The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts cabover to newer chassis

OK, this may be blasphmey but I have a 54 2 ton cabover that I am considering modernizing. I am thinking of putting the cab on a 1982 chevy 1 ton chassis so I have more modern brakes and suspension. Would also be cheaper and easier to get parts for. The big question is how do must people deal with adapting the steering, brake pedal, clutch pedal, and gas pedal. I love these cabs and want to keep it on the road somehow. Thoughts ???

I've been driving my stock, original COE's, on the road for years. Not as fast, as the rest of the traffic,when on the highway, but I get where I'm going. See them here, http://community.webshots.com/user/snubnose4754

The steering from a big van or a P30 is designed so it would work well. P30 is a bread truck or motorhome chassis kind of thing.

A lot of guys have done this kind of thing. Make sure you think carefully about where the motor is going to mount. Lots of guys try to mount the cab too low to keep the motor in the stock location.

I'm at home right now, but my computer background at my office is a COE sitting on a 3/4-ton pickup frame. I love that truck. It was posted by another member of this board who took the photo at Bonneville Salt Flats.

first off, there's alot of things you can do to sorta modernise without changing the frame. them little wheels just don't look right.

i thing the rear end from a p-30, or even some old step vans are 10 hole, and bolt up. this give you a single speed rear, with modern brakes and a much higher top speed. an overdrive tranny gets you even higher top end, but if you get too tall a ratio the engine will cuss at ya and maybe not want to go along with the program. it could leave to the overheating problem stovebolts are famous for.

65 mph is plenty i'm thinkin'.
then,

there's the spanky solution. drive slow and let folks marvel at just how good yer ride looks, and in spankys case, that's pretty good!

check out is website.

Hey guys, thanks for the responses. My truck is setting 80 miles from my house and I have been waiting 2 months to get it towed. It was supposed to arrive sat but the guy with the Flatbed called sat and FEMA hired him to go to Texas so I am waiting once again. Once I get the beast home I can determine what all is needed on the brakes. The hydrovac is missing. I may have to just load up my tools and go see if I can get the brakes working well enough to drive home on the back roads. If i don't have to spend $1,000 or so on the brakes I would proably keep it as is per Spanky's suggestion. I like the idea of a rear end out of a p-30 to make the brakes a little more reliable. Thanks for the suggestions on steering and pedals. I will send in a "before" picture. Whatever happens it is one more cabover body that won't see the crusher anytime soon.

I put this one together about 15 yrs ago. On an 1982 1 ton Wrecker Chassis. I left the motor in the stock location, but with the larger engine house( for the 350), left little pedal room around the gas pedal. I just bought a 1947 COE,and on this one I plan on moving the motor back(about 18 inches) to just under the seat area. Have not decided if I am going 1/2 ton,3/4 ton,or 1 ton dually. Here is a pic of my last one.
Baron
[IMG]http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j279/snkbte/COEShoptruck1.jpg[/IMG]

Just a little side note I had to laugh when I saw $1.19 for gas and I really had a chuckle when I saw $1.25 for diesel Oh those were the days. P.S. Baron I stole the picture for my background hope you don't mind. Ok back the the original question I have an uncle who put a 1946 chevy COE on a 85 chevy duelly so it can be done it used the original pedals with some adapting, but he used the column from the truck and it worked well he just had to get a couple of joints to make it work. he did move the engine behind the cab so it would sit lower.

Fun when a thread resurfaces three years to the day after it was first started!

Up above I mention a COE setting on a 3/4-ton pickup chassis. Since then I've seen pictures of one done using a 1/2-ton chassis. I'm leaning toward doing the same with my own '47 5-window COE.

I'm still planning to built a COE Suburban Cargo and expect to do that one on a P30 chassis.

Funny...I never noticed the year. Just the day and thought it was just posted today. What were the chances of that?

That picture was taken about 8 years ago,just before I sold it. Hard to believe how much gas/fuel has increased in such a short time. (And we were probably complaining that gas had gone over $1.00 per gallon...lol)

Did they ever make a COE Suburban Cargo? If not, how do you plan on making it? That sounds like it could be one cool truck!

It will be a very cool truck!

Take the grill, hood, fenders and cowl from a COE, add the body from a 1-ton panel, and the windows from a Suburban, and you have a COE Suburban Cargo. Easy!

I'll have it done by the end of the year. Just don't ask which year.

And to think, I now own the COE that 55cabover was inquiring about. It'll soon get it's turn in the shop,
Scott

Last september I started a 1950 GMC COE Truck project by putting the cab on a 72 chevy 4x4 1/2 ton frame. The steering system I set up works fantastic. I have a tilt wheel, powersteering, Power Brakes, front disc brakes, auto transmission and approximately a 275 hp 350 engine. The outside of the truck looks like a 1950 snubnose pickup would have looked like (if it existed). I merged two 1950 pickup beds together to make a 9 1/2 foot bed . The truck sits about 4 inches lower than the orginal truck sat but that was to get it into my garage with a 1/2 inch to spare. 36 inch tires keep the look of the original truck.

I kept the original parking brake but added chrome stacks. From a driveability stand point it drives like my 1972 4x4 1/2 ton pickup and it will most definately do 75mph at 2200rpm and stop on a dime. I installed a very heavy duty swaybar on the front to tame the 1/2 ton springs on the front when going around turns.

Well now I am almost finshed with that truck and have started a new truck with my 1953 GMC COE cab. I bought a 1991 chevy 3500 dually and stripped it to the frame. This one will be a lower to the ground and have the engine installed in the center of the frame behind the cab with a built 350hp v8 and 4L80e transmission. I got the idea from the 'frankenford truck'. The bed will be lowered over the frame so the bed floor will be shallow so that I do not have to c-notch the frame in the rear or lower the front end. The engine will be lowered in the frame with a 15 inch drive shaft. The cab will have no engine hump. I will set up the steering as I did with the other truck so that will be easy. The power brakes will use the same system on the 1991 daully. With the mid engine mount I should get better traction and weight distribution.

I am going to make this truck look stock from the out side with an original 1953 pickup stetched long bed also. The only difference between both trucks will be how fast they launch...

Spanky, I may never know how and original trucks feel on the road but I know I will not be passed going up a hill.

Dallas you move too fast for me! Maybe sometime in the Spring I'll drive out your way to see this new project in its finished form!

Well actually Steve, I think I just have my priorities more messed up more than yours which allows me more time to work on the COE trucks. The other reason is that I don't have a friend down the road that lets me park my future projects in their pasture so I would have more time to do other projects lower on my list like you

I have a wife that REALLY does not appreciate my use of two garages for working on these rust buckets when we other vehicles sitting out in the parking lot for her to back into. I feel inclined to show progress on them.

I am looking for ideas and pictures on how others have installed the engine behind the cab of this COE, if you happend to have pictures of other trucks from the shows. As usual, I am winging everything I do to these two trucks but the results always seem way beyond my abilities and imagination. So I can't wait to get up there to the garage this afternoon to do something on the Dually.

I sure hope I don't loose my mind an buy another project before spring.

my 54' will be sitting on mid 70' GMC motorhome chassis if i can ever find the time to go pick the damm thing up. keeps getting pushed further back behind other things such as goofing off!

Dallas. Take a look here. Lots of ideas( and some great Cabovers.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=219018
ps I see we have similar tastes. I also built/have a FFR Cobra.
Baron

Thanks Baron,

I had put a post on that thread a while back but forgot to check back in on it. Saw a truck just posted with the engine in back of the cab.
I would think most guys that live in MA would have at least thought of building a FFR. I went back there on three different business trips and always took a side trip to see Dave and Mark. The fun was in building the cobra for me. I have never gotten around to doing the body work. I just drive it as is. I started building a kit float plane after the FFR cobra and that led to buying a plane and flying around the united states a few times and now I am back to building COE pickups for a hobby.