I've got a question, I was checking out a Hot Rod mag from a couple of months ago. And in the readers rides section there was a '29 A Truck, but the cab was mounted in front of the engine, with the grill shell about a foot or less from the cowl. It was basically turned into an old school version of a Cab Foward hauler, but it had a 90's Chrysler engine. My questions is has anyone else tried this? I want to build one out of a '29 Pontiac I have, I have a cowl, grill, roof, doors, all I need to do is fab a back wall and I would have a pretty neat cab. then stick a 303 olds behind it nice steak bed, a set of kidney bean mags, plus two extras on another axle in back, wide whites, nice stake bed, and so much more....anyways I was wondering if anyone had pictures of trucks like these, or even custom built COEs using 20's and 30's truck cabs or even C Cabs. all your pictures and info would be greatly appreciated
I am most deffinitly gonna do it!! I just want to see if people have pictures others...because me and the dude in Hot Rod can't have been the only people with this idea. I would like pictures though to see how people are setting up the front ends, and maybe average lenths on frames and things. so lets get this thread rollin'!! please
I thought about possibly down the road doing a small bed pickup using the 3.5 and auto trans out of a Dodge Intrepid. Those cars haul ass, and since the engine orients itself in the rear wheel drive setup (I guess you'd call it north/south) while the transaxle powers the front wheels, I thought it'd make a cool runner as well as get decent mileage. You'd just have to solid mount the tie rods to hold the wheels straight. Figure add it in the rear inside the bed... possibly under a bed cover... and make the front hood area a 'trunk'. Should make for some good fun, and these cars are cheap enough to have as donors right now. Hell, my wife got 22mpg in her 97 before I sold it awhile back. Besides... the mid engine type setup should give the best balance of weight to all 4 corners. The only problem I could see is trying to set up the computer and wiring harness correctly. Hell, put the gas tank in front under the 'trunk' area to help balance with weight.
A better allternative to the 3.5 is a Pontiac Fierro transaxle, and engine. so you don't have tierods to solid mount and speed parts are easy to find, theres even a get to bolt a small block up to the transaxle is you get tired of good mileage. or you can use a 425 Olds Transaxle out of a Toronado, it's just a TH400 turned sideways, and anything you can bolt a TH350, TH400, 700R4, and a few others, will work with it.
I will definitly do that, I've got to go pick up the remmnants of the body I'm using and get a game plan going. The cool thing is there are no humps in the floor to worry about, so it's all going to be a flat floor, and I can actually finish the cab before I even start the frame. I wish people would post pics though, me and the dude in hot rod can't be the only ones who have this idea.
Actually there have been a few built, the only thing different between it and a COE is that instead of the engine being under the cab it's behind it. I know there have been a few built, most of which were C-cabs, but I'm just making mine a closed cab. There's no need to get shot.
There is a truck similar to what you are describing but all origional at Knobels Amusement Park in Elysburg, Pa. They use it for atmosphere outside one of the rides. I have been scoping it for years thinkin up cool stuff to do to it usually revolving around some kind of big block. This truck has a banger in it and a traverse chain drive. Its in mint condition but hasn't been run in years. Sorry no pictures!
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