When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
My 52 F2 bed is ragged out. I don't see any aftermarket parts for the longbed. Does anyone have any suggestions, tips or smart aleck comments? Can some of the shortbed parts be grafted?
Howdy 52 & 76,
Well you ask a very good question. And you are right, there are almost no aftermarket parts for the 8' express bed that I have found in the last ten years.
I have restored one five years ago, and am in the process of doing another at this very moment. The only parts I have found available are the bed wood, cross-members and metal floor strips.
The rear fenders are narrower overall and have a larger well opening than the 1/2 ton - so a lot of fabricating a new F1 part would be necessary to make them look right. (they are the same length though)
The running boards share features where they meet at both of the fenders, I suppose you could buy two complete sets of aftermarket 1/2 tons and graft them together. But that would run you a ton of money.
The tailgate is the same thing. Buy a couple of 1/2 tons and cut them up and assemble it like a stretched jigsaw puzzle. The embossed square features may not look right if they are smaller on the 1/2 ton.
Bed sides and front panel - taller and longer. Might be able to have those custom made by the folks with the tooling for the 1/2 tons. The features are the same, just different size.
The stake pockets - aftermarket ones are available for the 1/2 ton, but they are narrower and shorter. Would probably look weird if attached to an 8' bed.
I have chosen to find a couple of local welder/fabricators to cut out all the rotted parts and weld in patch panels. Lots of labor and it won't look 100% original afterward. But it saves an F2 or F3 from the scrap yard and the local guys appreciate having the work to do. These guys that weld take a lot of pride in this type of job, to them it beats the heck out of replacing rusted out rocker panels on Toyota Camrys and Dodge minivans - which is a very common type of job here in northern New England.
Those are my tips. Now for the smart-aleck comment you requested - if you do restore your express bed, you can fit more fat chicks in the back after a night at the local watering hole. The 1/2 tons are limited in their ability that way.
Hey '52,
Welcome aboard. Post some pics of your long bed...let's see what you have to work with.
I like your pics dragging it out of the dusty old barn... We chose to fix our old '50 F1 Bed - it would have been easier to just replace it
with new... but we wouldn't have much of the original truck left. Lot's of welding - we made all of our own supports - they aren't visible anyway.
That helped shore it up quite a bit - our bed was held together by a lot of welded up bookshelf brackets....grrr...
“Those are my tips. Now for the smart-aleck comment you requested - if you do restore your express bed, you can fit more fat chicks in the back after a night at the local watering hole. The 1/2 tons are limited in their ability that way.”
Ummm, I dunno, Tom. I think you might want to consider looking for an F-4.
In all seriousness, you’re bed rot is fairly typical. The worst part is the lower stake pockets. That will be tough to duplicate. Patching the fenders and bedsides should be straightforward, though. The bed sections are all flat and the fender isn’t a compound curve in that area, so it should be simple enough to fit a strip back into it. I don’t know if you plan on attending the Grand National Reunion in TN next month or not, but there’s a guy who will likely be there in the swap meet area with a set of NOS F2/F3 rear fenders. If you’re budget allows for it, that’s another good option.
One last possibility - give Mid-Fifty F100 parts a call. They can probably set you up with a new reproduction bed for a ‘53-‘56 truck. It would look a little different, but the length and height would be right. If you used the correct rear fenders, most people would never even notice. I think it’s even possible to custom order a bed through them that is the same width and height as an F1 bed but longer to fit your chassis. That would let you use the more plentiful F1 tailgate and fenders.
That last possibility is the one I wish I’d looked into for my truck. My F2’s bed had been replaced by a home-made wood flatbed before I got it. I searched for a correct replacement for quite awhile before I found a vintage flatbed that I went with instead.
Rage, I laughed out loud at that picture. A couple of overload spring snappers right there. Unfortunately Maine has a lot of ladies that size. Fortunately we have a very, very short swimsuit season.
And you are correct, his rot is typical for these beds...and is in a lot better shape than mine was.
I'd suggest finding a local fabricator who has space and time in his shop to do a classic truck project and set him loose with a stack of patch panel sheets.
The stake pockets will be a challenge but if the welds are cut that hold them to the bed the pockets themselves can be worked on a benchtop to make it easier. That is what the guy currently doing my '49 bed has done. $50 an hour....but it will look stock and close to natural when he is done. One side is already done and after its painted nobody will know they used to be swiss cheese at the bottom. He shaped some steel and made a nice radius to it.
Tom
Thanks all. I have a few locals who can do some patching. I guess repop suppliers wouldn't want to set up tooling to press out the few parts that they would sell.
04-14-2018, 08:24 AM
Long bed repair parts.
Can some of the shortbed parts be grafted?
