how to? top kit or coe?

[c-man405]

i dont know if this is the right place for this question but i thought i would start here! does anyone know how to take for example a 50 chevy pick-up and i wanted to take a regular cab and make it to a cab over engine cab how would i do this? is it even possible? also could a do the same thing with a more modern truck like a 99 chevy truck and turn it into a top kit truck? i dont know if the term top kit is correct but its like a really short front end on a truck kind of like a cab over engine but the engine is in between the fenders... thanks for all or any information/ carter

[pharoah]

Yes it can. Here's 50 Chevy I started ( and haven't finished) I was going to make this a GMC too so it was more work.

The other picture show a Ron Cash resin cab.

The Topkick was available in resin if I'm not mistaken. It would be a lot of work to build one. It depends on your skills and how bad you want one I guess.

[c-man405]

so did you cut the fenders off the cab and move the cab up and forward? also what did you add under the cab just striene? one last question. how did you go about making the hood? is it still the original one? thanks carter

[Wagoneer81]

Yes, the factory moved the cab up and forward to clear the engine. If you need to, you can add some strip styrene under the door to extend the cab sides down. As for the hood, I've seen guys cut them into three or more pieces, take a section from the middle to shorten it and add styrene strip in to deepen it. What you might do, is if you have a spare body and hood, practice on it. Make some cuts where you think you should and go from there. Also, keep looking back into the 'On the Workbench' area of this truck section. I know I've seen in-progress pictures of someone building a '50ish ford COE. His pictures made the job almost self explanatory...

EDIT: Found them... I saved them to my HD, as reference pics. I forget who posted them originally, but it wasn't me. Credit goes to whoever posted the originals... this is not my truck, just some pics to, hopefully, answer what questions you might have...

I with we had a pic of the unprimed hood. Get some .040 Evergreen strip, maybe .188 or .25" wide to make the hood taller and remove a section to shorten it. Cut and shim wherever you need to to get the darned thing to fit and look right.... That's mainly what scratchbuilding is... Making it look right...

Edited January 11, 2013 by Wagoneer81

[pharoah]

Yes that's how it's done. The hood is tricky. It has to cut into sections and pieced together with styrene.

The internet is a great source for pictures. The H.A.M.B. at jalopyjournal.com has an ongoing thread about COE's. great reference.

In the interior,there is a hump on the floor for engine clearance like full size vans.

[Guest G Holding]

I have this link to those pix, thought there was a hood picture I dont know if this guy still posts here ?

COE

Edited January 16, 2013 by G Holding