Stovebolt.com Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed AD truck hardware finish

Kevin you got me to thinking about this issue so I backtracked to a post response from Tim Lederman, I hope he's ok with me reviving it! See the attached screen shot.

No problem, Ron.

Just to add further confusion: I now have some sales-illustrations of the two, two-tone pickup and panel models that came out in late 1954 and 55-1st series.

The bed wood and metal bed strips were painted black (a semigloss, perhaps).
The running boards were painted lower-body color.

However, I also have original color-documents that show those late two-tone models having black running boards.

Shell White top/upper of exterior cab (above the "ribbon")
Yellow or Blue or Green bottoms (which in includes that center ribbon)
Shell White pinstripe (1/4") in the center of the "ribbon".

There were a variety of two-tone interior sheet-metal & upholstery colors available with those options.

Would running boards have been black on base, stripper models?

They were in '51. My running boards were black, and it's a 3-window cab that was bought as a fleet truck. I don't even think it had the pinstripe around the belt molding. I found no evidence of it, anyway under the second layer of paint. My thought is that ALL running boards were black, and were painted on a separate line as bolt-on items.

As far as that item in Tim's post about the bed wood (prepainted as an assembly) installed in one piece. I have my doubts, as both sides need to be tucked underneath the angle strips. I suppose it could have been done that way, but it would have been a very cumbersome task, and much more easily done with individual boards and strips. If the fasteners were black, I think they may have been black oxide as someone mentioned above. [on edit] I'm rescinding that thought on black oxide finish on fasteners. I just looked thru the 29-54 Master Parts catalog [chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com] for fasteners and the only thing that wasn't cadmium plated were some sheet metal screws that were plain steel or parkerized. No Black Oxide finish mentioned at all.

I posted above "The bed wood and metal bed strips were painted black (a semigloss, perhaps)."
I did not state (and, I do not believe) that they were painted as an assembly.

Tim, I was replying to your post that Dusty53 posted a screenshot of where you said Bob Alder said....
I wasn't trying to put words in your mouth.
Maybe I should have worded it more precisely. Sorry.

"https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthread...ruck-color-on-1954-3604.html#Post1309981"

"I have spoken with Bob Adler (Stephentown, NY), and, Bob says that:

1. 1947-1953 Advance-Design pickup beds were painted black (boards & strips)
And the boards and strips were (somehow) painted together and placed in/on the bed as a painted assembly.

2. 54/55st Advance-Design pickup beds were painted body color (lower body color on two-tones).
These boards and strips were not painted as an assembly.

So, Ronnie, yes, your bed boards/floor came that way from the factory.

By the way, I really like that 1954 Ocean Green color."

We need a "certified survivor" non-deluxe truck and deluxe 1954 Truck to examine! Good ole' Dusty53 still kicking that dead horse and kicking up dust... I'd sure like to view those Illustrations Tim has. I'd add them to my limited library.

If I remember to look, and, if I can find/copy useful factory bed photos/illustrations, I'll see if I can post a few 1954 photos.

(please forgive my rapidly failing memory - getting old has its problems, but, getting old is better than the alternative)

Ron, I have PDF's of '53 and '54 Truck sales brochures, but neither of them have color photos of the beds. The black and white photos of the beds in both don't show much detail.

Let me know if you'd like to have either or both of those brochures.

It would be interesting to see Tim's illustrations.