1948 Ford f-6 COE Cabover truck

Description

This Ford COE project was originally purchased at Stovall Ford in May, 1948 by the Espy Ice Company in Denver, Colorado. I became the second owner in 1993. From what I was told, the truck was a yard vehicle that was always stored inside. (As I also have). It apparently had one repaint (from the original dark green color) in the early 1960's. In 2005, an acquaintance of mine began the task of mating the original 1948 cab to a modern 1979 Chevrolet C-30 step van chassis. The flatbed came from a 1967 Ford truck. Victor was an old-school mechanic who worked for the Boulder County school district as a fleet mechanic. He was a big fan of COE's, and had done other conversions. At his recommendation, I bought the Chevy van at auction to make the switch. He vouched for the van's maintenance history because he always worked on it. According to Victor, the drivetrain was a remanufactured Goodrich GM 350 with a rebuilt Borg Warner T-98 4-speed manual transmission.The van came with an extensive maintenance folder (that I have since misplaced but still looking for). My recollection of the receipted paperwork was that the Goodwrench engine had about 20,000 miles on it from new when the conversion began. When it was still in the van configuration, I drove it several times. It ran strong at highway speeds with more than twice the weight that it bears now. Tight steering, no smoke, and it shifted and stopped as it should. Victor worked intermittently on this "Frankenstein" project for a few weeks every summer until he became ill in 2010 and was unable to finish it. Since that time, I have started it intermittently and changed the oil. It has a new Edelbrock 4bbl carburetor. I have "lot driven" it but not on the road. It is about 7'4" tall, the box is 8' wide, and 18' long, allowing it to fit in many standard garages. I can provide exact wheelbase measurements if needed. This truck needs to be finished! The seating configuration (with the proper steering wheel angle, driver shock absorber mount, and folding passenger seat) is ergonomically correct and surprisingly comfortable: no goofy high backed bucket seats and steering wheel positioned at nose level! 90% of the hard work is done, but depending on how far you want to go, a lot of appearance and mechanical detail things remain. As the photos hopefully show, the cab body and interior isn't perfect: it is original, and has it's share of nicks, scratches, primer spots and dings. I drove it out of the shop on a rainy day to better magnify these shortcomings. But this cab is solid, unmolested, and very rust free. The fenders need to be completely aligned to the cab, and the steps need some work. The emergency brake setup is from a 1965 Ford truck, mounted under the dash below the light switch. The doors are completely solid, all hardware including windows work fine, and they shut nicely. The glass is all in good condition, including a new windshield, new window seals front and back, and window tracks. The seats were professionally reupholstered with a very heavy vinyl material and are gorgeous. The radio and speaker cover are new. I found a rare COE only tool tray that mounts behind the seats. I purchased a new Dennis Carpenter brown headliner and sunvisor kit, and these will be included in the auction. I will also include a NOS door lock, Carpenter glove box, accessory dome light, and a Ford letter emblem kit. All of the original emblems are there, and the deluxe stainless trim is present and very clean. (The F-6 emblems are slightly pitted and could stand to be re-chromed). The inside rear-view mirror is restored, the outside ones are new. The lights and instruments are new but not all are hooked up: I retained all of the original Chevy lights and wiring to adapt. The neat cab lights as shown in some of the photos are new but have not been installed, they will be included if you are interested in them. The Ford radiator was rodded out and serviced. But it still runs hot at 80+ degree temps. (Victor recommended an electric fan). The bed is in good condition but the wood needs to be painted. The bed was shortened, and Victor did not finish all the welds on one inside rail or the bumper. The truck still has the original Chevy fuel tank at the rear of the frame, as well as the original Ford cab tank. Both were drained long ago and are solid and usable. I currently "bottle feed" it with an external gas source. The differential punkin gasket is getting a little weepy. Tires are more than 10 years old but have lots of tread and no weather cracks. The exhaust system is stock Chevy and has no leaks. I have a near-new 2010 Mustang GT 304 stainless muffler for use on an upgraded exhaust system if the buyer wants it. As in many details with this truck, I will leave that configuration to the next owner. The truck doesn't have a good battery, but I can borrow one from another vehicle to get it started and loaded on your transport. It was inspected and has a clean Colorado title (as a 1948 Ford truck). Again, this truck should be seen as a work in progress. I have honestly described the truck to the best of my ability, but I am not a mechanic, and no warranties are expressed or implied. A $700.00 deposit through Paypal is due at auction's close. Full payment is expected via cashier's check or wire transfer within 7 days, and I can't release the truck until the money clears my bank. I can store this truck outside on my property for a reasonable time until you can arrange for shipping, but with the understanding that it is your vehicle! I can be reached by telephone at 303-654-1255 to answer any questions. Bidders with negative or limited feedback please contact me prior to bidding to avoid cancellation. I welcome your personal inspection of this vehicle, and think you will be impressed. I have enjoyed it very much over the years, but I have too many other projects and I am willing to let somebody else take it to the next level. Good luck, and thanks for your interest!