The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts I now have two COE's and one unhappy wife, looking for a cure

Well, I came home with a 1953 five window GMC COE from Skip's place on Vancover Island yesterday. Left Bellevue WA at 3:30am took ferry to Vancover island and arrived at his place round 10am, Left with full trailer and caught another ferry back to the mainland and got back home at 8:30 pm. 500 miles lots of gas, $110 ferry fare one way and $180 back the other way. They charge for the extra height on the BC Ferries.

What I have is a 1 ton 1953 chevy pickup frame in great shape but doomed for the salvage yard, one very very straight long bed on it and all the metal for a 1953 5 window GMC COE. Skip threw in a 350 chevy V8 but at first look, the engine might be just a core. The truck has rust in all the normal places but the doors are good so the rest of the truck wont be too hard to get patch panels for it.

I must not forget, It came with a VERY FRUSTERATED WIFE when I got home. I am going to have to rethink this policy of asking for forgiveness before asking for permission. I have been given another altimatum of two weeks to get rid of the evidence. Steve (OLDSUB) helped me out by taking away the last COE that followed me home four weeks ago.

This cab and bed are going to be made into a low rider pickup to complement my 4x4 GMC COE Pickup that I am just finishing up and ready to go to tear down and paint.

I am thinking this COE will be a mid engine (in the Bed) on a lowered duelly frame (need to find one). Since I do not have an original frame I am off the hook for complete restoration. Now Bellevue Washington has two COE's. Steve, I have just as many COE's as you do now. Bainbridge Island no longer has a corner on the COE market. I am doing my part to save them from extinction too. But like OLDSUB steve, I am making them go places they originally were not built to go.

It would seem to me that 5 window GMC COE's are much more rare than the Chevy's. Since I will be using smaller tires than the 35 inch tires on my other 1950 GMC COE Pickup project, I can deal with having the narrow fenders on this truck although I love the wide fenders on my 450 GMC.

Spanky, Is there a cure for this behavior of bringing home COE's? I have it bad!

Dallas

Wives come and go.

apparently trucks do too ... first even

Bill

I got an email from Skip thanking me for referring you to him. LOL! I'm not taking any credit for this, you did it on your own. I don't want your wife mad at me!

While I OWN two COE's one of my great success secrets is that I park them at a friend's in Kingston, and my wife has only seen one of them, and it sat in our yard on the trailer less than 24 hours. I'm not currently aware of even one COE that actually lives on Bainbridge, though there are several in Kitsap County.

I'm in Portland this weekend for the big swap meet so I can't come remove this new one... Plus I'm told there is a '54 GMC COE at the PIR swap. If its as good as described I may own three by the end of the day tomorrow.

Steve, Here is a picture of me after The Wife asked if I would not mind if she goes out with her girl friend tonight in quiet dispare my answer was Ok and then she left and I so sad I had to go up into the garage and play with my COE....

Please do not mention any more good deals on COE's Steve. Fortunately for me, you are talking about a COE in Portland and not somewhere closer.

Good Score ! Sorry to tell you this Dallas, but to answer your question. There is no cure.

Dallas, There ain't no cure, we were born with it.
As for your unhappy wife, write Dear Abby ...lol
Really, maybe she thinks you see more in your truck than you do in her. Try making her feel like she worth a million bucks. How do I know? but it popped into my head.
Just find a way to keep the truck !!
Dan

dallas,to be honest any advice i gave you steve and you would be living together! lol.

Dallas, Did Skip finally give up on this project or is this a different cab? If so, he put a lot if effort into getting that cab from the lower 48 to his place so I'm surprised he let it go.

I think Skip got overwhelmed by the project and from what I could tell he has another one (not he same kind of truck) that he will be bringing home from a relative. I assume his wife and neighbors were very happy to see this one go also. It sure cost me a fortune getting back to Washington with the price of ferry fares.

I am having serious thoughts that I did not make the right decision to pick it up. There is alot of rust in the usual places and it has some tears in the metal behind the cab. I am going to have a hard time hiding this on my property

Skip is a very nice guy and I enjoyed talking with him for the short time I was up there. It turns out that we were both inclined to make a pickup truck out of the COE. The Bed of the truck is in great condition so that is a good find. The cab is a pretty rare 5 window gmc.

Dallas I still have no answer for your marital discord, but I think sending her out with a friend (female preferably!) and making the best of it out in the shop is as good an answer as any.

I missed the one in Portland, someone beat me to it. I saw a beautiful finished one, but I'd rather build my own than pay $40- or $50,000 for one someone else built.

willing to share the spoils?

if any more of these steroid pick up's follow you home, i'm in the market for a 48 to 53 chevrolet 5 window coe to make a big pick up out of as well. if there's any way i can help you out, you know to help keep the peace on the ole home front. love the hoopty ride! we had a 55 lcf but would prefer an ad truck.
hope portland fared well.

Steve,

Sorry you did not have a COE follow you home this week.

Hey on the good news, my wife has said nothing that I would not be able to print about the COE that followed me home last week. Just when I think I have done something really bad, she acts totally normal and I think I am forgiven.

COE's and a good wife do mix.

Steroid pickup ? I resemble that! I started that baby up this weekend with the new exhaust hookup on it and I can only say that it went through about two gallons of gas idling in the driveway before I shut it down. SWEET! Even my '69 427 corvette with sidepipes never sounded so good. You would almost think it had a diesel engine in it.

Well actually I did burn the 35 inch tires in the driveway in between the idle moments. Those stacks get pretty noisy

Mine had already proved that!

Did you check that dually link I sent you?

Steve,

Duelly was not on craigs list when I checked a fw days ago. I probably should wait to get into the duelly until I know that I am really finished with the steroid pickup first. BUT if you find one that looks good then drop me a line.

D