I put together some pictures showing the mod I wish to make to the back of my box and tailgate on my 59 shorty. I should say that these pictures are some I stole from eBay - I can only hope my truck turns out this nice!

On my 59 both the tailgate and the body below the tail lights need major bodywork - both rust and body damage. My idea is to replace the sheetmetal (including the side) close to the rear stake pockets with the rear end out of an 87 box. I also intend to add the 3 raised panels and the Ford script from a 49 tailgate.

Please look at the pictures and let me know if this idea would look natural with this truck. I didn't change the color of the tail because I would have lost detail - I am not any sort of a graphic artist. I included a picture of a good shorty which has the same color and paint I will be using.

I truly want your opinions - it is too much work for the end product not to be pleasing to the eye.

Thanks

 

greysider?
Come on over to the dark side and lets talk
some real tailgate mods!

 

Thats a neat idea. I think the later tailgate has a slight curve to it and the older gate is flat (that may not be correct). Also are the early panels larger then the flat/curved area of the newer gate?

I just bought a junk tailgate for the ford script but have seemed to run out of nerve when it comes to cutting my new flat tailgate.

By the way that kind of mod slides you all the way to the darkside "WELCOME"

 

WillyB -

I like it a lot! It looks like something I would do. It's a big improvement over the stock squarish gate. Marrying the rounded rear corners to the mostly flat sides of the 59 bed will be tricky. But the lines of the 87 gate with its handle look really cool.

I'm not enthusiastic about the three raised panels in the middle of the curving sweep of the gate. I think you should pick one of those shapes. It looks like there is a little too much going on and the looks are really different. i.e.: Curved sweep vs. flat, blocky and raised. I like both looks, just not together. I think you need to pick one look. The raised panels and Ford script would look great on the 59 flat gate, but not the shaped 87.

However, I do like the Ford script in the middle. I grafted the Ford block letters onto my smoothie gate. It fools a lot of prople into thinking there is something stock about the gate. ONE TIP: Don't weld the script panel into the gate. The warpage is big time. It can be done, I'm sure. I did it. But not without a lot of filling later. I should have (and would do next time) epoxied the lettered panel into the gate using a larger doubler behind. Makes everything fair in just swell with a minimum of filling later.

Graysider? If you insist. But these ideas don't even occur to a stocker. We may have to start calling you "Darth".

 

Oops. Posted it twice.