I am in the process of restoring a FORD script flatbed for my '56 F-350 dually. I've had the bed sandblasted and painted it in black epoxy. In the process the part number stamps became clear and readable. Can somebody knowledgeable about part numbers tell me the year?? The bed is the correct size (7'3" w x 9'1" L) for the 1953 to 56 Effies with dual rears, but the actual year of the bed is unknown. Here is the number found on top of the left side rail:
BCAA
8010111
AL

There is a similar number on top of the right side rail, but the bottom alpha's are "AR", leading me to believe it is code for left and right.

I can't figure out how to insert a picture of it here, but I put one in "My Garage" of the bed.
Thanks Jeff

 

I don't have anything that shows that particular number, but I can tell you that the BCAA code was one that Ford started using in the 50's, so the bed would be correct for your truck. It was likely used for several years, so there's no way to decode the part number to an actual production date.

 

Jeff, I just happen to have the deck wood removed from the bed on mine. I do believe we have the same bed. I plan on using Missy Green so I am not going to the detail of cleaning the frame to metal. The bed frame has a decent coat of paint intact so I just knocked off the loose dirt and am replacing the wood. The side frames and rear frame on mine show signs of the truck being serviced by a very poor fork lift driver and I have not figured out a way to get the dents out as this is heavy metal. Again, I am not building a show truck.
I can find no numbers on the side rails of my frame but again, the rails both have several coats of paint covering up years of 'sins.'
If you can tell me exactly where you find the numbers I will take the area down to metal.

 

I found the stamped part numbers on the top side of the side rails (both sides) , between the 1st and 2nd stake pockets. It looks like it was done with a circular stamp, as it made a round depression in the metal a little smaller than a 50 cent piece... or was it a little bigger than a quarter? You might see the depression of the stamp even with paint if the area is not too beat by that forklift dirver.

My '56 F350 also has a dump bed, but it is configured differently than yours - it has a 5" stationary sub-frame welded to the chassis. An additional moving top subframe is hinged to the bottom subframe with a large and hefty pivot. The hydrualic cyl is between these two subframes to lift the load. The utility bed that came with the truck was steel with a rotten wood frame, and was bolted to the top subframe. It is equiped with a Muncie pto pump with a Chelsea Cab PTO control. All very HD, but sets the bed quite high.

I am going to remove the lift unit and attach the rebuilt script bed conventionally to the chassis.

 

Ok, Jeff, I had a bit of time to look for numbers on my Script frame, found these. I believe This is what I am seeing but would not bet my life on it.
Passenger side between stake pocket 1&2: 8010110. The last 0 sure looks like a 0 to me but it could be a 1. And then there is the BCAA pretty clear.
Rear member, right side: 8010608 and I believe BDAF. These numbers not clear.
I could find nothing on the driver side rail.

 

Thanks Ray - Yup, they are the same.
My driver side number is 8010111, with AL underneath
My passenger side number is 8010110 with AR underneath.
Seems like they are the same! Good news for me, as I need to pick your brain for information on the "skid strips" - or some people call them the wood hold down strips. Mine is missing the wood and the strips, so I am at a bit of a loss.
1. What is the actual thickness of the wood - 1"?
2. Are you going to buy your wood locally and mill the grooves yourself, or is there a source for them?
3. Do you have the actual widths of the bed wood?

4. I am going to order the skid strips from Mar-K (www.mar-k.com) in Oaklahoma City. Their strips are 1 1/2" wide and they will pre-punch the square holes in them to order. I am guessing at the dimensions, and hope you can confirm:
* strip overall lenght 107"... maybe a bit longer??
* measuring from the front end of the bed and strip, the center of the bolt holes are at:
3/4"
22"
43 1/2"
71 1/2"
90"
106 1/8"

Can you please check these against one of your strips and let me know if I am off?

Thanks again, Jeff

 

Jeff, your dimensions on the skid strips are correct. And I call them skid strips because that is what they are. They take the abuse off the wood. I used my old strips, probably should have replaced them as I did spend considerable time getting them almost straight.
As near as I can tell the thickness of the original deck wood on my truck was about 1 1/4". The edge most boards were 11" wide. I believe mine were original but who knows.
Now the fun part. There are two levels where the side deck boards rest. At each side the deck board is cut down to about an inch thickness and then the cross members are at a lower level. I should have taken measurements when I did mine but I failed to do so. I used 2x10 pine which was readily available and holds up reasonably well, at least on trailer decks. The thickness of my boards was 1 1/2" and I used a circular saw to make the boards fit both along the edge and cut slots for the cross members.
The edge boards each have seven bolts holding the board to the side frame. The rest of the boards float, being held by the skid strips and bolts running between the boards. No bolts thru these board other than the edge two pieces.
I painted the underside of the deck boards to keep the carpenter bees out and used deck sealer on the top side.
I've already hauled a load on the new deck and will go out for a load of peat tomorrow.
I will probably paint it meadow green as it was originally. I will probably build stake sides for it as well but right now the old girl is earning her keep.

 

Thanks Ray, that really helps out. The pictures are great too. Your bed looks great, so all that work on the boards was worth it. Is that an 8N in the background?

Somebody told me the skid strips were 107 1/8". That maybe cutting it too close for a 60 year old piece of used metal, but I am thinking of going with 107"..... better to err on the short side.

The picture also helped me understand what a piece of metal I rec'd in the box full of hardware was for - it is the brace that goes on the front stake to keep the top wood from floppying around, over the rear cab window.

I got 16 steel 35" Ford stakes and all the original clamping hardware with the bed. The wood was pretty bad or gone, but the stakes sandblasted up well. I am missing 4 stakes to have a complete set. Have you found any source for these stakes? Does FORD still sell them?
Thanks again, Jeff

 

Jeff, that is a 1955 Ford model 850.
The top two boards in the head board are exact dimensions of what I believe were the originals. The originals had the Meadow Green paint still visible and were held to the stakes with rivets. I have not installed the corner / side stabilizing brackets yet, waiting until I build the stake sides. The piece of angle iron between the two top horizontal outside boards is placed in the original position, again, held with rivets originally. The two lower boards in the headboard are replacement 2x8s. I have just the four original stakes in the headboard but would like very much to find a source for the rest.
Have fun and let me know if you find a source for the stakes.

 

Yeah Ray, I must have removed a couple of hundred of those swagged rivets from the steel stakes with an angle grinder. They are made of very hard material!!
Thanks for the help, and I will keep you advised in my search for steel stakes. Jeff

 

This thread has great pictures, thanks. I'm converting my pickup to stakebed and need all the pictures I can find to make one with my neighbor.

 

I know this is an old thread. And I know Ray has sold Missy Green. But this might answer the questions Jeff had about the flatbed on his beautiful F350.

I found these stamped on part numbers on the bed I got off of a 55 F600 after sandblasting and after a coat of primer was sprayed. The side rail numbers were found near the front like Jeff said. The rear number was located to the right side of the rear panel.


right side panel



left side (driver's side) panel. looks like the 'AL' is partially hidden by the rivet.



rear panel

edit: in Ford part number lingo the B stands for the 50's decade. C is the 60's, D the 70's and so on. I know after the C there was a number so C3 would be 63. But did they use a letter to indicate the year in the 50's? so a BC like above is 53 and a BD like above would be a 54?

Kevin BigWin, can you help us? Or Number Dummy? If you still reads our forum, can you help us?

 

Hi Abe - I just spent 20 minutes looking for the picture I had of the stamped serial numbers on the top, drivers' side btw the 1st and 2nd stake pocket. I am sure I took a picture of it cuz it was so vivid after sandblasting, like yours.

For the life of me I can't find them. They were very similar to your topmost photo.
I'll keep looking, Jeff

 

Hi Jeff. In your post #1 you said the pics were in your garage. I looked and didn't see them.

I looked at the front panel but did not see a part number?