The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts How many COE (Cabover Engine) owners ?

I have joined the coe club last year with the purchase of a 51 Chevy 2 ton tractor and a 54 GMC 2 ton that was cut behind the cab. Spanky's been a tremendous help with the Chevy. I had no idea how difficult they were to come by until after I purchased mine and started reading the internet forums. Keep looking guys, they're out there.

Joe

spank's a great help. no doubt about that.

Tabasco, I have lots of pictures of 39-48 GMC COEs that other folks have. Would like to put yours in my collection if I may.

This is a picture of my 1945 GMC COE Victory Truck (taken a few years back) It is now black from being painted with ZR. It runs great and I have been putting a new bed on it. Will probably paint it the orignal red.

[img]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/cowgirlcindy/bigredandrobert3.jpg[/img]

I am now in possession of my cabover (just a couple of hours ago). A big thanks to Jeff, aka-iowa_trucks_59, for the day spent hauling it for me. It's going to be a lot of work to bring it around to being a working truck, but it's a start. I'll post more during the week, right now I need to get it off of the hayfeild we dropped it on so the gas won't kill the hay (LOL).

Spanky, I may need some parts, do you have connections?
Scott

Yes I did it!! It was easy. Even though I didn't get one of my own, I did get to drive it first. If you dont own a COE, then I highly advise you to get one. I'm still looking for mine.

Yes he did! And thanks again! We also saw a lot of nice iron on our trip, maybe going again in the near future,
Scott

fumblin46 some of the coe's came withdeisels finding one of those might make your job easier rather than converting.

Only problem with that is, for it to be a Factory equipted Diesel COE, it will have to be a, Heavy Duty, GMC "Cannonball" COE. No Chevy, or medium Duty GMC COE, came from the factory, with a Diesel.

TrueSpanky, I added some photos of Diesel coe and convetional GMC's to webshots album. to these for something like a rollback you would also have to stretch the frame. bonus would be airbrakes though.

Gawd that GMC coe w diesel is soooo cool. Was that a factory sleeper cab? All the work people put into their coe's to make sleepers and diesel conversions and there one is. Does anyone know why it appears to have two accelerator pedals?

Joe

Joe, That pedal to the right of the steering column(that looks like the accelerator pedal), is the air brake, brake pedal. More of the '50-'59 GMC "Big Cab" COE (Cannonballs) were sleeper cabs, than not. And most were Diesels.

I'm hoping to find a COE for myself someday. Prefer a GMC. Spanky I was wondering about the red drop deck single axle trailer in the picture with the white GMC COE. Can you give some info on it, like year and make?

That picture of my '52 GMC 450 COE, was taken back in the late 60's, in Lebanon, Indiana. I didn't get the trailer, when I purchased my truck. I believe that trailer, was a 32 ft. Fruehauf, or Dorsey, drop deck. See it here, http://www.classiccoe.com/friends/spanky/1952_spanky_1t.jpg

Thanks Spanky. I was asking because I came across a similar trailer close to home that still had Allied Van Lines markings. I figured it was from the 40's.

Joe to answer your other question that was a sleeper cab from the factory.

Spanky have you dropped your webshots page?

oops, spanky had already clarified that about the sleepers didn't register in my brain on first read

Man that Canonball is so cool I want one. darn, I haven't even got the coe I have running yet and I've got the heebie jeebies to buy another. I thought my 51 Chevy 5100 would make a good tow rig but it would pale in comparison to one of those Canonballs with a modern diesel and sleeper cab. Air brakes to the right of the accelerator Spanky or between the accelerator and the steering column. I would guess the later right? Those trucks have all the good stuff, air brakes, diesel, sleepers, how about tandem axles and overdrives?

Joe

Yes, I believe, the Drop Deck, was a '47, or '48 model. My webshots albums, are still up. http://community.webshots.com/user/snubnose4754

Joe, The accelerator looking pedal, to the right, of the steering column, directly next to the accelerator pedal, is indeed, the brake pedal.

pug there were indeed tandem axles on the cannonball rigs, but many were not what you are thinking. quite a few were "belt drive" off of the wheel separators from the front tandem to the rear. usually the rear tandems were a dead axle, or in some cases the front was a "pusher" axle. probably the 2 largest fleet purchasers of the cannonball was mc lean trucking and a company called riss. both are long gone, but both used the belt drive axles a great deal. the advantage was lighter weight and less power loss from the power divider and extra differential. some west coast companies like western-gillette, p.i.e. (pacific intermountian express),and brady used the full tandem. they were mostly a timken axle similar to the full tandem military trucks. as for overdrive, they were available, but not very popular near as i can tell. remember, the speed limits in those days was maybe 50 mph and on 2 lane roads. on the downhill stretch of a hill there was always "georgia overdrive" it is located in the middle of the shift pattern. you probably know it as neutral.

for many, many years the wheel separators or spacers for dual wheels were made to accomodate belts even though the belt drive system was basically discontinued around 55-56.

probably more than you wanted to know, but alittle history. oh yeah, about history. i know spanky knows the answer to this one. how many of you know how the term "cannonball" got to be associated with the cabover diesals? a hint might be the name mike malone.

Oly,
Feel free to add my truck picture to your collection. Do you have them posted on a picture hosting site? I would like to see them.

does my 60s van with the engine between the seats count?

Thanks for the good info koolkar. Spanky, having the brake pedal on the right of the column would make for interesting reactions during pamic stopping.

Joe

Have seen some with a vshaped pedal that encompasses the steering column think they were on internationals though

Fumblin, send me an email address where I can send you some pics of several COE's out in western Nebraska. I bet they are still there most of them. It has been a couple of years since I was by that part of the country. Easy to find too. I am [email protected]

Were these trucks for sale when you saw them BigSix302? I hope to get one myself someday.