Hi guys ~
Harrison needs bed panels (interior is okay) installed. Anybody ever have a commercial body shop replace these - what was the cost?

I'm trying to make a decision as to buy a $1,000.00 "PRIMO" short bed or pay for the panels to be replaced and a little bit of work on the bed / tailgate for a restoration.

Thanks for your always candid responses

 

Which panels are you lloking at replacing? The actual bed, or the quarter pannels on the outside or inside of the bed? I have replaced the lower quarter panels on both sides of my truck, all it took was some panels from JC whitney, a welder and a sawsall. I just cut near where the trim is and folded a lip back to weld on, then welded the pannel in and filled the gap. a little primer, surfacer and paint finished the job. As far as the bed panels go, I have replaced those in my blazer, which was basically the same principal, only instead of making a lip to weld on, I overlapped the two pannels and welded the seam.

If you can't do this work yourself, it will end up costing you major bucks. Figure the standard rate for hourly labor is between $70 and $80, and you are looking at around 12-15 hours for each one of these jobs if you choose to paint it yourself. If you have them paint it as well, you are looking at 20-25 hours of labor. It would be cheaper to buy a new bed for that much, then just line the whole thing or prime it your self. The parts should come at a minimal cost. I got 64" x 48" bed panels for $20, and the lower quarter pannel was $75. This is about the only cheap part of the process.

 

Berlinetta00 ~~

Looks like I better buy that bed, huh? I have nowhere to weld, or I'd try it; nor do I have the time. Thanks for the quick response - I need to go one way or the other in about 10 days....

 

As long as you can paint it, you should be alright. If you are going for looks as opposed to utility, it will cost you a bit to get a good paint job. On the other hand, if you are more concearned about utility, get a cheap spray gun ($30-$50) and some bed liner (Hurculiner, Duplicolor, and the like, Ive used most all of them, duplicolor is the most economic) and spray on the stuff your self. If you don't have a compressor, you can brush/roll it on for the same effect. I would use two coats behind the wheels and in the bed, one coat every where else (depending of coarse on how much reducer you use). Hope this helps,

 

You say you are restoring a truck but you dont even have much time to do some simple things? If you know somone who has an angle grinder and a welder then you are set. Replacing pannels is simple...So Berlinetta00 you have used duplicolor bedliner? I have a 77 Shortbox (not stepside) and it has some dents in the wheel wells that I am planing on pounding out and then useing some bondo to smooth everything out, and then was going to use Hurculiner and do the entire thing myself. That way when I paint it I dont have to paint the bed... But you say Duplicolor is better? Why do you say that, and what about Rhino liner? How much bed liner will I need and can I do this myself on a sunny day? Or will I need a Garage? Keep in mind I dont have a compressor and will be using the brush and roll method.

P.S. Has anyone ever done this to there interior floor? I was thinking about doing it but not to sure? Its ither that or a rubber floor mat, or carpet that will prob end up makeing holes just like the stock stuff did..... Also can this be done to my engine compartment?

 

The best is what costs the most, as far as liners go. The Duplicolor is the least expencive and it works, which is why I use it. Hurculiner is about the same quality, with a little rougher texture (depending on application method and amount of reducer used) but overall they function the same. As far as interior goes, we have lined entire trucks, inside and out, it works great for off roading, as dust tends not to stick well to the liners. All you have to do is strip any silicone based top coats off if there are any, and scuff up the existing primer/paint. For roll on applications, the liner will take much longer to dry (a few minutes versus a few hours with roll on). It can be done on a sonny day, providing you only put on two coats. If you choose to put on more, it will take upwards of a day and a half.

If you are in a dusty or unusually humid climate, I would suggest the use of a garage, but it is not essential. Any bed liner will adhere to bondo or fiberglass just fine, and I have had no problems with any of the coatings flaking over time. I would strongly recommend against the Rhino brand linings, as they are expencive, and the mil thikness is not typically as thick as other liners. Hope this helps,