This makes me feel so much better. I was looking at that bed and thinking there are a lot people who would love to have that on their truck, it's is such great shape.

That will be a great story for your son as he grows up and hopefully is driving the truck around.

 

Might consider making it where the matteress is even with the slope at the top and then have storage that you can access by opening tailgate. And maybe add some tailgates that could be used as night lights.

 

There's a guy over on the HAMB who did basically the same thing for his little boy. Great job, he'll think your the world best dad!! nice job!!

 

Yes, Ive got several ideas, of where Im going with this one. Ive thought about the underneath storage as well. As it stands, a full size mattress is 5 inches too wide to be placed into the bed. However, a twin size mattress is 8 inches too narrow as well.

Which leads into the post above, about the guy on the HAMB building one. He was able to cut his bed up, and narrow the tailgate true to size to the mattress. I would have loved to have done this...but once again...when my son outgrows this bed...its gling back on a truck. So, I didnt want to cut it up at all. So, the other thing, I plan on doing, to take up the additional space inside the bed, is build a shelf that runs the entire length of the truck. It will have a few cut outs for his books, and a drink holder. (Because he always wants a water, when he goes to bed) some other things are in the works as well. I am working on getting taillights as well, and will try to find a period correct license plate...as this bed had the bracket already installed.


Either way, this project is nowhere near completion. So, I will be updating everything as I go. It's obviously not mind blowing...Im not exactly building something that takes any real fabrication skills, and I'm not going to be on the cover of the next great engineering magazine or anything, but my little guy is helping in every step of the way. And he thinks this is the coolest thing in the World right now. So, that's what counts in my book.

 

May I suggest splitting some like heater hose and
gluing it over the sharp exposed area around the
tail gate and above it where the bed roll on the bed
sides are? All kids jump on there beds. It's just what
they do. Please make it safe as well as cool.
Trimmed out with some black hose would look great
with the red I think.

 

While I figure out my next move on the truck bed, I figured id throw up some pics of whats remaining on the the truck. The body is pretty solid, with just a few areas of rust in the usual spots. I had a nice set of wheels/tires off of another truck, so I threw them on. I also just rattle can primered it so it would all be one color.


I would also love to have any help in identifying the motor. Previous owner states that t was not original to the truck. Thanks! Hope to have more bed updates later tonight. And hope to have it all the way finished up by this weekend.

 

Definitely, going to take all safety precautions as well. It's one thing to keep my own children safe, but in the day and age we live in...if we had any friends over..and they got hurt, I'm sure i would leave myself open to litigation. So, I have definitely looked at all of those sharp edges, that you mentioned.

 

About all I can say for sure on your engine
is that it's a Y-Block. Pretty close to period
correct. Most likely a 292 CID.

 

We decided to bring the bed in, for a test fit into the bedroom. He has the smallest of the kids bedrooms in the house...so we were somewhat concerned with how much space he would have left. Getting it into the house was very interesting, as I didn't want to bust the rivets, holding the two sides together. You would have surprised how flexible it was though. But after about 45 minutes of playing Tetris, to get it in the back door, and then down the hallway, and into his bedroom...we got it in there. It was a chore.....




Yes...That's a truck bed in my living room...






He seems to be unphazed by the fact, that the truck bed is in the living room.




As I was saying about my Tetris skills, and it's flexibility. Half of the bed in the hallway, and the other half making a 90 degree turn into his bathroom. Just so, we had enough room to turn it around in his bedroom, to face the correct wall.

 

Well, I got the bed inside the bedroom, and somewhat set up where I want it. I decided to test fit a set of wheels/Tires. DO NOT WORRY...I am not using these, as they're 20" wheels/tires. Way too tall. I've got some old junk wheels/tires off of the 54' that I'm going to try and use.

 

To tackle the wheel/tire options.....I decided I wanted to have a black steel wheel, with white walls. So, I just took the wheels that came on the 54' and painted the centers black. I had my boy help me trandform them into whitewalls. Then, I also used some hubcaps off of a 73-75 F100, that I had just purchased on Ebay. It think it turned out great, for not really spending any money on this part of the project.


Tires, taped off to make white wall






Center portion capped off.....








Bham! 1 White wall tire..coming right up!!!

 

The next area to tackle is the cab of the truck. Now, I will once again say..that the build on the HAMB was spectacular in that he got to use the cab of a real truck, and cut to shape and place on the wall. o, obviously...it look ssuper nice, and realistic...as its a real truck. But for my project, in the fact that I also want to build the rest of the truck...I had to choose between wither, just painting a cab on the wall...or cutting out wood, in the shape of the cab. I chose to go the wood route. So, here some quick pics, of doing all that. I basically just free hand drew what i thought the cab looked like. Please don't judge me...as I know its not exact.


Drawing it out on a 4 x 8 sheet of wood.

















Just a quick test fit, for wheels....and then cab of truck. (My other two helpers..wife and daughter)

 

Some kinda neat
Edit: I showed this to the wife and she said, "COOL"

 

Wow! I like it!!

 

getting better and better! what will you be covering plywood with?