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

[chimp koose]

On the topic of using the econoline van frame ,remember that they had a wheelbase of about 90", pretty short for a COE.

[wayne petty]

i would think with the new stick on insulation that is available ... the trouble of moving the motor to the back would be a moot point.. (for the reason to avoid heat and noise) unless you really like the motor sticking out mid ships...  


when this first came up... i googled imaged 47 dodge COE  and a few really nice pics came up...

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=47%20dodge%20COE&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi


just for a few ideas

[phat rat]

i would think with the new stick on insulation that is available ... the trouble of moving the motor to the back would be a moot point.. (for the reason to avoid heat and noise) unless you really like the motor sticking out mid ships...  


when this first came up... i googled imaged 47 dodge COE  and a few really nice pics came up...

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=47%20dodge%20COE&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi


just for a few ideas

I would put lack of footroom on the same level as heat if the motor isn't behind the cab. If you look at any in person that have the motor in front you'll find them seriously lacking in floor space. The one thing I didn't care for in most was the long, 10 ft or more, bed. On the one I started I had a 40" semi sleeper behind the cab with the motor under that and a short box Chevy bed behind that. If you want to see how that looked let me know and I'll scan some pics I have of it and post them

[tomslik]

i would think with the new stick on insulation that is available ... the trouble of moving the motor to the back would be a moot point.. (for the reason to avoid heat and noise) unless you really like the motor sticking out mid ships...  


when this first came up... i googled imaged 47 dodge COE  and a few really nice pics came up...

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=47%20dodge%20COE&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi


just for a few ideas

keep in mind if you need access to the engine, the floor HAS to come up.
all those seems are gonna leak heat and steam and noise....

unless you make a tilt cab....

[phat rat]

I had a raised hinged area (doghouse) in the sleeper

[enjenjo]

Frank,
Will the guy down the road sell the diesel?

Yes he will, but I think the price is too high. I may be wrong. I'll PM you with info.

[phat rat]

I found these two pics of the one I was doing

[348tripower]

I found these two pics of the one I was doing

Jack,
That is cool.  I will post pictures of my cab later this week. We picked it up yesterday. I am thinking of a pickup style cab over. Therefore, I question the use of a 3/4 ton frame.  :? Do I really need it :?:   Wheels would be easier to come by and cheaper in a 1/2 ton. I don't have a need to haul cars, and I am not crazy about the flat beds. Keep the suggestions coming tho.   I am not resigned to anything yet. All I have is the cab now.
Thanks,
Don

[GPster]

Of course there's the idea of putting the engine in the bed. You can go with the idea of the "Wheel Stander"s or you can go with the more sedate idea of an early Olds Toronado or FWD Cadillac and just lock the steering.Then you could put a cooler in the old engine compartment and if you kept it stocked you wouldn't have to worry about A/C. GPster

[348tripower]

Of course there's the idea of putting the engine in the bed. You can go with the idea of the "Wheel Stander"s or you can go with the more sedate idea of an early Olds Toronado or FWD Cadillac and just lock the steering.Then you could put a cooler in the old engine compartment and if you kept it stocked you wouldn't have to worry about A/C. GPster

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Cold Beer

[Jbird]

I got a couple of Ford powertrains that might work for you. One is an 89 E350 van- injected 351w with a C6 trans. The other is an early nineties one ton flatbed dually with a diesel V8 and HD trans. Both run great, the dually needs a steering column before is can be driven to MI. Let me know if you're interested.  Jbird

[tomslik]

I found these two pics of the one I was doing

Jack,
That is cool.  I will post pictures of my cab later this week. We picked it up yesterday. I am thinking of a pickup style cab over. Therefore, I question the use of a 3/4 ton frame.  :? Do I really need it :?:   Wheels would be easier to come by and cheaper in a 1/2 ton. I don't have a need to haul cars, and I am not crazy about the flat beds. Keep the suggestions coming tho.   I am not resigned to anything yet. All I have is the cab now.
Thanks,
Don

i'd go with the 3/4ton.
are you thinking about the engine under the cab?
if so, i'd even go 1ton....
theres a LOT of top-heavy weight in the coe's....

[GPster]

theres a LOT of top-heavy weight in the coe's..

A very valid point. I got reminded of that in the news today. Not only was there a report of a van up on it's side but a Harley too. Yesterday I saw a man going down the street in what from the front looked like on of those three wheel conversions. From the side it was strange in that it still had the stock rear fender and no box on the back like most of those conversions have. Looking at the back of it as we passed each other I saw that the two wheels in the back were "training wheels". The stock rear wheel was still there to do the driving. Well it too was in the news this morning, on it's side. Since we gave up motorcycling I haven't followed it much but from the bottom this didn't look like a "one off" creation. This looked like some kind of manufactured set-up. Maybe the higher it is the wider it should be, GPster

[tomslik]

theres a LOT of top-heavy weight in the coe's..

A very valid point. I got reminded of that in the news today. Not only was there a report of a van up on it's side but a Harley too. Yesterday I saw a man going down the street in what from the front looked like on of those three wheel conversions. From the side it was strange in that it still had the stock rear fender and no box on the back like most of those conversions have. Looking at the back of it as we passed each other I saw that the two wheels in the back were "training wheels". The stock rear wheel was still there to do the driving. Well it too was in the news this morning, on it's side. Since we gave up motorcycling I haven't followed it much but from the bottom this didn't look like a "one off" creation. This looked like some kind of manufactured set-up. Maybe the higher it is the wider it should be, GPster

hey, one more thing, run a BIG sway bar on the front....and 2 shocks on each frt wheel.
trust me....they get to wallowing around, or at least mine did at around 100mph..... they're noisiy at that speed,too...

[348tripower]

Lets see if we have pictures?