1/18 1956 Ford COE car hauler project....

Chris,  Is that an A/C unit hanging from the dash? I'm surprised the companies would offer their drivers such a luxury back then.

Posted by: @jack-dodds

@chris Wow...what a fantastic job!  To be honest I wouldn't have gone with those colors BUT now that I see them on the finished truck I realize I was wrong.....I think it looks awesome.

Well Jack, believe it or not... THOSE ARE THE ACTUAL FACTORY COLORS for these Ford "E & L Transport Company" rigs.

The problem is that 99% of my pics of this "school bus yellow" looks more like "sunshine yellow."  That's NOT what it really looks like.

In person, this yellow is NO WHERE near as "vivid as it appears here."  The closest pic (so far) to look true to the actual hue is this dash pic:

Actual color of these trucks:

THANK YOU, Jack for the compliments!!

Posted by: @jack-dodds

@chris Wow...what a fantastic job!  To be honest I wouldn't have gone with those colors BUT now that I see them on the finished truck I realize I was wrong.....I think it looks awesome.

THANK YOU, Jack for the compliments!!  PLEASE see the post above this... I explain the colors (..and that they're actually accurate).

@bob-jackman 

Hey Bob, no that's not an A/C unit.. it's a trucker/dispatch radio with phone receiver. These car hauler truckers were in almost constant communication with their dispatchers, the yards and plant controllers/shipping. Here's a better look.. you'll notice that oh-so-tiny phone cord (which got "lost in the sauce" once that dash was installed).

Thanks for the compliments!

For some reason (florescent lights ??) it's proving difficult to convey the true color of this COE (..the trailer will be painted to match).  I suspect outdoor pics will solve this issue but we're not ready for those yet.

With direct light pointed away from the truck I finally captured the correct "yellow-orange-ish" hue as it appears in person.  This is the correct color/shade (like a "school bus yellow") for 1950's Ford E & L Transport Company car haulers.

@chris  Thanks for the reply Chris. Learn something new every day.

Posted by: @bob-jackman

@chris  Thanks for the reply Chris. Learn something new every day.

Oh no problem Bob. That's what these on-line tutorial/how-to series are all about. Trust me, I've learned PLENTY from following other people's projects. 😉

9-30 UPDATE Part 1 of 2: Well, "less glamorous" work is underway. As noted, way back on Page 1, this project sat untouched for 5 years. I remember now how I hastily assembled the trailer. All the basic & important measurements are correct but there's a few rough edges (literally!) that need a bit of finesse before Bondo/glazing putty can be applied. Still applying detail/trim to the COE in between working on this big (it's like working on two long toasters glued together) trailer.

9-3-UPDATE Part 2 of 2:

10-4 UPDATE:  It took over 5 YEARS to get to this point (remember I took a 5 year break)...finally, there's "color on everything."  Far from done...now, it's all about detail, small detail: Lights, side markers, mirrors, decals, lettering, weathering, etc.... but all the bulky work is done, and I've earned a shot of whiskey! 😏 😉 😏 

Here are 28 pics:

Outstanding Chris. You really "nailed" those three center lights.

Wow!!!.......what a long,idea strewn, road it`s been to arrive at this stage of your build....your to-date pics are so accomplished ........thank you for allowing us to "share" your progress 

Posted by: @bob-jackman

Outstanding Chris. You really "nailed" those three center lights.

HA! Good one Bob. But truth be told.... I don't like how they turned out (too late now). In hindsight, I should've simply "pressed in" 3 tiny flat red circles thus preserving those round inlays. I "overengineered" those lights and lost that recessed look.  Still PLENTY of detail to add... so eventually, they'll get "lost in the sauce."  😉 🙂 

Posted by: @john-barry

Wow!!!.......what a long,idea strewn, road it`s been to arrive at this stage of your build....your to-date pics are so accomplished ........thank you for allowing us to "share" your progress 

No problem, John. I like tutorials myself, so I try to "pay back." Who knows? Someone might learn something... as I have watching others.

What an epic journey. Congratulations on seeing it through. I'm sure you'll spend many hours just taking it in. In ten years, you probably won't remember how you did all this.