The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Would you restore this bed side or replace?

Here are some photos of the driver's side bed side panel from my '51 3100.
Overall view
Front where angle strip mounts
Typical fender mount hole
rear below bed floor

Trying to decide whether to patch the rust holes (have already done that on the passenger side which wasn't quite as bad, but needs a stake pocket.

The trade off is to spend the time and effort to patch it up or just buy a repop bedside panel. Since I'm in Alaska, the cost is going to be about $100 more than you lower 48'ers would pay, unless I can consolidate some other parts to spread some of the freight costs around. I haven't looked around locally too much for better replacements, which is an option as well.

Any opinions or comments are welcome.

If you live in Alaska, you probably know how to weld. Patching that bed side should be no problem for you. Almost all of them look like that when you take them off. The biggest thing is dents. It doesn't look like there are any. Since those bedsides were a single sheet of metal, getting dents out can be a real challenge unless you're very good with body hammers.

If I were able to weld I'd give it a shot!! If it doesn't appeal to you then the only thing you lost it your time! On another note, looking through your pics I couldn't help to notice that view!!!!!! Is that your place? The lake and snow capped mountains is beautiful. Take care
-jim

As badly rusted as those sides are, if it were me, I'd save up
my allowance and have Mark-K send me a new box. Unless all
you're interested in is keeping a load of dirt from running out
the holes, in which case slapping patches over the holes would work.
dg

I'm normally a fan of patching but not on that one.

I actually agree with everyone's opinion on how to skin that cat. To add to the discussion, I would:

(1) Sandblast it, then (2) re-evaluate the damage. (Or however you want to take it down to bare metal). edit- Sand/media blasting would tell the story best.- Of course, like Denny says- it really all depends on your plans for the truck.

Brad

Thanks for the comments guys. Seems about evenly weighted between fix it and replace it.

The pics showing the bed dismantling are at my buddy's place where the truck is right now. He has an awesome view of Denali and Knik arm (not a lake, btw, but part of Cook Inlet). Did I mention he's a GOOD buddy? He also has a large shop that he lets me use and I help him on his projects as well (but I'm at a big deficit.)

I'm relearning how to weld since about the 70's and discovering how hard it is to keep a flat panel flat once heat gets to it. I've repaired the front bed panel and as mentioned done some patching on the opposite side panel and am starting to get the hang of it.

I could afford a new bedside (about 1 months worth of pension from my previous employer, which I designated as my project fund), but I kind of enjoy the challenge of fixing things, so will probably give it a go. One of my employee's dad owns a body shop and he's learned the trade and is giving me pointers. If I screw it up too badly, I can always go the new route.

This is going to be a "work truck" restoration, so assembly line perfection is not necessarily my goal.

Thanks all for the comments.

I like to use original parts but I would replace it. Even if you do it yourself you still will have a lot in materials.

Yeah, I already found that out. I spent $150 at a local sheet metal shop to have them bend me up a lower patch panel for the bed front that was rotted away. I could have replaced it for not much more. But again, that was part of my welding & bodywork relearning process. You'll see that process if you look at the links above and scroll thru my flikr photostream.

By the time you get those holes patched up, you're going to be a master craftsman at metal finishing and shrinking. That's not a bad thing, as those skills are rapidly disappearing, replaced by guys with a deep pocket and no metalworking ability. Try your hand at patching, and if it's a lost cause, all you're out of pocket is a little sheet metal and some welding supplies. I agree with Brad- - - -beadblast the parts first and evaluate your options after the rust is gone.
Jerry

If your gunna use it as a work truck like you plan, I would 100% patch that one up. Who's says it has to cost alot, I'm sure you have some left over scrap metal around your shop. Just look at some of the trucks that made it thru the "Depression" & "War Years" those guys HAD to make stuff work with the things they had...those trucks had real battle scars. No its not gunna look perfect but that's nothing to be ashamed of either...

I'm not a body man so I looked to my local body guy years ago to evaluate my 37 bed sides/tailgate and front panel. His words were "I can fix it" but "you probably can't afford it, go buy a new bed assembly".
I did and now, 17 years later there is no cracked body filler cracking or nasty repairs showing. It still looks good. In "my" case it was a no brainer....but I admit, mine doesn't haul very much!

Funny. I dropped by a body shop to ask about a bed that was out front and noticed they had a cab sitting off to the side as well. I told the owner what I was doing, and he said "Buy a new cab." He showed me the cab that was halfway thru floor and cowl panel replacement and complained about the owner not giving him the time and money to finish it. I told him I was going to give it a go anyway. I think it's a body shop guy thing.

Nope, it's simply a time and material thing with a business
man. No respectable body shop is gonna turn out a job with
patches showing. To finish a panel properly takes a lot of
effort.
One more time, if all you care about is keeping the dirt from
running out of the seams and holes, then scraps from an old 55
gallon oil drum and a twenty dollar garage sale stick welder
will serve the purpose.
But don't ever confuse or try to compare that with finished
body work.

dg

OK, I patched it. Looking OK, with just a little oil canning to fix.
Before:
Overall view
Front where angle strip mounts
Typical fender mount hole
rear below bed floor

After:
Patched interior view from rear
Front interior
Outside view
All the fender mount holes but one patched as well as the rusted out section where the angle strip mounts.

Should hold dirt, right Denny?

That is simply awesome. Good on you for patching that mess (and showing us what could be done). I lucked into a reasonably priced bed from a 60s truck that fits well on my 57. I gave someone else the holey bed panels that came with my very rusted truck. Looking back, I wish I'd have tried to patch them now, especially since my skills have improved some over time. Not much difference between the late 50s and 60s beds, but there is some.

Love the work. Thanks for sharing it.


-Jim

I don't know what level of restoration you are aiming for, but with the great expanse of virtually unsupported sheet metal, it will be exceedingly difficult to make that panel perfectly straight. Not impossible, but very time consuming for even a professional tin smith. I have attempted it on one and had to come to grips with my inadequacies, got it as close as I could and rolled on Herculiner bed liner. It hides my imperfections nicely. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I drink coffee.
Carl

Thanks Jim

I hear you on the getting it straight Carl. I'm going to give it a shot. I have a body shop owner who's advising me, and as well, I'm sucking all the knowledge I can from MP&C's posts. Robert is truly an artist. I can stand a little wave here and there, as the end result is going to be a "work" truck with an Alaska Road Commission logo on the doors.

Kevin, with your goal of representing a "work truck", you have an excellent candidate for learning some new metal skills hands on. You can't really lose, and you may well get the knack for it and knock it out of the park. If not, you'll end up with a perfect representation of a genuine work truck.

I notice on the auto repair TV shows, they ALWAYS replace. I assume because they're sponsored by the companies that sell those parts.
Or maybe it's because they're experienced builders who've learned it's better to dig a ditch with a backhoe than a teaspoon!

Glad you got it done and retained the originality and character of an old truck!

It still smacks of going camping and having someone else build the fire and pitch the tent...

Caso makes a good point. I am in the process of getting my '49 parts back from the painter and assembling it. All old steel parts brought back to life by me. I don't brag very often, (except of course when its true. ), but I will take credit for this aspect of this project when asked. It is a good feeling, although I doubt that I will ever do another one, and I understand why folks buy new parts.

More work on the bedside. It has a flattened spot on the roll at the top, so needed a dolly to get it back into shape. Hit on using a ball that fits inside the roll, so ordered a 1-1/2" ball bearing and welded it to an adapter that goes on a slide hammer. Stuffed it inside the roll and started dinging away. Made some progress tonight on it.

Here's some pics of the tool and the work.
Flattened spot on bedside
Another view of the damaged section
Here's a shot of the tool
Tool in use
Wised up and put some markings on the bedside to know where not to hit it
Dent is getting smaller

Nice use of the ball bearing!

^^^ what he said.