Just wondering if anyone has used or seen an 81 ford stepside box on a 48. I can get a great deal on one. I know I would have to clean up the bolt holes and it is 6" shorter which I like.
Brian

 

You could do it... but I personally think it would look really out of place. The lines of the flareside '81 are rather triangluar and it wouldn't match anything on the '48.

However I have never seen one, and perhaps with some mods it could be very sweet. If you can get a really good deal on one and need the bed, you could always go for it and swap it out later if you decied you don't like it. Maybe even just swap the fenders. Just some ideas.

 

I'm sure those boxy fiberglass fenders would look out of place on an fat fendered truck.

 

Found these on the web a couple of years ago;




I'll bet you could use the basic box and just put your older fenders on it. The boxes are all identical from mid 50 up through 1979. I don't know what was changed in 1980 but I'm betting it wasn't much

Bobby

 

53-72, 73-79 where wider, longer and taller like a 53-72 long box (but only 6.5')... or so I've found out today, lol.

 

Thanks for your input. the major differences I see are the flat rail instead of the 45 degree and ti is 6" shorter. Yes I plan to use my 48 fenders
Brian

 

Ah, well thats a completely different idea than what I was thinking.

Sounds like a plan!

Even the rail can be angled, I'm planning on using a '73-79 bed on my truck, they're flat as well, but with a little know how and some elbow grease you could make them 45 pretty easy. Just have to add a little metal in the pocket stakes at the top.

 

Thanks for straightening me out on the bed differences.

You could always fab your own bed. One of our members here made his own. H just took some sheet metal and had the 45 degree bend broke and then welded some tubing to the end to mimic the roll. He has some pics in his gallery. Look for tip49

Bobby