I am building a COE what Dodge van should I use?

348tripower · July 17, 2008, 11:45:38 AM

I bought a 47 dodge COE last weekend in Columbus.

What years dodge full size vans would be a good donor for the frame? I think I would like to keep this all Mopar!
Thanks,
Don

enjenjo · July 17, 2008, 12:12:10 PM

Don, Dodge hasn't built a van with a frame since the 50s, and those were step vans. You could use a dually pickup frame. Or a motor home frame, although most of the Dodge powered motor homes had a GM frame under them.

tomslik · July 17, 2008, 01:18:34 PM

Quote from: "348tripower"I bought a 47 dodge COE last weekend in Columbus. What years dodge full size vans would be a good donor for the frame? I think I would like to keep this all Mopar!
Thanks,
Don

you REALLY want to hear all the popping and banging around a dodge van does!?!?!?
they ARE unibodies anyway

348tripower · July 17, 2008, 02:42:10 PM

Ok,
Chevrolet then?

GPster · July 17, 2008, 02:55:40 PM

Oh, this is going to be fun. Can everybody play? Did you get fenders and a hood? What kind of tread width do you want? Will this be a "For Work" or "For Looks" vehicle? GPster

enjenjo · July 17, 2008, 05:03:08 PM

Quote from: "348tripower"Ok,
Chevrolet then?

All the Chevy vans were unit body too, until 96 or so. Ford was the only one that had a frame.

Dodge built a commercial/RV frame in the 70s, but stopped about 78. After that, most motorhomes used GM or Ford chassis. The GM chasssis was a P30, similar in layout to a Van, but not much interchanges. Some of the motor home manufacturers, bought GM chassis, and put Dodge engines in them.

So, you can use a pickup chassis, Dodge or GM, and adapt the steering from an Astro van, use a P30 chassis, a Ford chassis, or a late model GM van chassis.

1FATGMC · July 17, 2008, 05:46:37 PM

A friend of mine who runs at b'ville, Sparky aka. Bill Smith, bought a 98 or 99 1 ton GM van when he was visiting me last fall. It had been wrecked with illegals in it. He paid $800. He left it at my place and I pulled the 350 vortec motor/trans. and took those to Phoenix. In return I got the rest.

Hooley has I believe a 47 or 48 chevy CEO that he has sitting on some late frame, can't remember which, but needs a front clip with the steep steering shaft angle. He is going to look at this van and see if it will work when he is here next month. If so it will go to him.

I want from about the driver's door back for the back half of a frame I have planned for the '38/39 Ford pickup I have (just the cab). I want to make a rat rod with a flat bed on the back for pulling a 5th wheel (race car trailer) and have a sleeper on it. He also has an older semi sleeper and a ramp back type (non-movable) on his. It will be used to take the Stude and J to the races when he is done. He has also picked up a diesel drivetrain out of something.

I'd look at one of the 1 ton late model chevy vans if it was me and see how they might work.

c ya,

Sum

phat rat · July 17, 2008, 06:46:27 PM

When I was building my 48 Chev COE I used 78 pu 3/4T frame with a van steering box inletted about an inch and tilted as much as possible. Doing that I was able to use the stock pitman arm. I had the steering all hooked up when I sold it. I was using two u-joints, one in the cab and the other at the box. The steering column was an early 70's Chev van tilt shorten 14". Frank is right about the G.M. vans being unibody.

tomslik · July 17, 2008, 07:17:36 PM

hey 348, if you want (being an ex-coe owner/driver) , i can tell ya what NOT to do.(by experience)...

phat rat · July 17, 2008, 09:55:02 PM

If you want foot room put the motor behind the cab

348tripower · July 18, 2008, 06:54:25 AM

Ok,
I am all ears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quote from: "tomslik"hey 348, if you want (being an ex-coe owner/driver) , i can tell ya what NOT to do.(by experience)...

GPster · July 18, 2008, 09:34:50 AM

I just got a dandy steering universal joint that goes right on the 605 and 800 (?) steering box splines to DD. It was part of a hunk of frame that the Junk Yard owner told me was an AWD Astro. If so then they have frames under them. Now for my ODD suggestion (the suggestion, not me?). How about FWD ? Using a 4x4 front axel and the engine in the frame backwards. That could put the engine behind the cab and the transmission under the seat facing foreward. I figure there is some combination of front ends that could deal with the driveshaft roataion or maybe you would need to use an early transfer case to drive a reverse rotation front gearset and Ford transfer case to Chevy front axel to get the driveshaft on the same side of the frame's centerline. Got to get to yard work before it gets too hot. GPster

348tripower · July 18, 2008, 12:03:20 PM

Thanks for everybodys input here. GPster, I don't think I want to go to a front wheel drive. I would like to stay with a simpler solution. I am open for all suggestions tho.

tomslik · July 18, 2008, 07:03:47 PM

Quote from: "348tripower"Ok,
I am all ears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quote from: "tomslik"hey 348, if you want (being an ex-coe owner/driver) , i can tell ya what NOT to do.(by experience)...

ok, you asked for it!

#1 DO NOT PUT THE ENGINE UNDER THE CAB!!!!!!!
heat and noise.lots of it! not to mention steam if you drive thru a water puddle.

#2 use the biggest, high quality radiator you can get made.

#3 use a OEM electric fan, spal and the like are ok IF you've got a car or a 1/2t truck but notheng sucks like a factory fan and use the shroud if you can.

#4 put big gas tank (s) on it, you'll need it.

#5 do NOT use a crap heat/cool/def!
use the biggest and baddest you can find!
that leaves southern air out;)

#6 IF you can handle the smell of diesel, a cummins from a late model dodge would be my 1st choice or, for a gas burner, a 440, motor home style less thermoquad.maybe a tbi setup adapted from a 454 woulf be the smart thing, particularly if you don't think #1 is a good idea and JUST have to have the enging under the cab...they push a LOT of air so torque is the name of the game....
mine had a 300 hp/350 crate motor, wasn't enough....

#7 i wouldn't use anything less than a 3/4t suspension under another one, 1/2t was just a bit light duty, forget mustang II....

that'll get ya started

1FATGMC · July 18, 2008, 07:36:46 PM

Quote from: "tomslik"........and JUST have to have the enging under the cab...........:

Personally I'd put the engine right behind the cab, but Hooley bought a front wheel drive 500 cu in cad and was going to use that before the diesel came along which will go behind the cab. The Cad's get better gas mileage than a 454 or probably any of the other "big" engines.

c ya,

Sum