The original pine bed pieces I could recover from my truck are solid heart pine- definitely from a longleaf pine. I use kindlin' or lighter'd to start fires, and the bed wood is identical in smell & appearance.
Shown here. I'm currently in the "wood-type-for-truck-bed" decision process, and I won't be showing my truck either... that does not mean it won't be seen & shown to people, it just means I won't be going for an heirloom furniture type finish. From the Mar-K longevity results, I'll probably be using red elm, oak, or heart pine coated with POR-15, then painted black. I do not have a wood availability problem.
In my experience with corrals & fencing, burned motor oil makes for an excellent stain & preservative on just about any seasoned wood. I'll try to coat a couple of barnwood boards at home to show what it looks like.
Brad
