The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Cut a long box to a short box

Just wondering if anyone has done this. I have a 58 Chev 1/2 ton long box. I would make the cut mid fender and reposition the fenders to make it a correct short box. I have shortened a frame when I put a 59 GMC on a 75 4x4 frame. Just clamped the chop saw onto the frame, chop out 16 inches, roll the two parts together and arc weld, also plated across the weld and bolted with grade 8 bolts. Did that 20 years ago truck is still going. Just never cut a box.

Elton, ask the Moderator to move this to the Paint and Body Forum for the experts to weigh in.

Plenty of info on the web. Many have done it. Google it.

I chopped a step side but it started out a shortbed...
The key to me was working from the step back except I chopped and channelled the steps too. But short or long bed side steps are the same, so the changes are all out back.

What I removed was from just behind the center pocket so they stayed the same. In your case I'd take out more than the 4" needed for my toyota...but only your tape measure will know for sure.
If you don't mess with the front half you dtill have mounting holes to help hold the fender in place while you drill the new holes in back.
Welding it was standard hit and run per MPandCs guidelines.
And I am assuming this isn't for a concourse restoration cause... your chopping a bed.

Here you go, scroll and scroll
Don't forget: measure once, cut twice....or "I've cut it twice and it's still too short!"

justhorsenaround,

I am one of the moderators of P&B and I moved it here for better coverage on the "Making a Stovebolt Bed" aspects. Strictly speaking, mods like this can be covered anywhere between P&B and Beds and HiPo, since we're talking about moving away from stock (sort of) to something more custom. The mods relevant to the bed seemed most applicable, so I moved it here.

-Jim