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Hello, I'm Spanky, COE truck collector. How many of you guys out there own Chevy or GMC COE's. I have a '53 Chevy 5400 COE 2ton Holmes Wrecker, a '54 Chevy 5400 2ton flatbed chain drive tandem, a '50 GMC 600 COE 5ton cab & chassis, and a '52 GMC 450 COE 3ton road tractor....... Spanky Hardy...Collector of Fine Old GM COE Trucks...

I have two Chevy COE's. One is a 1948 2 ton, with a 158" wheelbase, and the other is a 1951 2 ton COE slide back with a 179" wheelbase. :cool2:

Bigger toys for bigger boys. :eek: Too cool. :cool2:

Chevy with flatbed-dump.

Well I got a 57 COT* flat bed C6500

*(Cab over Transmission) Ha!

Spanky. I have 2 COE's. A '47 & as you know a '54 2 ton. Glad to see you are online now. You need to get your email workin' so you can keep the little lady off your butt about the long distance phone bills.

MT,
those are some great shots that you have. Is that a mean junkyard dog beside your COE?

Mothertrucker, Still can't do anything with email, I sent you a private message off of this board , check it out. Spanky Hardy .....Collector Of Fine Old G.M. COE Trucks.

Old 216 ,that dog [ in the coe picture ] is the daytime " customer relations " K-9 unit & he is a old freindly retired K-9 unit. What ya gotta watch out for is the night time K-9 sentry patrol units at the Mothertrucker compound. Night time K-9 units consist of a combination of nasty Rottweilers & a fang chomping Wolf hybrids. Needless to say...... The night time working dogs are not friendly. So please make your appointments for parts during normal business hours.

lil' johnny, I rebuilt the updraft carb. on my '54 COE while I was off for Christmas. Runs good now, it had gotten to where it would only idle. I got the rebuild kit from a Co. in Conn., I also purchased a NOS Zenith updraft for my 450 GMC COE, & a NOS Zenith side draft for my 600 GMC COE big cab, from this same Company. I think he told me they still had a NOS Carter updraft for a '50-53 Chev. COE. The '54-'55 COE take a different carb., thats why I had to settle for a kit for my '54.

Spanky,
Glad to hear you found the rebuild kit..

I need a source for the COE fender scuff pads. I have a set that are fair & I am gonna take them to the sprayed in bedliner guy once I clean them up.
I have decided to part out my late 47 COE so, if ya need parts let me know.I could sell the truck whole & let some guy hack it & put it on a motor home frame but, I would rather see this donor truck's parts go to keep other original COE's on the road.

lil' Johnny, The carb. kit I purchased just barely contained what I needed. It wasn't close to being what the old Carter kits were. The name of the company where I got the kit & the NOS Zenith carbs. was Battery Ignition & Fuel Systems Co. of Manchester, CT. ph.(860)646-4594. I can't remember the guys name, so just ask for the person that dealt with Spanky ,the Cab over engine man. He got a real kick out of my name. He also said he had a NOS Carter Carb. for a Chevy COE, but it was for the earlier than '54 COE. The '54 Chevy COE does use a different model Carter BB 1 than the earlier COE's because of the location of the air cleaner. You know the 47-53 COE's air cleaner is located under the cab. The '54 COE air cleaner is located under the hood. This is why the carb. is mounted facing the opposite direction. The GMC's have their air cleaners under the hood on all of the 47-54 COE's. GMC COE's used the heavier duty Zenith updrafts on the 350,370,450, & 470 series COE's. GMC used the heavy duty Zenith sidedraft carb. on the 500 series thru 900 series large gas engine trucks. Catch ya later. Spanky Hardy ..... Collector Of Fine Old G.M. COE Trucks.

HEY JUNKYARD DOG, I think I found your COE Slideback. The more I thought about your truck(especially the part about the slide back bed), I remembered reading about a Chevy COE truck once with a slide back type car hauler bed. So I went digging through my Old Truck Archives, and what do ya know ,I found a article in the March\April issue of the old Classic Trucks magazine. Its titled The Junkyard Dogs COE, by my old COE friend Ric Hall. This has gotta be you. If so did you ever change the carb. back to orig., or are you still running the down draft setup. Does the truck still look the same. Pretty neat old truck. Ric did write ups on my COE's a couple of times in that mag. Spanky Hardy......Collector Of Fine Old G.M. COE Trucks & Antique Holmes Wreckers.

JYD, I forgot to mention, that was the March \ APRIL 1992 issue of Classic Trucks. Spanky hardy .........Collector Of Fine Old G.M. COE Trucks & Antique Holmes Wreckers.

Hey Spanky Doodle! Yep, that's my truck! It still pretty much looks the same today except that I have added a few other necessary things for hauling and etc. Yes, the downdraft carb. is still in place and it's staying there. Heck, the truck gets 12.6 miles to the gallon, and it runs a lot better with that carb. as well, so no need in changing a good thing. :cool2:

What would you think it would cost to fix this one up? Looks like it is fairly solid. :confused: :confused:


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2401257185&category=6783

I would like to get one like this and have an original truck hauling my original car. Cool :cool2:

How far is it from the ground to the load bed?
:confused:

Gator,
One of the "secrets" about a COE (cab-over-engine)is that they very similar to a ¾ ton Chevy truck of the same year!

Thanks for the information, since they are like the pick-ups, I now worry about the weight a COE can carry. What was the GVW of the COE's, this may be stupid but were there different GWV and models within the same build year? Thanks. :confused:

Gator, I would say that I read the comparison to the 3/4 ton and the COE to be that the cab trim and other interior items interchange, that also applys to the conventional cab medium and heavy duty truck,However, the chassis is not comparable as to load capicity to a 1/2 or even a one ton. COE trucks are usually rated at 1 1/2 tons up.

Yes, the Max Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) will change from truck to truck of the same "ton" models.

Just to add to what lil'johnny was saying about '47-'54 AD COE gvw's. GMC AD COE's differed from their Chevy cousins. The 350 series GMC COE had the same gvw rating(16000lb.), as the Chevy, but GMC also had a 450 & 470 series COE that used the small AD COE cab. The 450 COE was rated at (19500lb.), while the 470 COE was rated at (21500lb.). When you first look at a 450 or 470 GMC COE you might not notice the differences they have from the 350 med. duty COE. They have larger fenders, plus wider & taller cab steps. This is because of the larger , wider front axles they used. For an example take a look at my 450 GMC COE on the oldgmctrucks.com web site. The 450 & 470 COE's are much harder to find. Some came equippted with full air brakes. GMC also had large cab COE trucks, that were series 520-850, with gvw's up to (37500lb.). These were better known as the cannonball cab trucks. I also own one of them, shown on the old GMC website, its a 600 series rated at (23000lb.)

The website I was talking about in the previous post is www.oldgmctrucks.com Spanky Hardy....... Collector Of Fine Old G.M. COE Trucks

VERY, VERY, Nice web site, and some great photos of the trucks, good job.

Now if I could find a COE in that condition, for sale, cheap...... dreaming here.....

GATOR, You may not be necessarilly dreaming. I have truly been" BLESSED" when it comes to the COE's I own. Out of the 4 non part lending COE's I have, I've got less than 3 grand in them total. You may not believe this but the most I have ever given for one was $1200.00 dollars. The key to buying a COE is you have to stay away from the guys that buy them to re-sale.A good place to start would be to join truck clubs like( The American Truck Historical Society, or The Antique Truck Club Of America). These clubs are geared more towards the big trucks. You usually get your best prices from older farmers or garage and salvage yard operators, who to them they are just old snubnosed trucks. It is still plenty of them out in the midwest on farms in use. I bet their are still some in the rural areas of your state. I'm a member of, The American Truck Historical Society. They have local chapters in just about every state.Florida has the (South Florida Chapter) contact person is Cliff Gibson of Miami ,his no. is (305)251-5839. I have recieved leads on just about every COE I have ever bought, from guys in my local chapter. Many times they have even voluntered their services in helping me get them home. Hope this was of some help. Spanky Hardy..........Collector Of Fine Old G.M. COE Trucks & Antique Holmes Wreckers.

I have been as lucky as Spanky. I have $800 total in the two COE's that I have (a 1948 and a 1951) and I bought them both at the same time and at the same place. We found them on a Junkyard Dog adventure for the G&D back in 1991. That cost includes all of the spare parts and a 20% Brownie Box too. Since then I found a third COE, a 1954 model, in the local scrap yard and they let me strip everything that I wanted off of it, including a complete 261 engine and transmission, for free before they crushed the truck. Also, as we speak, not 10 miles from here is yet another COE sitting at an entrance to a local wrecking yard, and it has been there for years. And to top it all off, one mile from me is a 1952 COE sitting in a driveway, and it too has been there for a long time! :eek: :eek: :cool2:

JYD, the Northwest is famous for their COE's along with the wheat belt states. I gotta a whole $300 into my 1947 COE & it only cost me a case of beer & a fine BBQ to get it delivered to my place.

Ya, we do have a few COE's floating around in this area, and a few of them are street rods too! Also, there is a super rare circa 1939 Studebaker COE in a wrecking yard near here as well. Needs tons of work, but that is a very rare puppy!

MOTHERTRUCKER!, I'm waiting for those '54 COE pic's Bro. Gotta see some more of it. Stop keeping me in suspense. Did you ever see the pictures of the 2 '54 Chevy COE Holmes wreckers on Jollys OldCOETrucks website. the first one is a Holmes 525, the other is a Holmes W35. Spanky Hardy........ Collector Of Old G.M. COE Trucks & Antique Holmes Wreckers.

JYD, STUDE COE! RARE INDEED! you should fire up that Chevy slide back, & go pull that Stude up on the back & head back home. Get it ,if for nothing else but to save it for safe keeping...... Spanky Hardy........Collector Of Fine Old G.M. COE Trucks & Antique Holmes Wreckers.

"Diesel Dan" could haul the old COE Studebaker home all right, but the last time that I checked, they wanted zillions for the old thing, so that's why it's still there. Even the street rodders haven't touched it. :eek: :eek: :eek: :( :( :(

That happens alot JYD. Some people fail to realize that it's senseless to pay thousands of dollars for something ,you may have to spend thousands of dollars on, after you get it. Spanky Hardy.........Collector Of Fine Old G.M. COE Trucks.

Hey JYD ain't you a real American, Just take some troops ( the pack of junkyard puppies) and go liberate that old Studebaker COE! or lead a coaliation of hobbiest to run the current owner
...............out of town!

Been there and done that! The JYD troops were all ready to raid that place until they found out that the truck was a Studebaker.........then everyone went home! :( :( :( :( :( :(

JYD, Does that Studebaker COE look like ebay item( 2156356204). Spanky.......Collector Of Fine Old G.M. COE Trucks.

Cool photo. :eek:

JYD, if you want me to I will tell a Stude collector here about the COE, I thought he owned all of the Studes made already

So what would be a fair price for this Chevy COE, in this condition? This will give me some sort of idea about pricing them. :confused:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...tegory=6783&item=2401257185&rd=1

Thanks

P.S. The perfect one for what I want to do would be a slideback, know where I can get one? hint, hint.... :rolleyes:

No need to hint Gator..........I will sell ya mine, and the spare COE too! The slideback is ready to roll (and slide), all ya gotta do is come over, pay for it, and then drive it home, with the 1948 COE on the back!

Can't deliver huh, how about half-way for both of us? I [bleeped]-u-me you will take what you paid for them as the purchase price ($800.00). Let me know. :cool2:

That was a zillion years ago. The trucks kinda sorta have appreciated a little since then, not to mention all of the things I have added to Diesel Dan to make him more worthy of "emergency runs". Nope, can't deliver half way since Diesel Dan doesn't like anything over 40 miles an hour. Now.....if you got the time to drive all that way, well...............you know! ha ha!

Dang it, why do you have to be so far away. Don't you and the wife (and Elvira) want a nice winter vacation in Florida? You could find some nice junkyards between there and here.....think about all of that iron sitting there waiting to be found....you haul 'Dan' to me and cherry pick on the way back, sounds good doesn't it.

Nope...it doesn't sound good at all! ha ha! If I gotta choice between going to Florida or Hawaii, I'll take Hawaii instead. But, I've already been to Hawaii and I didn't like it all that well anyway. Tell ya what.........buy Diesel Dan and his buddy the parts truck, and then you can have a car hauler bring them to you waaaaay cheaper than I could. Hey.....sitting in that truck, cooking myself to death and listening to all of that noise at 40 miles an hour for days and days isn't my idea of a good time. Tell ya what I will do. I will deliver both trucks to the closest big city to me......which is Medford, Oregon 20 miles away.........and then you can pick them up there. How's that??

JYD, which one of your old Chevys do you drive to Hi-Wahua? the one with the snorkle attachment off of a duece and a half?
Is that why Old Diesel Dan has a downdraft carb, so that he won't drown?

Hey Macky Wacky! Ya, figured that one out! When Diesel Dan crosses the Pacific Ocean to the islands, the navy keeps mistaking his slideback bed for the deck of an aircraft carrier, and planes are always trying to land on it!! :cool2: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

No, No, my plan was for you to put Dan on a flatbed trailer, that way you would have room for all of the goodies you buy on the way back. This way you can cuise at ??+ speeds in air conditioned comfort (Elvira would melt in the Florida sun, or at least be too hot to handle w/o AC).

Naw..........going to Florida does not sound interesting to me. If ya come and get Diesel Dan I will throw in a case of beer with the deal!

I have always wanted to visit the 'left coast' maybe this summer.

What would I have to have in the way of a trailer for Dan? :confused:

E-mailed me the price you are looking for.

Well, you will need a very long flat bed trailer since Diesel Dan is about 24 feet long. And, if you are taking the 1948 COE too (and that's part of the deal), then you will need even a longer trailer! Not to mention a very big truck to pull all of the weight of the trucks, all of the extra parts and accessories and etc. the 3,000 miles back to Florida.

An email is on the way as we speak!!

Thanks for the e-mail, someone is going to get some great trucks and parts. Wish it could be me but I'm just too far away. :( :(

I don't think they used COEs in the orange groves too much, maybe the I can get to the wheat growing areas this summer. :cool2: