Fumblin,
You are correct, the original floors were constructed out of steel strips, holding down yellow-pine wood slats.
I would think if you were handy with a router, have access to some good wood, and your steel strips are worth a hoot, you could probably make a wood floor fairly cheaply yourself.
I don't remember where I saw it, but I visited a website recently, that gave the dimensions etc. of the wood. I'll look for it, and post it, if I can find it again. I think I just did a search on truck bed flooring or something like that.
The bedwood on my first 52 is pretty sad, but still there. The previous owner placed a sheet of steel over the original bed floor, and it holds up pretty well. It's not welded, bolted, or attached by means other than the weight, so I can always replace the wood when I'm ready, without having to grind welds etc.
I'm in the same boat, not wanting to spend an arm and a leg to have the wood floor. So for now, it does just fine.
