I have a '49 1 Ton with the original bed. The original owner of my truck used it in his appliance and tv antenna installation business and removed the step side bed when he bought it and stored it in the barn (he put a utility body on it). The original bed got replaced on the truck shortly before I bought it in 2003 and is in mint condition.
My truck is more toy than working truck and the long bed is quite the conversation piece at shows and cruise-ins where usually there are lots of AD trucks but mine is the only long bed. I'm with Grigg -- I'm spoiled now and the 1/2-ton and 3/4 ton trucks just don't look right to me anymore with their dinky little beds
I say keep the original bed -- ANYBODY can slap a flatbed on their truck. Yours is more original and rarer with the original 9-foot stepside!
John
