Hey fellas,
New user on FTE, but I've been stalking build threads for awhile. Finally got my first dent (a 1977 highboy custom, 4 speed, 351m, etc). She is iowa farm fresh, complete with a terrible exhaust held up by coat hangers, dents from cattle leaning on the front fenders, and a completely un-saveable box. It has more rust (inside and out) than most of those little foreign trucks from the same era, and the PO tried to fix it by screwing in galvanized tin. It is headed to the boneyard first chance I get.

But my question is this: since rust free boxes from the 70's are impossible to find here in SD, is it possible to take a newer box and weld on bedsides from a dentside? We have an abundance of 90's ford beds in good shape, and I would like to remove the stock bedsides and order new ones for a dent. Any advice or opinions are appreciated.

 

Here's the pictures I took to show my family, but I didn't take any of the box. You can see the rest of the truck is decent though, and you can't beat the price: free!

 

i think the 1980's bullnose style pickups use the same inner bedside and bedfloor. not sure about the 90's pickups though. up here in ND there are a bunch of bullnose pickups in the scrapyards so a roadtrip may be in your future haha!

 

Welcome to FTE, very nice big hub/drum brake (?) D44 low pinion front axle, divorced transfer case Highboy, you have there.

As far as the bed question, yes up to a mid 90's (I think) interior bed inside and bottom panels are the same. Lots of work cutting the spot welds to take one apart. Unless you are a sawzall master?

New reproduced outer complete bed skins are hard to locate and then $$$, if some one has them in stock. Patch panels for the outer bed fender well common rust area are a dime a dozen.

FYI the front fender lip/curve is the same as the rear one of the bed. Got some JY parts fenders for cheap, you got patch panels that are the same sm thickness.

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Flat beds are cheap, easy and just as cool IMO.

 

I'm in the same situation as the OP. I like that particular flat bed in the middle. Define cheap

 

How cheap do you want to go? Can you weld? that picture in the middle took a little bit of welding but not too bad.

I used to have a wooden bed, made out of 5/4 Cedar decking and it worked great, but I couldn't really haul anything in it since it didn't have sides.
I think the lumber cost me about $75.00 total.

I found a bed from a '58 - '60 Ford for cheap and that is what I am running now.
I will see if I can update my pictures for you.

 

If you go to my Albums page and look at the Street Slammer album you can see the flat bed.

 

Thanks for the replies fellas. Unfortunately it isn't just fender lips that are bad. The inner bed floor is only attached in 2 corners, the floor itself is rotted, the front is bent beyond belief. No saving it. Not so great with a sawzall, but I can run a cutoff wheel or plasma cutter all day. The flat bed isn't a bad idea, as it is cheap. This truck is more of a cruiser for me and the mrs. than anything else by the time it's done, so Id like to run an original bed if possible. My other option is shorten it, and dump on a stepside. I have seen a few with the bullnose stepside beds on them. Anyone have any experience with that? or a recommendation of a better style stepside to sub in?

 

Throw on what ever bed you can find 1980's and above and post a pic, you will get flamed to death by some folks on here. lol

LOTS of work to shorten a frame, grind rivets to move shackle hangers/spring perches/shorten d/s ect.. just to get a bed to fit. Trash the old one, make a flat bed for next to nothing with a scrap steel outer frame and wood for the bottom, make some stake pockets for side rails and a butt board. But a TB back there for all your "stuff".

It can be as hard or a $$ as you want it to be, but it is easy to do. Define "cheap"....all depends on the kind of outer frame material you use. (C channel or square tubing) And if the flat part of the bed is wood or metal, or aluminum $$$. $50 to $100 if there is some scrap setting around where you drop of the old bed?

Then keep on the look out on the Craigslist and or put a WTB add in there for a 73-77 bed, I am sure some ol farmer has one in the barn, where he too it off to but a steel flat bed with hay spike or Deweze on it.

Tons if ideas on Google images under 1979 Ford Flat bed. Also hit up your instate FTE folks for a lead on one?

 

Here is a picture of my current bed:

 

Thanks again fellas. I think I've developed a plan: I'm gonna build a flatbed, search for a regular bed as I go along, fix the dents and paint in the cab/fenders, then cruise with the mrs. I'm thinking square tubing for the frame, then cedar or pine for the bed. A toolbox in front, maybe some underneath. What do you guys think?

 

Awesome, another fellow flat bedder! Depending on the gauge of square tubing you use, you might pull it off fairly cheap.

Don't forget about the under bed boxes as an option.

And since you have a cab fuel filler neck it twice as easy. Make a build thread and post some pics, cause we all dig pics.

 

or find a donor and paint it.

 

77&79f250, are those your flatbed trucks? Where should I search as far as the under bed toolboxes? I like the thought of having them, but is it something I would find at like a harbor freight or tractor supply? or is it best to internet order them? Thanks for all the help btw

 

No not my trucks, I have had a flat bed F150 (1/2 off trailer) and then a old farm truck F250 a while back. Sold both, but kept the flat bed off the 1/2 ton. I have another flatty project (F250 on the trailer) its going on here real soon. And yes I have some under bed boxes.

Yes Tractor Supply, HF I doubt it, about any big truck supply place or about any Farm and Ranch store should carry them. Ck Craigslist, Home Dept, Lowe's.

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