The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 1946 Chevy COE on a 2001 Sierra 3500HD

Has anyone ever put a 1946 Chevy COE cab on a 2000's Sierra 3500HD chassis?

welcome to the site! Make sure to post in the welcome wagon and introduce yourself and your truck!
My trucks are newer so, I am not real familiar with your year (nor the COE) but, there are a number of threads on here talking about older cabs on newer frames, COEs included.

The front axle will be noticeably wider, have you measured how far the wheels will stick out the fenders, and if you can live with that or do something about it?

When I first joined Stovebolt there was a bolter on here, Sublime , was his handle, that put a 1/12 ton body on a full size frame. I was fascinated with his skills. He widen his fenders by cutting them
down the middle and adding 4". Here is his gallery picture.. Maybe will help in your decision. Have fun and good luck
Dan

I"m working on similar project now, 48 GMC 5 window COE on a 2500 HD Duramax. I will be setting the cab later this winter which will answer a lot of questions going through my head. Or it just might put a lot more questions up there???????

I have a 55.1 450 GMC COE going onto an 88 Chevy 3/4 ton 4wd chassis. The cab is mounted and the bed is created. Steering was functional but I didn't like the angles so I'm going to use a Steer Clear steering column offset to improve steering geometry. I know that the cabs have gotten wider with each vintage body style. I think you'll find that the 46 would be quite narrow for the 2000+ chassis. On that note anything can be overcome. It just depends on how hard you want to overcome the the issues. Some of the issues you'll need to overcome:

1) Track width - Tires sticking out too far from the body.
2) Body height - Are you lowering the truck or keeping a taller ride height?
3) Cab intrusion - How willing are you to have the engine intrude above the cab floor?
4) Bed length - If you're using 4wd the bed length will have to be longer than if you run 2wd.
5) Steering column to box geometry - The short length of the cab/hood makes for steep alignment of the steering joints.
6) Insert more issues here.
7) Adopt a shop motto like mine - "I always win." That will provide motivation to overcome the struggles.
8) Theory - Planning - Testing (at wrecking yard) - THEN purchase frame to actually follow through on your theory.

I remember Sublime also. His workmanship was outstanding. But his was a conventional cab, not a COE.

The link posted above to Sublime's Gallery Photos didn't work for me, so here it is again.

https://www.stovebolt.com/gallery/watts_stuart_1946.htm

Mike B

GMC made wide front fenders for '41 to '47 conventional trucks(I have several), might be less work? than widening stock fenders.

Ed