kdunkdfunk Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 (edited) Hello All,Here is the body I want to build for my current project. These are pretty rough for now. The idea is to make something like an urban delivery body from the 40's and 50's. I need to side load and may want it covered with canvas sides or roll-up doors. The idea is to get something really rounded. It is going on a '58 White 3000.I saw the Mack F at Iowa Trucking Museum: http://hankstruckfor...p?topic=32995.0. Also I saw the Bud model. I get thirsty just looking at it...I am wondering if anyone knows of a body laying around that would be a starting point? I would love to hear thoughts about doing this. Anyone who has a body or knows where one is, PLEASE PM me or email kdunkdfunk@gmail.com.Thanks Edited March 27, 2012 by kdunkdfunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olivetroad Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I saw a guy take a Schwans truck fiberglass body and install it on a 1930's Chevy straight truck. He repainted it and installed wooden doors - that thing looked really neat. There are a lot of them laying around - not worth anything for scrap.And in answer to your question - NO I did not take any photos - Sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdunkdfunk Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 (edited) So it looked neat but not picture worthy. I see.I haven't been able to even find one to look at. Not on CL and all the wreckers I have talked to don't have them. Glad to hear they aren't worth scrapping. I've called quite a few wreckers around Vancouver and in WA and am now talking to body fabricators about starting from scratch. Edited March 27, 2012 by kdunkdfunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olivetroad Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I have one around back - it is missing the doors, but I will take a photo so you know what I am describing.The one I saw was definately photo worthy! But I didn't know how to use the camera on my phone and I did not have my normal camera along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olivetroad Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Here is a pic of the Schwans body like the one I saw all tricked out. The wood doors and brass hardware made it look old, kind of like an old ice box.I also have seen a couple of antique trucks look pretty sharp with a nice service body like this without the boom:This bed looks way to modern, but I bet if you could find something similar to start with, and then trick it out to make it look older, it would be a lot cheaper than starting from scratch - these chemlawn beds are also all over the place:I have wanted to take a antique truck and install a chip bed like this one, that would look cool for a tree service:Sorry if this is boring or too many photos - I just really like the idea you have for what you want to do with your truck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdunkdfunk Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) Olivetroad,Far from boring! Thanks for taking all those pictures. The Schwans is closest to what I am looking for and it could work. Who made it? Since we are woodworkers we would do something similar. Wood deck, header, rub rails. If it was a covered body then I would try to get wood doors on it. All stuff we can do ourselves. After that I hope to get into the cab with some wood...but that's another post. What are the outside dimensions of the body?I really like the idea of making a vintage landscaping truck. The old trucks are pretty ideal for it since they are low mileage and the advertising value is high. Who wouldn't love to have an old truck in their yard even for a few hours? Another place is food trucks. They have exploded in number in the west coast cities...Vancouver, Portland, Seattle, into California. Guys like you could come up with some amazing trucks for this. They need to be roadworthy, ready for paint, and ready to take a body but...I know they would pay. The problem is that people starting food businesses don't have imagination and time for this so it needs to be made easy for them. Most people use vans because they are the easiest so a truck that is done up would attract a lot of attention. There are a lot of trucks that make the route to job sites and bigger shops. An old Mack would be a hit at those places. Here's an article about it: http://www.bestofnew...ent?oid=1459140Many thanks!And some eye candy: Edited March 28, 2012 by kdunkdfunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olivetroad Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Every year I buy a lot of step vans from electric and gas companies. About half of them go to contractors, usually plumbing or HVAC guys. Out of the rest, more and more are going to become roach coaches like you are talking about. The last one I sold had a built in 7KW diesel generator, a hydraulic system for running tampers and drills, and a V8 Ford air compressor where half the cylinders run the engine and the other half pump air - pretty serious set up. It was a neat deal and the guy paid a mint for it. He bought it, took it to the west coast and made a lunch wagon out of it. He called to tell me to find him another one and I asked him what he did with all the hydraulics and compressor and he said he just ripped it all out and junked that stuff - made me sick!I saw a great show on the Food Channel or something similar that was about the rise in the number of roach coaches everywhere. They were mostly old redone step vans if I remember correctly.I have no idea who made the Schwans bed, I will look and see if I can find a plate on it. It was a cold plate bed where the boxes all have sealed "plates" on the bottom of them that freeze to keep the inside of the bed cold all day while you make your deliveries. I was told by a Schwans guy that before they sell them they remove all the doors - someone got locked inside a used bed and died. I have no idea if that is true or not, but I don't see any with the doors still intact.You can have that bed if you want it once I remove the copper lines from inside it that ran the coolant to the plates. I bet it would cost a pretty penny to get it home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdunkdfunk Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 Yes, most are step vans. Lots of woodworkers in my area use them as well. Nice and dry and tall. Also cheap.Thanks for the offer of the bed. I'm still at the "tossing ideas around" stage so will see. I am thinking of just going with a flatdeck for now. I can make drawings for the plates and get a local fab shop to cut them out, form them. Once I have that it shouldn't be too hard to weld them together. Will see if that fits the budget! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdunkdfunk Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 I saw a great show on the Food Channel or something similar that was about the rise in the number of roach coaches everywhere. They were mostly old redone step vans if I remember correctly.You can have that bed if you want it once I remove the copper lines from inside it that ran the coolant to the plates. I bet it would cost a pretty penny to get it home!Roach coach...I like that. We called the one that came to the yard the garbage truck. Was that Eat St? If so it is filmed in Vancouver and the food off those trucks is pretty serious. Chefs who want to stay away from high leases in a conventional restaurant are going for the truck. A restaurant lease in a decent area is $12k+ per month.Sooo, how far is Fulton? A couple hours? heh heh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olivetroad Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Sooo, how far is Fulton? A couple hours? heh hehLess than that if you hitch a ride with this guy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdunkdfunk Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 Actually I have a few buddies headed your way with a small load. They can pick it up. Do you mind if they crash for a night? They're really friendly!http://fukung.net/v/14127/8161e9f148314631f98351a613b6e589.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdunkdfunk Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 Ok, seriously now. What about cutting up a school bus like a Crown?http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Crown_School_Bus_at_Meadowhall_2.jpgMost of the dimensions would be right plus the frame mounts, lights, and rear doors would be there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olivetroad Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Actually I have a few buddies headed your way with a small load. They can pick it up. Do you mind if they crash for a night? They're really friendly!http://fukung.net/v/...1a613b6e589.jpgThat is rich! HA! I had no idea anyone could have so many friends! You just send them on, I will have the wife go butcher a fat calf (or three). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olivetroad Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Ok, seriously now. What about cutting up a school bus like a Crown?http://upload.wikime...eadowhall_2.jpgMost of the dimensions would be right plus the frame mounts, lights, and rear doors would be there.That might be okay, but at first glance it seems like it would look like a cut off school bus on the back of a truck - might be hard to hide that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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