I am in the process of building/customizing a Mar-K bed for a customer and thought that I would share a photo of the tailgate that I am doing for this bed. I am not sure if this has been done before, if it has I haven't seen it...

 

Very nice

 

Hi, very nice work. What process are you using for the letters? If you don't mind sharing.

 

Yes, very nice, excuse my lack of knowledge, but how did you do it?

My 51 tailgate has the block letters; I have been looking for a damaged script gate to cut out the centre panel and transplant it into my mine. I think there would be a market for a metal replacement center panel with the script name in it.

 

Those are available, or at least used to be. I'll admit I haven't seen one for a while, but I haven't been looking for one, either. Hopefully the Ford licensing requirements haven't pushed the people stamping them out of business.

 

Slick work!

I'm guessing done with two pieces and the front cut out?

 

Yes please share the process along with some in progress photos if possible.

 

I like it. I am in the market for a new tailgate, how much do you charge to do that?

 

waiting for the info..........

 

Hummmm, must be topsecret.

 

very nice i have always liked the ford script like that

 

Just got back home from the shop, now that I work for myself I don't have much time during the day to spend on the computer. This all began when I made a mod to the bed sill to smooth out the sill. It always irked me to see the edge of the stake pockets overlap the sill so I cut a 16 ga plate and added it to the sill to make the section below the tailgate smooth all the way across. Well the guy who owns the truck saw what I had done and asked why I couldn't do the same thing on the tailgate to eliminate the "step-ups" made by the vertical supports and the top rail. So I went over to Direct Sheetmetal and had Dave cut a panel to fill in the area on the tailgate. Before I installed the panel I asked the truck owner if he would like to have anything cut into the plate. Even though he has a 55 F100 he always liked the old Ford script and thought that it would look good. I suggested that the script be sized to take up the center one-third of the tailgate but he opted for the largest script that would fit. He's the customer so large script it was...now that I see it I am not so opposed to the larger script but I think that I would still have liked the smaller better.
As for the process, Stephen67 got it right...Mar-K flat panel tailgate with a panel overlayed. I use 3M 08115 structural adhesive to laminate the panels together. After the adhesive set I filled the edges with more adhesive to give the lettering a smoother look. The truck will be at the Pickups Limited San Diego "Fords & Friends" show on June 13th at Felicita Park in Escondido, CA if you would like to see it. I'll post a pic of the bed when it is complete.

 

Looks like alot of work to me .Very , very nice . Congrats !!!!!!!!!

 

Charlie,

Excellent!! I think it looks great

I agree with you and think that a little smaller font would be perfect but you got to give the customer what he wants.
I can't wait to see pics of it finished and installed

Thanks
Bobby

 

Hey Charlieled

I really like that tailgate treatment. I know the "big" lettering is extreme and it wouldn't look good on OEM-to me-but for some sort of extreme modded rig?-I think it would be cool for sure.

Nice work/

Tom