47-55.1 Rear roll pan

[TX3100Guy]

While I currently have a new chrome bumper mounted on my 1953 Chevy truck while I'm still working on it, I'd have to say I'm not enamored with the look.

I have a new Mar-K bed on the truck (in primer) and I'm considering buying a rear roll pan from them, with the indentation for a license plate. I'll then remove the chrome bumper and bumper brackets. 1) if I do, I'll have a brand new chrome bumper for sale along with new rear bumper brackets, but 2) more importantly I'm wondering if anyone else has installed the roll pan.

If you did, did you weld it or bolt it on. If you bolted it on, can you post photos of where the bolts go?

Thanks in advance.

[mr48chev]

I've always liked the look of these filler panels.

Personally I think the trucks would look better if the stock rear bumper was up so that the top of the bumper was level with the bottom of the rear bed sill rather than several inches below it.

[TX3100Guy]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I've always liked the look of these filler panels.

Personally I think the trucks would look better if the stock rear bumper was up so that the top of the bumper was level with the bottom of the rear bed sill rather than several inches below it.

Agreed, there is too much space.

[mobileortho]

I used a roll pan.

[TX3100Guy]

Originally Posted by mobileortho

I used a roll pan.

Did you bolt it or weld it in place?

[mobileortho]

Originally Posted by TX3100Guy

Did you bolt it or weld it in place?

Bolted on, no issues.

[TX3100Guy]

Originally Posted by mobileortho

I used a roll pan.

Originally Posted by youngrodder

I used the same Mar-K rolled pan on my last build. I welded mine on so I could weld the seams at the side and body work them smooth for a cleaner look.

Does the Mar-K roll pan come pre-drilled for a license plate light(s)?

[mr48chev]

When I was getting ready to go to Bonneville in 1998 I snagged a piece of used stainless pipe at work and cut it to length and took some flat stainless flat bar and made brackets and one of my vendors gave me two end plugs and my buddy welded in the end plugs and welded the brackets on to build a Gasser look stainless steel rear bumper.

That is where the bumper sits when you have it straight out from the ends of the frame rails.

[leegreen]

I mounted my bumper higher.
I don't have a great picture

that perspective makes it look too wide, but it is not bad standing beside it. cutting it narrower is not out of the question but it wont happen until the front bumper is on and I can get a more distant perspective than our driveway allows. And it wont fit back in the garage with the front bumper on unless I remove some shelving.....

That is a front bumper de-curved in the centre and a rebent a set of front brackets to mount it. Custom bumper apron between bumper and box.

[Tempest67]

I don't know about Mar-K roll pans, but I made mine and bolted it in.

[TX3100Guy]

Originally Posted by Tempest67

I don't know about Mar-K roll pans, but I made mine and bolted it in.

Very cool! Thanks.

[youngrodder]

I used the same Mar-K rolled pan on my last build. I welded mine on so I could weld the seams at the side and body work them smooth for a cleaner look.

[my56chevytruck]

Originally Posted by Tempest67

I don't know about Mar-K roll pans, but I made mine and bolted it in.

that's good work Tempest 67, nice sheet metal fabrication

[TX3100Guy]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

When I was getting ready to go to Bonneville in 1998 I snagged a piece of used stainless pipe at work and cut it to length and took some flat stainless flat bar and made brackets and one of my vendors gave me two end plugs and my buddy welded in the end plugs and welded the brackets on to build a Gasser look stainless steel rear bumper.

That is where the bumper sits when you have it straight out from the ends of the frame rails.

That alignment of the bumper looks so much better than the OEM brackets that drop the bumper down too far for my liking.

[Chopped53]

I think the stock bumper position is too low too. I took an approach similar to "leegreen" and raised the bumper and pushed it in closer to the body. If you flip the bumper arms upside down and shorten them a few inches, it ends up like this:

[mr48chev]

If you are going to run with out a bumper the Mar-K unit is the one I'd go with. It just rounds things off and doesn't drop way down and hid things though. https://www.mar-k.com/partDetails.aspx?LID=1689

[TX3100Guy]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

If you are going to run with out a bumper the Mar-K unit is the one I'd go with. It just rounds things off and doesn't drop way down and hid things though. https://www.mar-k.com/partDetails.aspx?LID=1689

I really like the look of what some of you have done with raising the bumper. The stock location might have had a purpose in the 50's when it was a "work truck" but my look is more of a hot rod (hence the supercharger on a 1959 261 inline 6, with 4 on the floor, ceramic headers, and a Hallibrand quick change diff).

I'm nearly ready to pull the trigger on the Mar-K roll pan with the indent for the license plate and light. I like the clean look of the rear with the roll pan and can bolt or weld it on, which ever looks better to my eye.

[mr48chev]

A guy could mount a receiver hitch under the pan where it barely showed and fab up a nerf bar/bumper to run with it for a bit of protection from errant drivers if you use it for more than going to shows Or one of those steps that they sell for late model trucks that fits the hitch.

Remembering that with my 71 I had a guy throw a fit about 15 years ago when I was parked in a spot in a parking lot and he pulled in behind me and ran his grill into my hitch while I was parked and I was inside the store. Somehow he thoght that it was my fault that he ran into my hitch. It didn't stick out any extra like some of them do either, just a regular old receiver hitch with a 2 inch ball.

[e015475]

Mine didn't come with any holes. I put post style LED license plate lights on it - barely adequate. The flip down plate is held up with magnets, which makes it much easier to fuel the truck if you're not fighting the spring. From any viewing angle except sitting on the ground, the 2nd gen Camaro fuel tank isn't visible with the MarK pan


There isn't much of a flange to bolt the sides of the MarK pan to the bed (also MarK) so I used some tank clamps off a Model A Ford (28 or 29) to pinch them together. Youngrodder's solution of welding them together is probably best, but I wanted to be able to take them apart


Another view closed
[IMG][/IMG]

[TX3100Guy]

Originally Posted by e015475

Mine didn't come with any holes. I put post style LED license plate lights on it - barely adequate. The flip down plate is held up with magnets, which makes it much easier to fuel the truck if you're not fighting the spring. From any viewing angle except sitting on the ground, the 2nd gen Camaro fuel tank isn't visible with the MarK pan

There isn't much of a flange to bolt the sides of the MarK pan to the bed (also MarK) so I used some tank clamps off a Model A Ford (28 or 29) to pinch them together. Youngrodder's solution of welding them together is probably best, but I wanted to be able to take them apart

I used those same bolt/lights on a Jeep and found them to be barely adequate too. I'm happy that the Mar-K roll pan isn't pre-drilled for lights. That will allow me to choose whatever method of lighting i wish. Thanks for the photos.

[dsraven]

I know, this sounds like i am picking apart some really nicely put together trucks, but I think most roll pans on older trucks, with rounded edges everywhere, should have a rounded edge on the bottom sides of the roll pan. otherwise it looks like the roll pan was sliced off a length of roll pan material and then a flat piece was welded on the side to close it all in as an aftertthought. this is just my opinion and doesn't mean squat. there are some really nice looking trucks out there with that look. has anyone found a roll pan that is nicely rounded everywhere?

[my56chevytruck]

I used a rear roll pan, much better looking I think, it's bolted in

[TX3100Guy]

Today, I temporarily clamped the rear roll pan from Mar-K into place on the truck and I really like the look and will be going forward with that change to my plans.



Now the question is, is there a front roll pan? I've seen that Brothers has a fiberglass one and I've read somewhere that you need to cut the frame, which is not something I want to do. Has anyone else come up with a front roll pan look that doesn't require chopping the frame?

[leegreen]

Tough to join stake pocket to roll pan with a curve, I dont see it. might be my aversion to things that will rust out kicking in though.


The roll pan is a large section visually, the stake pocket is left hanging unsupported, maybe just extend it down?

[nvrdone]

I've seen a filler piece that goes below the stake pocket and curves back into the roll pan. Any one know who sells them?