The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts How much to pay for a 1955 COE with Dually Axle?

Hi,

I have always been fascinated by large COE trucks and their mighty appearance. Now I have the chance to buy a 1955 COE with a dually rear axle and a grain box (unfortunately it is a F.O.R.D). It runs, drives, but does not brake. There is hardly any rust. How much should I pay for the monster?

Is there anything I need to know about buying a Ford COE vs. a Chevy COE (which I would prefer)?

Thanks,

Andy

Hard to give an accurate value, without a picture. The Fords, & other "Foreign" makes, don't bring quite as much as the G.M. COE's (Chevy, being the most popular). Lets start here. What are they asking for it? When you say "Dually Axle", you mean "Tandem Axle" correct.Is it a Live Tandem, or Tag axle. Is it a C600, C700, C750, or C800 "Big Job". Full air brakes, or Hydraulic brakes. Might even have air/ over hydraulic brakes. All this will matter. If the price was right, I'd buy it, & use it for trade bait, for a G.M. COE.

Stick with the Chevy....
Much nicer to play with, after working on a ford I always feel frustrated, Chevy's are much more fun...

If it has no rust, mechanically is great, and you really like it, then what price feels about tight for you? If I wanted one (I did a few years ago, but got over it) I would think about $1,500 if no rust, running and stopping. A complete brake rebuild if done right could cost 500 and up for just parts.

Grigg

If you like it and think its worth it I would do it. Dont tell anyone - but I have always owned Ford trucks. They have been the best trucks I have ever had, had a 64 f100 for 15 years, never had any trouble, had a 56 ford half ton for about 20 years again a very good truck. Gave it to my nephew - first kid in our family to go to college. Besides I had out grown it, my 47 is the first Chevy truck I have ever had. I wanted a 38 or 39 Ford Coe, but could not find one. Thats how I got my Chevy, so far I am liking it, but it has along way to go to match the luck I had with my Fords. Here comes the hate mail :-)

Andy,
You've come to the right place. Hopefully someday we'll get you to see the light, but for the meantime, it sounds like you've found a neat truck! Good luck with it!


Tom,
I say let he/she who is without sin cast the first stone. I own a Ford and like the heck out of it ('85 F-350).

Besides, those other two yayhoos are CFGs, too ... (Closet Ford Guys).


JOhn

True, I'll drive a ford, but don't enjoy working on them. And if I were to buy a new new truck it would probably be a ford diesel.

I will say that the last ford I owned, just a few months ago was a great truck, a 1965 f350, I put many many thousand miles on it in a matter of weeks, no problems. I did have to update the brakes, gears and PS, and searched the junk yards long and hard for the most reliable and simplest swaps, and all I ended up with was a bunch of GM parts, not a single ford part made it home with me. Well, I take that back, before I was all done I did use a ford PS remote reservoir (but from one with a Detroit).

Grigg

Yeah, yeah, I've owned a few Fords also. Don't talk about it though. Here are my two Ford holmes 600 Wreckers. Bought them both, from the same Service Station. '71 Ford F600 http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1116218073052570246zOLlnk , & a '67 F700 http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2609866010052570246oXotT i also had a '42 Ford COE, short wheelbase Dump Truck, & a '64 Ford B700 School Bus.

There's a few Chevy's that I can't stand too. A buddy of mines mid 70's Corvette is top of the list!

This spring I may become a Ford owner too. I've found a couple of mid 50's 1 1/2 ton 4X4 ex-road crew trucks to help with my heavy duty snow plow project.
Scott

Now that were off topic, I had a 76 ford that threw a rod due to a blown head gasket while hauling a few yards of dirt home. She got me home chugging away like mad on 7 cylinders and half shaking me to death... BUT she made it.

I'd rather have a Chevy, but if I had to, I'd drive one. Every one I know,even the ford guys, have had bad experiences with Fords. My Grandpa had a 84 Ford and had to put one or more new parts on it every week. Finally, last year he got fed up with it and sold it. Now he drives a Subaru. My dad's friend has had multiple Fords over the course of a few years. Every year he's had to buy another one except for two. A '60's or '70's something Ford 4x4 that was like my Grandpa's and finally bit the dust and a 2006 4x4 that he backed into something the first week he had it. My dad worked with him at his hog barn and when a pig died, they had to drag it to the pit with a truck through mud. He tried it with his truck and dug a hole in the ground five inches deep. So we pulled it out with my dad's '85 Chevy 4x4, hooked it up to the pig and pulled it to the pit through a 2 feet deep by 3 feet wide ditch full of mud and water with no problems.

Funny around here the two industries that are probably the toughest on trucks seem to choose differently if you cut trees you like Fords if you dig dirt it's all Chevy or GMC however there are always some exceptions to the rule even when I worked in the woods I still liked GM.

I had a '51 Ford Ton-and-a-half w/Tlathead eight and crashbox,a '55 Ranch wagon,six-n-overdrive,a '61 six cylinder Galaxy,and a '61 English Ford Anglia,and didn't have to do much but general maintenance on any of 'em.Well-that's not true;on the Anglia,I had to weld up the oil pan half a dozen times,it kept snagging on rocks when I off-roaded it. And each time,I drove it the 4 or 5 miles home with or without oil,welded up the hole,filled it with thicker oil and it was good to go.(Shoulda just made a skidplate for it...)Seems to me like whether a particular ride is good or bad isn't so much brand related as it is related to how it was used and maintained before you got it,and how you use and care for it. I've even had Chevies that I couldn't count on to get me to the grocery store,but I've loved all the wheeled conveyances I ever owned. I honestly can't knock any brand,because there aren't too many brands I haven't owned at least one of. I'll probably narrow that category down as time goes on.
Speed

I suppose I am guilty of being a closet Ford guy. I had a 851 taskmaster ford tractor but recently sold it. It was hard to start with the 6 volt system. I have been told since that the starter would drain all the voltage and make the spark plugs have a weak spark. I dunno~