1952 GMC Bed???????????

[wibas]

I'm just about done with the bodywork on the cab. So I started looking at the bed and now I'm depressed. The side are not rusted through but they are very pitted and the tailgate is rough. I see there are new bedsides available but they are pretty high priced (400.00 each w/o frt.). What other options are there? Anybody tried going to fab shop to have them made? Anybody have some good used sides? I was looking at recessed tailgates that are embossed with GMC but the spot welds are rough. Is that normal or are there better brands to use? Any advice would be helpful. Thank.

[OrrieG]

Do a search in the build thread, a few guys have build them from scratch, some to match the original, some customs. Since they are slab sides it isn't that difficult. You can also adjust the height and fender placement if you want. All the aftermarket tailgates come with the spot welds to match the originals, which were pretty rough.

[coralhead]

A PO of my truck had skinned the sides of the bed panels with thin sheet metal. The pieces were attached with small bolts/nuts and ground down some. (Sorta like a rivet look.) The skins are between the stake pockets on the outside and the full length on the inside. They will weigh much more. They look OK but I am looking at some replacements (used) since I have taken all the rest of the old body work out. This is a 3/4 ton truck ('50).

[mr48chev]

At the going rate of body shops 400.00 for a bed side equals about 8 hours or so of shop time getting a bed side straight.

When I redid my truck in the 80's I spent a lot of time hunting for a good bed and most of what was offered up then was worse than what I had to start with. I ended up buying a truck with a good bed and my buddy took the cab and nose to build his truck with a cut down longbed that came off another truck I bought for the cab. That was after my first cab was pretty well damaged in a wreck.

If you have a fab shop in the area that does sheet metal it wouldn't be to hard to get them to cut and bend the sides. you would have trouble with the roll on the outside of the top though as I don't know of any equipment in a regular sheet metal shop that can do that. A guy could weld in a piece of tubing or maybe have them put as much roll in the edge as possible with their break and then weld in a piece of tubing with the weld being lower where it might not show as much or take as much work to get it slicked out.

I just figure I'll take the best pair of bed sides I have and get them blasted or stripped and start in on them. That will end up taking time, primer and sand paper all in large quantities before I'm done.

I need a new tailgate too and haven't decided on that part. I'm like you in that I like the ones with the logo stamped in them better than the smooth or louvered ones.

[skip99]

I wanted to do some custom work anyway, so building my own was the way to go..$40 for the metal, $20 to bend, $30 for tube, lots of welding hours...

[D-man313]

i have 2 sides forsale. patch work started just needs finished.

pm me

[wibas]

D_Man do you have any pictures? Would you beable to ship them bus? How much? Thanks.

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by skip99

I wanted to do some custom work anyway, so building my own was the way to go..$40 for the metal, $20 to bend, $30 for tube, lots of welding hours...

Cool that is what i was thinking of doing.

[wibas]

mcnittle. Those sides look great. What type metal are you using? I picked up sheet metal before and sometimes it is oiled to prevent rust and sometimes not. So what did you ask for and what guage did you use? Your metal appears to be washed? Hey keep up the good work and pictures! Thanks

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by wibas

mcnittle. Those sides look great. What type metal are you using? I picked up sheet metal before and sometimes it is oiled to prevent rust and sometimes not. So what did you ask for and what guage did you use? Your metal appears to be washed? Hey keep up the good work and pictures! Thanks

Ask Skip I just did a quote and forgot todelete the pics

[xpickup]

I have built a couple of them. I use 16 gauge sheet metal and tube. I weld the tube to the angle at the top. I also make my own stake pockets. I also do the out of tube and I move the bolts that bolt the front panel to the sides to the front. I then use square tube to build the frame work for the whole thing. I make mine so that the wood goes on last and has an aluminum angle on top of the wood. I have made beds to unbolt or I have also welded them all together.

Shannon

[wibas]

What are you using for steel to get a good finish? (cold rolled, hot rolled, galvanized) Do you just use an etch wash for prep? Do you have any pictures of the process of welding the tubing on?
Pictures are good because I have trouble visualizing Stuff. Thanks!