Hey everyone, just joined here to hopefully get some info on these trucks. I just came across a good deal on one and I'm seriously considering pulling the trigger, but I'm curious about where everyone gets their parts for these beasts? I see some really nice ones at shows and stuff and always wonder, because they don't really show up in normal searches.

I'm a total newbie at these but something is drawing me towards this one. Any advice/info on these coe trucks would be immensely appreciated! thanks!

 

Welcome. What kind of COE are you looking at? Is it a Big Job, or a 500/600 sized truck? As for parts, it takes patience, and searching. What parts would you be after? Does it have good metal? The front fenders are the same on all sizes, so any COE sheetmetal will work for any size. We do have a resident COE guru, but he doesn't get on much. I know him personally, and talk with him often. As for the other stuff, you can get just about anything you want to power it with. Many of the trim items, and some mechanical parts are the same for all the sizes, and models of trucks. Many of the aftermarket sources will work for finding small things.

 

Oh yeah, I forgot the most important part of welcoming a new member....PICTURES, WE WANT PICTURES!!!!!.

 

hey thanks for the reply! cool to see another oregonian. I'll get pics up soon, it will be arriving here around next wednesday. The major thing I'm curious about is what the heck kind of engine might be in this '54 COE? As in, can I shop for parts like valve cover gaskets and water pumps and stuff like that from any of the other truck lines?
I'm completely flying in blind here, but these are just toooo cool to let rot in someone's field, so I want to take on this challenge and get this running. The owner says he got it to turn over at least which is good, but got busy with other stuff and kind of left it alone after that.

 

Was this the one that was on Craigslist a bit ago? I think I saw it, unless it was a different one. Either way, which part of Oregon are you in, and where in Oregon did it come from? As for parts, I was able to get most of the parts I needed for my '53 F-750, before I took it apart, through the local NAPA, and CarQuest, and such. Including, valve cover gaskets, carb kits, wheel cylinder kits, master cylinder kits, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, and all that good stuff.

 

Good to know that most of the tuneup parts are available. I know i'm going to have to work on the brakes before I can go (even if I do get it running), as they are not functional. I'm down in Salem, and this is coming from milton-freewater. The guy actually offered to deliver it to me! for a small fee of course ;-) but hey, having it plopped right in your driveway is wayyyy better than having to figure out towing.

 

Ok, the truck arrived today. Spent a good couple hours scrubbing away at it to just get a preliminary wash. Then took some pictures. It's a C-500, and other than that I don't know,...so maybe that decoder poster could check out the picture of the plate in the glovebox and lend me his expertise

1954 Ford C-500 slideshow

 

C = Cab over engine
50 = 500 series truck
V = 239 OHV Y-block
4 = 1954 model year
L = Long Beach assembly plant
18388 = 8388th '54 truck built (the numbers started at 10,000)

Go here for some reference materials: http://www.clubfte.com/users/earl/Re...al.html#Rating Plate Information and VIN Decoder

 

Actually, it don't look too bad. I'll get you in touch with the resident COE collector, and you can check with him about a fender, and step.

 

Yeah this is going to be a very slow "build" if you could even call it that at this point lol. Going to attempt at starting it and seeing if it can run. New ignition switch coming in the mail, got a new battery, maybe a new starter solenoid.

Also keeping an eye out for some of those 5 lug motorhome rims I see everyone talking about to replace the widowmakers. I really, really do not like the prospect of any of the huge rims deciding to blow on me. That does not sound like fun. If anyone has any leads on those other rims shoot me a line. That is pretty much priority #1.

 

I'll keep my eyes peeled for you Bryan. Over here, in central Oregon, we still have lots of old farms. Old farms generally have lots of old iron, and that old iron generally has things we can use. Also, you're over in the valley, so you may want to take a trip to Anderson Brothers. That salvage yard is going to be the first place to look for medium/heavy duty truck parts that can be adapted to replace things that you just can't find for yours. They have school busses, and stuff like that, and I know that some busses had one piece, or even lock ring type wheels.

 

Twisp WA:

Mounted on a sign 20' off the ground: 1930 Model AA Flat Bed, complete w/powertrain.

1956 Ford C600 tow truck parked next to an auto repair shop, north part of town, west of hwy 20.

South side of town is a field with dozens of old trucks, including a '50's Dodge tow truck.

Brewster WA: AC Mack Bulldog parked in a shed along with old farm equipment.

 

This is my first post in this forum, although I have posted frequently in other forums on this site. I now own a 1964 COE with the industrial six cylinder. I too had mine delivered by the prior owner, who replaced the front wheel cylinders for the cost of parts before the delivery. It runs, drives, stops and rides great. All the lights turn signals, heater fan and windshield wipers work, for a price of $600. I am an extreme gardener so this thing is a godsend. I first hauled 12 yards of composted manure in it, and since I have two heavy duty 3/4 pickups, I used the COE as a storage unit as we slowly installed the manure in our gardens. This weekend, we worked on our new chicken run and had to cut down to the ground a huge hedge and carry away the branches to the dump. We got all of them in one trip. In pickups, it would have been at least five or six trips. It is a flatbed with sideboards. And now I am going to use it as a wood hauler, since I can haul about six cords at once with it.

This thing is amazingly rust free and solid. It looks like someone painted it with a very heavy coat of Rustoleum (maybe with a broom). It looks like it worked to preserve the metal under a very heavy thick coating. It starts right up eagerly and does not smoke one bit, even after it has sat for several weeks. Boy, making a 90 degree turn in these things is a trip, you feel like you are being slung around!

I realize that people are primarily restoring these old beasts, but this one is a real hauler.

 

Nothing wrong with that Larry. I have plans to work the snot out of my '53 when done. Dads '55 got worked right up to the day she wouldn't start anymore. She'll get worked again, but with a much easier job. Now, there's a long standing rule 'round here. We don't really think you own this old beast, unless you've got the pictures to prove it.... So, in other words, we would all really like to some pictures. Ooooh, ooooh, and some of you working the snot out of it too.

 

Does anyone know anything about that Industrial six? Is that the motor yours has?

For the third time last night, the COE was a godsend. Major windstorm blew down many huge branches over my driveway. Sawed them out and loaded them in just one load. Using pickups would have been at least ten loads. Was able to stand on the roof of the cab to reach an otherwise inaccessible limb.

The only bad thing (besides the fact that it is really slow) is turning the stearing wheel when it is stopped. I am going to have massive forearms from stearing it and shifting the thing! The shift linkage must have three or four U-joints in it and travel six or seven feet!