Hey Bob, In Autocad to save as a good PDF got to plot layout and plot as a PDF, it then actually saves your drawling as a PDF instead of actually printing it. Then just save it wherever you want it instead of scanning it. Much easier.

Oh, and thanks for the drawings and specs.

 

You know, I really hate it when some one tells me something I didn't know!

I actually use InteliCAD, it works just like AutoCAD but is about 1/10 the price. I didn't know until you mentioned it that it has a .pdf print option, thanks. I didn't even think about looking. I have been using CAD for 10+ years but it's not my main job so I'm not the most proficient person with it. I took an accelerated CAD course about 12 years ago because my employer at the time wanted a back up CAD operator so they paid for the course. After I completed the course the company never had me do any work on the system. I ended up quitting about a year later and didn't start using CAD until about two years later when I started my own business and starting working off of designs of my customers. I forgot 90% of everything I learned in the class. Just recently I took a free beginner CAD course from the local high school held on four Sundays. It helped a lot. I knew the basics but the teacher showed us a lot I didn't know, the main one doing isometric drawings. Just goes to prove, you can always learn something new.

I'll revise my web site page with the new .pdf files as soon as I get time.

Again, thanks.

 

Today is my proudest day on FTE. I finally knew something that Bob didn't know.

Just kidding. Seriously though, I am used to using AutoCad - Autodesk 3-D Map 2009, and one of the best tricks was to plot a PDF which actually makes it a PDf file. Just a cool trick. I had to learn this option b/c most small firms don't have CAD, so you would have submit large drawlings or plans to them via a PDF file, so it came in handy a lot. So anytime you make a product/file in CAD and you want to create a PDF it is much easier to plot it instead of trying to scan it.

Now if I could only figure out how to make AutoCad build me a Ford Script bed, that would be cool.

 

Hey Bob,

(kind of off topic) is the width of the flatbeds the same for the different trucks? (F2/F3 vs F4 vs F5 and up) I understand the length of them is different, but didn't know about width.

One of the reasons I ask is because I have some pictures of an F2/F3 stake bed made by Home page Horkey wood and Parts. I plan on contacting them to see if they would/could make a 9 foot bed for my F4 but I wanted to make sure the width would be the same. The flatbed frame they make is very nice and mimics the "Ford" script bed, only without the "Ford" script.

thanks
David

 

David,

The widths are different:

F-1 flatbed:


F-2 & F-3 flatbed:


F-4 through F-6 flatbeds:


I didn't know Horkey is reproducing flatbeds. I went to their web site and couldn't find anything about them. I wonder if they bought Northern Classics patterns and tooling.

 

Here are the pictures I have of their flatbed. They were sent by Ted Horkey.

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I couldn't tell from your pictures if their bed had the Ford script on the back. I know Northern's was an exact copy, licensed by Ford, and they were very protective of their parts. I called them once to see if I could buy just buy the back beam and was told no. I know some were able to buy parts for their stock flatbeds from Northern at one time but they stopped. I think someone told me the stopped selling replacement parts because they got heat from Ford.

Horkey's bed looks nice even if it doesn't have the script. How much are they charging for the F-2 beds?

 

David,

Can you PM some details about the bed, turnaround time, price, options, shipping, etc please. Thanks. Or post this info up on this post as well for others. Thanks.

Tanner

 

Bob, Tanner:

Let me get back with Horkey's and get the information for you. A good friend of mine originally called them and was sent the pictures so I don't know the cost or anything, but I'll find out and update this post.

 

Sounds good. Thanks man.

Bob, I'll buy one if you buy one.

 

I got lucky, I found the bed for my F-4 for $200 about four years ago. It was in really nice shape. Only has a couple of rust throughs, both underneath where the repairs wont' be visible. The sides, front and back are almost perfect. The real wild thing is after all these years it had every piece of hardware. The unbelievable thing about that is when we were taking the side off to load it on my trailer the wood was so bad most of it turned to powder. I have no idea how all the hardware stayed in tact. It was on a beat up '57 Ch**y when I bought. The guy just bought the truck for the engine for another project he had.

When Northern sold them I think they started at $3000 for the F-1 and up to $4500 for the larger trucks.

 

Well that's an insane price if these stakebodies sell for that. I would rather spend $2k on a full metal bed from Mid-Fifty. I have been looking for an original Ford Script locally, but no luck yet. What years did this exact bed come on? I think I have seen them on older model's like 60's and 70's Ford F-350's as an example.

 

Bob;
Download this pdfCreator. It installs as a printer then just select it as the printer and print your autocad file to it. It will create it as a pdf and gives you some other options as well.

It's open source software and works great.

Download PDFCreator 0.9.7 - FileHippo.com

Have a great day....

Bob G

 

What kind of wood was used on the factory flatbed? Was the same wood used throughout?

 

Yeah, it is a hefty price but if you have a F-4 or larger truck it's probably a viable buy concidering a modern flatbed, which looks out of place on an old truck, could run that much. Even for a F-2 or F-3 trying to find a decent box is getting extremely hard to find. Dan Carpenter use to make a 8' box that was pretty close, at least as close as I have ever seen for a F-2. But I think it was around $2K.

I think, but don't know for sure, that Ford built Ford branded flatbeds up into the early '60s. I can remember seeing them although they changed to a block letter Ford, probably around '57 because that's when they when to the boxier design body.


Like I mentioned in one of the posts above I had a .pdf program installed but didn't realize I had it and I could use it as an extra print source. After Tanner told me about it I went into the CAD program and found it. I must have installed it some time ago. When I went to use it a window popped up telling my trial period ended but I could buy it. Oh well, I'll buy it but the link lead to a dead site. I then searched and found PDFCreator, the same name as the original program I had installed but it was from a different company. Loaded it and it works great. I printed up a bunch of drawings and uploaded them to my web site. I even printed up some .pdf file from my photo program. It's great that we're all not total motor heads and can help with other non-truck related problems.

I suspect they used the same wood as they used in the pickup boxes, either oak or southern pine, whatever they could get local to their assembly plant.