COE .

 

I'd venture to say they all fade to some extent.. I've done modern beds with auto parts store fare with good results using a foam or very short nap roller. Sorry to hear about your steel... that just*****s.. The local place that I've considered for a similar job takes a cardboard template to "measure" from.

 

I have used the raptor liner.....kinda semi gloss. If you want shiny, I'd use Hippo Liner......
Both tintable, both found on the net....Amazon likely the cheapest.

 

Just to add....if you are doing mostly flat panels, rolling it on works better. Odd shapes need to be sprayed. Spraying also makes a nice mess......

 

Thanks RMR&C, I hadn't thought about rolling to avoid the spray mess. I've pretty much decided on Raptor. Now I'm trying to decide if I want to fool with a black base coat and a clear topcoat with some fine flake thrown in. Don't know if the flake will pop on the bed, with side walls around it and less than full gloss finish. I guess I can do a sample and top coat later, if I want to try it.

 

Shot the Raptor today, really happy the way it turned out. I tried rolling it on and wasn't happy with the look. (some areas more glossy than others) so I took the advice of a YouTube video and did an experiment. I thinned the Raptor 20% with urethane reducer and shot it with the Shutz gun that came in the kit w/50psi on the gun holding about 30" off the work. Got some on my shoes, but not bad. LOL
Of course, in the heat of the moment, I forgot to shoot a test panel, so now I don't have anything to try clear Raptor with flake in it on.

 

Just when you think you know what you are doing, WHAM! One wheel cut-out 7" off, but I'm consistent, made the same mistake on both sides. Wasn't too hard to fix, re-cut the radius where it was supposed to be, then straight across the top. The center dip down is gone, but it wasn't necessary anyway.

 

Nice to see your progress, keep it up!

 

Thanks RMR&C, looks better now!

 

Got the drivers side bed side pretty much done, still have to roll the front corner in 20ga. but I've done that on the sleeper, so that should go good. I narrowed the fender from 9" to 6" and reworked the curved portions to make it 6" longer. I may have to build some inner fenders to hide the ugliness behind the tires, but I like the way it fits around the tires now.

I roll formed the flange for the top edge of the side and welded it on, I'm going to have to heat straighten it a bit, (didn't expect to get by with no warpage)
I've got several different sized tires on the truck, but the rear outside tire should stick out of the fender about another 1/2", right where I want it!

The picture it picking up some weirdness from the shiny ground welds. The edge is almost arrow straight.

 

Had her out in the fresh air today for some pictures. I can live with it!!

 

Looking good Steve . Front fenders will make a big difference. Keep up the good work . Blue

 

The bed profile turned out great! Carry on...

 

Today I moved it to the storage shed for the winter.

Grandsons approve!
Other projects have been piling up and need to be addressed. Self propelled 6 ft snowblower and Ford V6 in my wife's Triumph Spitfire will keep me busy all winter. No rest for the wicked!