But even short updates need pics...

Got the bed/strips and front bumper back today. I like how they look!

These first three are still at R&R Powdercoaters.








And this is at home. I temporarily attached the bed strips to see how they look.


And here's a before shot for comparison.


Here's the bumper. I had some grade 6 bolts left over from my son's Eagle project. Glad I found a use for them, after 20 years!

 

Was the bumper powder coated?

 

Yessiree! I figured, in for a penny, in for a pound. I know they do the baking in batches, so I thought, why not? (waiting for someone to say "We don't need no stinking batches!")

Actually, I took great care to strip, primer and paint that bumper I got from Josh Madsen years ago (thanks again Josh!) But I had already put a couple of scratches in it and decided to make it scratch resistant.

I should have wiped off my fingerprints after installing it before snapping the pic. It really has a mirror finish!

 

Looking good there Joe!

 

Wow!
Looks great Joe


Keep at it
Bobby

 

Thanks guys. I have to wait for a bit of cooler weather to install the bed. I don't like triple digit temps working on the truck... I could do the bumper because it's in the (closed) garage.

 

Joe, I thought you had to widen and lengthen that bed to fit your truck? Or maybe I'm confused.......
Looks great anyway!

 

No, you're right Scott. That would make the bed into a 9 footer as was stock for the F4. That was my intention when I bought it.

But I changed my mind, and decided not to butcher this frame. It's in too nice condition, and it's only 1/2" narrower than the bed I had made and that was most recently on the truck. And I'm concerned that my novice welding skills might cause irreparable damage to the bed. Besides, I still don't own a welder...

After I got it home and started to determine where I would need to cut and splice it, I realized that to widen it correctly, I would need to add material on both sides of the front, rear (to save the Script) and 2 cross-members. I would also have to add to the other two board supports. This would also change the spacing for the stake pockets, making them look off-center. Lengthening could be accomplished with one cut and splice on each side, but again the stake pockets would be off-center.

So I decided not to modify it, had it powder coated and will be installing it as is. I may find a decent 9 footer some day, and I'm sure I could sell this beauty if I do. I have no plans to enter Betsy in shows with an incorrect bed, and the truck fits better in the garage now.

 

Ok, I see now. As long as it fits to your liking, that's all that matters.

I shortened and narrowed mine, which was a ton of work........making one bigger would be a huge task!

 

Yeah Scott, I first started talking to Art, the PO about this bed a couple of years ago when he first asked how much it was worth. He had sold the truck it was on and the guy who bought the truck didn't want the bed. So Art was stuck with it for a couple of years.

I finally decided I was never going to find a 9 foot bed around here and came up with the plan to make it into a 9 footer. After I realized what would be involved and reevaluated my skill level, I decided I like it just the way it is.

 

Looking good Joe ..... still making progress!

 

Thanks Keith. It'll be a couple of weeks before I get anything else done on Betsy, as we have "other plans".

But I worked on the bed frame a little today adjusting it to the right width for the "new" bed of 33 1/8" between the supports. I think that's a little strange as I thought all these frames were like mine at 34" wide. I guess that's a nominal figure.

I've also figured out how I'm going to lower and move to the rear the mudflaps.

But since I didn't take any pics... none of this happened.

 

Gotta see those pics!! LOL!!

 

Well, I took it all apart again to paint the extra wood pieces, and I am holding other pieces in place with over-sized bolts. So I really didn't want to show any of it yet!

As you know, I made the other bed from wood using Bob Jones' great diagrams so I expected the "real" script bed to just plop right on. But that wasn't going to happen. No biggie, but I won't get to finishing it up for a while yet.

I think I'm busier in retirement than I was when I was working.

 

I see it has been almost a month since I updated the thread. We were travelling this beautiful country for the first two weeks of July in North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

But now we're back, and I got the script bed mounted on the truck today with the help of my wife, son and daughter-in-law. One on each corner, and it wasn't heavy at all.

I posted earlier that this script bed, which I found through FTE and purchased back in the first week of June came off a 48 F3. So, it's not as big as a 9 foot script bed for an F4. I originally planned to lengthen and widen it to the 9 foot bed specs, but it is in such remarkably good shape for a 67 year old bed that I decided to leave it stock and have it blasted and powder coated. I don't think my fab abilities are good enough to have made the changes, so I left it alone. Heck, it's older than I am...

All in all, I'm happy with the way it looks. And another benefit is that it fits in the garage better.

I piled the old bed wood on top to get it up off the ground before taking the pics...







I also moved the mud flap hangers back and down. But now they are hanging on an angle, so there's something else to fix...