I have been planning on building this headboard for my 55 F350 for months. I bought the boards last fall, painted them this winter but now I am getting close.

I need to know if I should build the headboard so it is just below the rear window or so it is just below the bodyline on the cab.

The headboard as it was when I bought it, above teh bottom of the back window:


The headboard as it is now after I cut off one of the 14" oak boards.


Choice 'A': high headboard just below the rear window


Choice 'B': low headboard just below the body line.


So let me know: 'A' high or 'B' low.

Disregard the two pieces of wood sticking up. They are just stringers holding the boards together until I bolt the boards to the stakes. And, yes, I know the headboard is uneven. The left side is sitting on a round bolt head that I will take care of later.

Thanks!

 

I like "B" Abe. I think it keeps the truck more proportional and stays with the lines on the cab. "A" looks like it can't decide, "am I a grain box or a flat bed"

 

I'd go with "B" as well. The step down from the headboard to the side rail is about the same as the step down you have on the side rails toward the back of the truck. I like things to be symmetrical. Maybe you could add radius cut corners to the headboard to duplicate the curve you have going on with the sideboard step down.

Jim

 

I like the "B" option Abe, it seems more symmetrical and fits with the deck.

The lower headboard will also miinmize blind spots to give you better viewing.

Tom

 

"B" looks the best in my opinion... unless there is some other reason you would want the headboard higher..

 

Yep - B looks better to me as well, if it's all about the looks. If you need to protect the back of the cab from something you're carrying that could be a different decision.


Dave

 

I like the stock stake bed configuration. I rebuilt the original HB on Missy Green and have the same stock dimensions on Blue. Standard 5/4 deck boards are very close to the original board dimensions and are plenty heavy. For the rare time I hauled something that would get thru the voids in the headboard, I had a piece of plywood that I would screw to the headboard. I buit a set of solid sideboards for use when hauling gravel, rock, etc.
Bob Jones had the dimensions on his site. If you like, I can take pictures. Somewhere on this site, there are fairly detailed pictures of MG.

 

i vote for "B"

 

I like B as well.
I guess I have to take back my paint the headboard comment in the working ford trucks thread.

 

I vote B also. But I think it would look better if the corners were rounded off like the rear of the side boards.

 

Yes, I agree. I plan on doing something to the top like rounding them off .

 

You know, Ray, I think MG did look good with the stock style head and side boards. My bed is not a Ford script bed so it never came with them. And I think the stake pockets are arranged differently than the Ford bed. The side boards you see in the first picture were made by the original​ owner. They also had another set which they used to haul their fruit by putting boards across them to make shelves. I choose not to take them as they were the length of the bed, not like the Ford racks, and were very heavy.

Thanks.

 

I think that it all depends upon what you are doing with the truck. Headboards are meant to protect the cab and from the pictures that I have seen that you have posted you use your truck to haul things. So I would vote for A but with the corners rounded as John suggested. Sorry but here is a crude mod of your original picture.

 

Thanks, Pete. Right now I am leaning toward B, the lower one. I do haul stuff but even the 3 yards of mulch I hauled it didn't top the old headboard which is lower than headboard B. And it's not like I'll be hauling a skid of lumber or plywood that will slide forward and hit the back of the cab.

Could you round off the headboard in photo B? Thanks!

 

I'm more of a function trumps aesthetics kind of guy until I figure a way to cover both bases. You could leave the stringers as is and attach a couple __/--\__ clips on the back of the occasional boards that would slide over the stringers and keep them in place, when needed.