very nice.... I look forward to watching this build to the finished project.

 

fordcoe, I would like to extend a warm hello to you all the way to Finland from Missouri USA. That is a cool project similar to what I did with my 48 COE, except I used a Cummins diesel engine in mine. Here, the Cummins was readily available. I saw the photo of the axle brackets you made, and your fabricating skills look outstanding. Keep us updated as the project continues. We like these kinds of projects, or at least I do anyway

 

Thank you very much. And thank you all for the previous comments too. I will try to update my project here when I get something done. Summertime might be a bit slow, but finnish summer is so short that soon it going to be the long and dark winter time for working in the garage

You have a cool looking truck, if it is the one in your avatar?

 

I decided to use all the driveline and the brakesystem from the Mitsubishi, so I don`t have to worry about how to get the rearend ratios etc. to work together. First I was going to use a M-B truck rear axle, cause the widht would have been perfect just to bolt on to the COE frame. But each axle that I found from wreckers around Finland, had rearend ratio of 3.5:1. Mitsubishi has 6.0:1 rear ratio, so that would not be ok. At some point I though I will just buy new ring and pinion for the M-B axle but when local dealer told that it would be about 1600 dollars, I had to gave up the whole idea.

The plan B (which should have been plan A in the beginning, when I think of it) Was to cut the Mitsubishis rear axle and make it wider. It was about 7 inches too narrow for the COE frame.




I took it to my friend for sandblasting, and another friend made it wider. He made a jig from old lathe table and he got the the ends inside a few hundreds of millimetre.
Propably after I welded all the leaf brackets etc. to the axle it is not that accurate anymore!!!



I decided to make only one side longer, so I had to make only one driveshaft (about 500 bucks each) It was made in a place that makes axles and shaft for rallycars and machines. The banjo is now a little bit off center, but I think that does not matter:


I got a call 2 days ago from another machinery, that is making and balancing the cardan axle for me that it is ready for pickup. It is a 2 piece cardan and we had to make the both pieces about 2 feet longer. So now I basically have the driveline put together

 

It is always hard to decide what kind of material to use, will they hold under the strenght and so on. For example mounts for the front shocks. The Mitsubishis originals where not even close to fitting in the front end of the COE. I was able to use the top ends of the mounts ant fabricated the rest to bolt on to the same place that the front motor mounts go. I try not to drill the whole frame full of holes. I have been trying to use all the old holes and attachments as much as possible. And I haven`t been welding anything to the main frame, just bolting cause I want to avoid any "fracture" points.

 

I think the work you are doing is spot on. Not welding to the frame is a good choice. Although it is done all the time. I also think it is better to not weld to it if you do not have to. Something I have done is to put the proper size bolts into all the holes in the frame that you do not use. There are many good reasons to do this I think.

 

At first I was going to attach the brakebooster to the firewall, but After thinking it over , I thought that why not use the original place under the left rear corner of the cabin. So now I could use the empty firewall to attach the heater (no heater, so propably not a Michigan car originally), fuseboxes and propably lot of stuff that I am not even aware off.


I decided to use the original bracket that used the vacuum booster. I had to raise it up about 4 inches to get things lined with the new booster.


Then I decided to place the clutch master cylinder becide the brake booster and made modification to the original bracket and axle so I could make it 2 function. The original middle arm is using the clutch mastercyl. and the new longer axle is using the brakebooster. This way I was able to use the original pedals.


It seems so fast and easy now when I `m writing this here, but I think it took more than one weeks evenings to get these lined up and working with the original pedals, correct strokes etc....lot of head scratching and a few beers.

 

wow that is some amazing work.

 

Just a thought on the heater - MANY of these trucks, were used by farmers, that only really used them in the summer, for hauling grain, seed, etc, so had no use for a heater, even in Michigan. They were usually parked all winter long.

What a great project! I got an email last night, from someone who has a '52 COE, that is offering to sell. I am waiting on pictures, and more info...

R

 

Ok

That sounds right to me now when you say it. In Finland there is no way you can manage without heater if it is not a convertible. The few warm summer days maybe, if you have good ventilation so the windows stay open.

You are living interesting times....could you share some photos of the COE?

I fell for these COE`s few years ago and have been looking ever since. A few chevys passed by and some even came to Finland by some dealers, but the prices were something like 12.000 dollars. Too big of an investment for just a hobby.

Finally this car that I bought was just about 100 miles from a finnish dealer in Michigan, so it was easy to go and see and to pick up. No regrets so far, eventhough the cabin is rusted in very difficult places to fix!!

Sami

 

Here is the passengers side piece from under the door, or what`s left of it:


A friend of mine who knows sheetmetal-work, cut the whole thing of and came back the next day with a brand new fabrication. I can tell you that one weeks nights would not be enought if I would have done it...and it would still look like it needs lots of bondo

 

The both rear corners where rusted out, cause the inside upholstery was gone and the corners where filled with dirt etc. So they were cut out completely.


I bought the F1 rear corner replacements, and they are now modified to the COE. They were not 100% identical wit the COE`s originals, but quite close. But these are, I think, the only sheetmetal parts that you can get new. Other parts do not fit COE? Correct if I am wrong.

 

That lower panel should unbolt .so you might not want to weld to it (by the battery)..keep the picture coming

 

Here we go again.

Yes it is not going to be welded together, its there just for to get things in the right place.

The bottom corners are now made completely new, and again thanks to my sheetmetal-guru

At one point the corners looked like this:


Now the corners look like this:

 

The cab was in lot worse shape that it seemed to be when I got it. All the winshield and rear window openings were rusted thru, floor, kickpanels, cab mounting brackets etc. etc. The rear of the cab was bent, maybe from untied load? It had to be jacked back to place. The inner beams from the backwall were torn apart and so on.