The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts A 1948 GMC COE

What a difference a year and three months and a lot of persistance can do. In January of 2003 a gentleman by the name of Nate contacted me and told me he had a 1948 GMC COE that looked a lot like my 1945 GMC COE. He told me that he was going to restore it "frame off". Over time we have talked engines and parts and pieces and how that finding the parts to rebuild the orignal 308/6 was difficult. He has now finished the restoring of his great looking 1948 GMC COE 520 with 308/6 and with air brakes. Here is the first picture I saw of it and now some when he is finished. What a good looking truck. Now those are some "fat fenders".

[img]http://photo.starblvd.net/cindyspics/3-4-3-1083588699?m=1&pg=2&ro=3&co=2&pw=*1BB240764106[/img]

[img]http://photo.starblvd.net/cindyspics/3-4-4-1083589711?m=1&pg=2&ro=3&co=3&pw=*389B40764500[/img]

[img]http://photo.starblvd.net/cindyspics/3-5-1-1083571658?m=1&pg=2&ro=4&co=0&pw=*3E4640764580[/img]

great to see the progress shots , thanks for posting them Oly .
Well done Nate , another one saved .
Oly this should be in the big rigs forum.

OK.. How about if I put it in both??

WOW !, Great looking COE OLY. Man !, You're "Teasing" me with those small pictures. Can you blow them up a little.

Thats an awesome looking truck and a job well done. I love the grills on those old coe's, that is what sold me on my '46. That is one nice looking front end.

Cuantas curvas, y yo sin frenos! So many curves, and I have no brakes!

Thanks for those pictures Oly. I am a big fan of those COE's. I like the colour of the one you have posted as it is much like the colour of my truck . (See Paint and Body Shop for recent posting.)

Regards, George

And it's a CHEESEHEAD truck to boot!!

I had no idea the '48 COE used the Art Deco cab. What year was the first AD Coe manufactured?

Cletis, GMC used the same general cab design on their bigger COEs from 39-48 1st. If you notice in the picture above, Nate's has a hood that divides the grille when it opens up, my 45 only has side inspection doors. There were other minor differences in the cabs through the years,-inspection doors, number of grille bars, chrome etc.. (Mine had no chrome because of it being war time) I have pictures of other GMC COEs that I have collected from people I have met on the net in various places. I have pics of GMC COEs for 39,40, my 45, 46 and 48s. The 308/6 is the small end of the big block GMC sixes made from 39-49. In 39 and 40 they used the true small end of their big block sixes for the COEs, it was a 278. GMC made BIG BLOCK sixes all the way up to their 503/6 gas engine.
If you enjoy driving an old GM pickup and "really enjoy" a big GM truck ride, then you are in NIRVANA when you drive one of these big old GM COEs.