Tom, you are a real Picasso! That's exactly what I am going to do, absent any others chiming in.

Thanks, Mark.

Agreed
I just googled F-100 complete bed kit and, as I thought, that header panel is mostly top-flush with the bed side top rolls. A filler piece is appropriately required.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...f366d1ff14.jpg
Versus the express bed:
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...123f9edbb9.jpg
That open gap is goofy. Please fill it...
JML

Two votes is enough for me, no goofy gaps on my truck!
Thanks, Mark.

That is interesting. I never noticed that difference between the F100 bed and the Express beds.

My question is, why did Ford do it like that?

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...db76cba0f0.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...d4275aa327.jpg
After one year of searching, researching, hand-wringing and whining, I finally found a 285/70r/19.5 tire, and then purchased a Vision 81 Heavy Hauler rim, with lug centric mounts and an 8 0n 6.5 bolt pattern.
Fits a Ford E-350 chassis perfectly, and gives me almost 36" height. If anyone would like hernia surgery, stop and try to lift the rim (over 70#). The tire is even heavier. I don't know how the kid at my local truck tire shop even lifted it out of my van to mount it.


Regards, Mark.

Looking good. Mine still tarped and hibernating.

Got side tracked this spring with a mustang project for my wife. Hopefully I will get back to the Coe sometime this summer. And of course I still have the crew cab project in the garage to work on.

Thanks Tom, I got sidetracked with a '39 Dodge 1 1/2 ton truck for a while, but now I'm back on the coe.

Regards, Mark.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...6f85a2fd5e.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...ecd4c4ea82.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...71df495dc8.jpg
Thanks to a brief weather break, finally got my long bed welded up, tailgate, hinges and seat belt locks installed.


Welded on the rear and front stake pockets, waiting to see if a shorter middle one is in order, after I figure out the placement of the fenders.


Next some red oxide primer over the epoxy primer and then some red to do a faux patina.


Regards, Mark.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...063b9221dd.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...9876455619.jpg
Just an update. Had a bad hood hinge on the left side, so I thought I would save some time and grief and just buy a new one. All the suppliers sell the same one, made in Taiwan. After installing it, I realized the Coe hinge is a little different in arm length and the location of the pivot points, even though the bolts line up perfectly.


I returned the new one to NPD and fixed the old one, with a little persuasion and bending. The hood now fits perfectly, or as least as good as when new.


Regards, Mark.

The hood looks great. Wish mine fit that good.
Glad you have had a chance to work on it!

Also the hood hinge springs are cab forward only,pickup springs don't work either.
Also the hood latch's use a half round spring to hold them open or closed, they are hard to come buy i got the last 2 from NOS quite a while ago, but Chevy and GMC look to use the same style.

COE Hood Springs...
 

Just FYI, Chuck at Chuck's Trucks in CT has brand new COE hood springs for the 48 thru late 50's COEs... I believe he had a spring shop make them for him -- not cheap but PERFECT replacements

Also, wanted to mention that '56 COE is really looking great!

Bed length, wheel widths etc.
 

Mark,

Your '56 is looking sweet... I can't believe I just stumbled across your thread. I need to look around more often!

I see you decided on a 9' bed... what made you decide on that length? Was that your wheelbase when you bought it? My 50' F5 COE was a tractor / trailer with 110" wheel base... An 8' has worked out perfectly for mine. I am using what most would use on an F-2 rebuild.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...a38d167afb.jpg


I ended up using a '97 explorer rear diff which is about 9" more narrow than the Crown Vic front suspension that I used. That gave me about 4 1/2" of free tire "meat" space... I widened my rear fenders to match the width of the COE which allows me to use almost 16" wide Mickey Thompsons on the rear without having to tub the bed... what is your plan with the rear wheels etc? Figured I needed 14" wide rims with 3 1/2" offsets... worked perfectly leaving about 1 1/4" between the tire and bed sides...


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...83a4d12639.jpg


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...6f4f762f4a.jpg


Good work on the front steering -- that was the only thing that gave me heartburn before I figure out I could use an offset steering box made for '32 ford coupes...

I think your one of the first threads I've stumbled across that is doing something very similar to what I'm doing.

Your's is really looking great! Wishing you the best... I'm feeling like I'm climbing Mt. Everest with mine...

Hi Guys:
I was missing one of the hood latch springs initially, but there is a spring shop here in town that manufactures all sorts of springs.

When I was restoring antique slot machines, he was able to make all the springs(and there are many) for them. I took him the one good hood catch spring and he made a perfect new one, for ten bucks for his pizza fund. Also, he is a car guy, which didn't hurt.

I went with the 9 foot bed after shortening the E350 chassis to 130". I have seen many coe's with shorter beds and they look totally out of proportion, like they were squished together. Since I fabricated my own bed anyway, and a 10' brake was available, another foot didn't make much difference.

I am using 19.5" wheels and 285/70R/19.5 tires, which gives me almost 36" in height, since Coe's look horrible if the wheel wells aren't filled. I still may have to lower everything, but that decision is in the not so distant future. I guess I am an aesthetic proportion freak, or anal retentive!

The steering is another issue which I have maybe solved, but I don't like the look of the angle inside the cab. I'll have to wait and see how it works and if everything fits once I start assembly in the cab.

My other issue is the Lokar tall shifter (32") on the C6 transmission. I have to mount the main bracket all the way forward on the case, and Lokar doesn't make a bell crank kit for the C6. I think some brackets and arms can be fabricated as a work around, but I will know for sure this week. I will also have to bend the long shifter arm to accommodate the seat and dash. Lokar used to do custom bends, but no more. Some sand or a spring in the tube and a bender will work, but the chrome will probably get screwed up.

Regards, Mark.

Steering...
 

Steering... you may want to look at the "offset steering box" that I used...

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Steer...sku=8451000-16

you can get one in 8", 10", 12" or 16" offset.

I have seen almost a dozen COE's put over modern frame/drivetrain and I've only seen two that I thought the steering was done well.

There was a lime green one sold about 6 months or so ago on eBay that looked like the steering column almost went straight down through the floor... and the dog box made it impossible to put the gas and brake on the right side... so you had gas with right foot ... brake with left... !!! that's what gave me the heartburn before I started -- I've seen at least 3 others done almost the same way ... Ugh.

I spent a great deal of time working through this one issue.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...06955a589f.jpg


My steering column goes through the floor at exactly the same place the original one did...


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...8596d1a5df.jpg

You can follow the steering column to the top universal connection point... then see the offset steering box go back down to the lower universal joint. The 16" offset worked perfectly for me.<br/>



https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...0fe9898323.jpg

Not a perfect pic... but you can see the column is not interfering with where I'll put the pedals or with your feet... <br/>