I do have the luxury of not having to try to duplicate the original. So, I avoided the trans hatch and the other odd contours.

Dave

 

Looking awesome, can't wait to see more.

 

It's time to start preparing for door trimming. Well, not really, but I need to know where they'll be cut so we can get the floor done. So, I'm now making temporary doors that we can cut, modify, mark, re-do, etc. I'm using 3/4" sq. tubing for a frame and attaching 3/16" hardboard to it. They aren't as tall as the real doors yet, because I'm going to make the lower portion separate. This will allow us to cut and mark, etc. without removing the whole door panel, especially if we need to start over.

Here's the outside of the temporary door.


Here's the frame side.


Here's how I'm attaching the two. This allows me to change the contour to match the cab a little better.


Dave

 

I also had to make a thinner version of my bending die for the hyd. press. I forgot to take pics of it, but it looks like this one...



...except it's only 3/4" wide instead of 1". It also has 3/16" rod down the middle instead of 1/4". I used the same sides, so I had to trim them down so they wouldn't extend past the 3/4" tubing. This also cleaned up the rough edges, so the thing looks nicer now.

Dave

 

The weather and other commitments have conspired against me recently. So, I haven't gotten as much done as I would have liked. Nonetheless, we did get some more done on the cab. Because we need something solid to attach the floor to when it's done, we decided to switch gears and work on the back of the cab a little last weekend. We got so far as to start on the cab corners. TIG welding the patch panels in took a little longer than I anticipated, but I'm not surprised. I also spent a lot of time last weekend wielding a shrinking disk, as the rear panel of the cab oil-canned quite badly after we welded in the lower portion of the back of the cab and stretched the weld back out.

Here I am becoming one with the TIG torch. I spent the next couple of hours in this area.


After tacking everything in place, it looks like it's going to fit - and it does.


I had trouble getting back up, but the piece looks like it's going to work - and it does.


Dave

 

Here is a pic of another part of the floor pan that is almost ready. I still need to finish welding in the corners and then planishing them. Otherwise this is a very stiff panel now.


Here's a closeup of my welds. I had a couple of areas where some porosity crept in, but was able to go back and fix them. I also had some larger gaps (>1/16") that had to be filled. Thank goodness we had copper!


This was done with a 3/32" tungsten and 0.035" solid wire. I finally found the 1/16" tungsten after this was done. With a good grind, though, this worked fine.

Here's the back of it right before we started on the cab corners.


Dave

 

Here are some pieces that will make up the floor, as well as a "doesn't quite fit" cab corner.


Here is a cab corner in the works. I'm pretty sure this one will work when it's done.


Dave

 

Good to see the progress, keep the updates coming!

 

DUDE!!! That looks great!!!! Youre doin an excellent job!! Please keep posting. I dont hang out here at all, but one of our members posted about how cool your truck is and I just had to come over and check it out. I just love COE's, and your's is goin to be very cool!!!! A word of suggestion, you might think about using a chevy van steering box for your steering setup? A van has the pitman arm going forward, and sits straight up. It might solve some of your steering problems? Then again it might create more?? Just a thought?


GOD bless

 

I,m from another forum as well but heard about this one and had to take a look. I like your ideas alot.I,d reverse the front fenders so the pointed ends face front kinda a Cord-Auburn look and louvours down the sides of the hood.Any way your vision is definitly a one of a kind.Going to follow this build for sure. good luck.Mark

 

If only, if only I had such gifts as you.

This is a wonderful project you are assembling.

This could be the first Mid Engined '47.

Unless they made one, I don't recall. Anyhoo, it's midnight, so I have an excuse if I'm wrong.

Can't wait for an update!

 

you have insane fabing skills and a creative mind, not to mention confidence in yourself to take on such a big project. Your truck is hotrodding in every sense on the word...making due whith what you have. Alot of guys don't like the idea of a chevy in a ford but you already had the motor so thats OK, that just means you will have some money and time freed up to put elsewere. I notice alot of modified COE's have the engine midmounted, is that just to make it easier to get to the engine or is there another reason?

 

Thanks for the compliments!

The reason I am putting the engine mid-mount is that if I put it under the cab, the doghouse will take up the entire floor (or almost all of it) and I will have to drive with my feet on the dash. It does make working on them easier, too. I want to do a roll-back bed (sorta) so that I can just walk up to the engine and do whatever needs done.

I am considering putting a Ford engine/trans in. I am sorta keeping my eyes open for a '75-ish with a 351W. I can't go too crazy with the power, though. The rear half-shafts are from a V-6 T-bird, so I could snap them pretty easy. Maybe someday I'll upgrade to the bigger half-shafts and put more power in. For now, I am going to fab a 'universal' crossmember, so that when the time comes, I can drop in whatever motor/trans combo I choose.

 

Thanks! I guess I look at it this way. What's the worst that could happen? I end up with an ugly non-functional piece of yard art! The worst part was just convincing myself that this was do-able. Now that I've started, I have to complete it - eventually.

Actually, as mentioned in another post, there are quite a few mid-engined COEs of various years. The '47 and older cabs are just so small that there isn't any room left if you put the engine under it. Even with the old flatheads, the doghouse took up a lot of space.

Dave

 

Shorty, Truxx, and Virto,

Thanks for dropping by. I hope to have it rolling by September for a show up in Ottawa, KS. It's gotten to be a pretty big event, so it'll get a lot of visibility there, too.

As far as the steering box goes, I actually need to be able to tie into the steering shaft higher, so that I can poke it through the floorboard further forward. I don't want to have to step around the steering column when I get in and out. I'll have to get a little further along and see what I can do with U-joints. I'm also thinking of mounting the steering box higher up and then running a drag link over to the right side somewhere. Don't want the steering to be too complex, though.

While brainstorming this, one of the guys helping me with the sheetmetal suggested turning the fenders around too. I think it would be kind of cool that way, but it detracts from the tall stubby look I am after. Everybody looks at the nose silhouette I made and thinks it's sooooo short. I am actually thinking of chopping another couple of inches off at the front near the top. It is an interesting thought though. Maybe the next one.

Dave