WHAT WOULD YOU HAUL WITH THIS CUSTOM 1940 DODGE COE TRUCK?

Choosing a modern truck for its style seems a lot like selecting your choice of grille and headlamps—there aren’t exactly a lot of design breakthroughs going on in that segment of the new car market. But it needn’t be that way if you need to haul or tow something.

Some enterprising builder crafted this heavily modified 1940 Dodge COE that combines the unmistakably classic looks of a commercial cab-over-engine truck with a somewhat modern chassis and powertrain. Underneath this Streamline Moderne-inspired body lies the frame and running gear of a 1987 Chevrolet C30 one-ton pickup, including its 5.7-liter small-block V8 and 700R4 four-speed automatic transmission. Built to haul a vintage Airstream trailer, it’s now available on Hemmings Auctions.

While that sleek cab appears largely stock, save for the shaved door handles, the bed is a custom 10-foot unit constructed just for this build. The proportions look right and the entire sheet metal appears to be in good condition, as does the silver metallic finish, which is accented by the chrome grille bars and large Dodge hood ornament. The seller notes that the Chevy underpinnings are believed to be essentially stock, including the chassis, suspension and brakes, though it does feature a custom driveshaft. In the photos provided by the seller, the underside of the truck appears to be quite clean, with what only looks to be quite minimal surface rust, such as on the rear leaf springs.

Chevrolet advertised its L05 electronically fuel injected 5.7-liter/350-cu.in. V8 as producing 210 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and a robust 300 lb-ft of torque at just 2,000 rpm, both numbers a significant improvement over the output of Dodge’s original 82-horsepower, 218-cu.in. flathead straight-six used in its V-series one-ton trucks in 1940. With either the standard three-speed or optional four-speed with the extra-low “granny” gear, speeds of these heavy-duty trucks were typically limited to around 45 mph.

Built to Tow

The 5.7 V8 and 700R4 gearbox surely offer an upgrade over the original powertrain for those interested in driving the rig. The seller reports that this build has just over 14,000 miles on it, accumulated between the seller and the previous owners who built it. And it’s not just for show, as it is equipped to tow, with a beefy class V-5 rated Curt trailer hitch, a transmission cooler and a trailer brake system, controllable from the cab.

That cab has plenty of customization, too, such a custom fabricated instrument panel populated with modern Dolphin gauges, vinyl-trimmed bucket seats with a center console, a tilting steering column topped with a wooden-rimmed Grant steering wheel, carpeting, and a Vintage Air climate system, the latter potentially as important as the powertrain when it comes to modern, long-haul tow vehicle. The seller notes a couple of minor issues with the interior, including that the passenger-side power window is “sluggish” and that the audio system, based on an older Jensen CD head unit, works, but he considers its performance “subpar.” Those problems seem minor when he also reports that the vehicle otherwise runs well and everything else remains in “working order.”

This highly customized 1940 Dodge COE is not the first such build we’ve seen with a vintage cab and custom bed installed over a modern truck chassis, but we love to see one like this that has been used, put to work even. Built for hauling, that’s apparently exactly what it’s been doing and what it’s primed to do for its next owner.

Head on over to Hemmings Auctions to take a closer look and let us know what you think.

2024-04-11T21:13:30Z dg43tfdfdgfd