The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Any Experience with Mack Products Bed Parts?

I am in need of a Tailgate for a 1939 width bed for my 1/2 ton project.

In searching online I came across a group called Mack Products - Antique Truck Bed Parts. They say that they have been in the business since 1973. It took a bit of research, but they do seem to be a part of a real business - Mack Hils Metal Fabrication. ( https://mackhilsmetalfabrication.com/ )

Their price for a new, scripted 1939 tailgate is pretty good compared to others. ( https://mack-products.com/shop/year/1935/1934-39-chevrolet-tailgate-with-script/ )

BUT...Does anyone have any experience with their quality?

Thanks!

Their shop is a little over an hour from 2 Ton. Maybe Don could pay them a visit and inspect things. Also only 2-1/2 hours east of KC.

With the exception of 51 3804 who said that the cross sills he purchased from them were an exact match for the OEM units, no one spoke up as to having experience with purchasing parts from Mack Products.

As their price was attractive ($270 + $85 shipping) I was really hoping to hear that others had purchased parts from them and had good results.

Since price was important, but I didn't want to spend money on quality that I would regret, I called Mack Products and talked to Catherine and asked her how many of these tailgates they had sold. She said that until recently they had sold mostly Ford parts, but that with Mar-K going out of business, they are selling more Chevy tailgates now then they used to. She suggested that if I wanted, she could ask a couple of her recent customers if they would contact me with their thoughts on the quality of the tailgate they had received from Mack Products.

I was contacted by an inactive Stovebolt member who had purchased the 1939 tailgate with the Chevrolet script stamped into it. He was very pleased with the quality. With his endorsement, I decided to go ahead and pull the trigger and order the tailgate. That was one week ago today...and it arrived this evening.

I have no experience with products like this and really don't know what to expect, but it looks good to me. I have some prep to learn about and to do, but considering that my alternative would be a used tailgate or a more expensive one from a different vendor, I am pleased with my purchase.

I paid a little more for the tailgate hinges than Jim Carter advertises theirs for, but they threw them into the same box with the tailgate (well padded) and didn't charge me for shipping them, so I am not complaining.

Catherine mentioned that they manufacture parts for some of the familiar vendors, so perhaps the reason their tailgate sells for less is that the other vendors might be selling a Mack Products tailgate!

I took a few photos, but if you have a specific question or a specific spot you would like to see a photo of, let me know.

Nick - That looks pretty nice and thanks for providing an update on your search and find! I'll add to what Otto posted with the direct link to their current Chevrolet products listing pages. These include applications for GMCs for the same items shared with Chevy's and they offer quite a range of items that will be of interest to our community now that Mar-K is no more.

Folks should check them out for your truck bed and related items (like running board splash aprons and even front bumper splash guards).

PS - As this thread is basically "truck bed related", it's been moved to the Making a Stovebolt Bed forum for all to see and share in the info.

Nick
Glad this worked out for you!
Cheers!🍺

$125 for the splash apron seems pretty reasonable to me.

Nick, I noticed that they offer 1940 tailgates with and without script. Was that an option in 1940 or is the scriptless gate for customizers?

Otto,

Since my truck is a combination of various years, I find it hard to remember specifics about what I have researched for various years!
Jim Carter's "Bed Restoration Manual for Early Chevrolet and GMC Pickup Trucks" indicates that the stamped letters on the tailgate appeared only in 1939 and 1940, and then after 1946.
I don't know if tailgates were available without the stamped letters as an option during the years when the stamped letters were manufactured.

Thanks, I was just curious. The cursive script looks good.

I am intrigued. Some of their products are *significantly* cheaper than other options.

I may be late to this thread, but in 1999 I purchased a whole bed from Mack Products in Moberly Missouri. I'm not that far from them and drove over and picked up the whole kit, save a bunch on shipping. I was really pleased with the whole setup, having never worked on an old truck before this or having anything to compare it to, it all seemed good to me. Panels were straight, corners fit right, wood was good quality, it was even package well.

I don't think you could go wrong with a purchase from them, pretty sure it was all made right there.

Joe

I also stumbled upon Mack Products when searching for bed wood. The kit for my “50 is a very reasonable $275 + shipping. I then searched for reviews on their bed wood and found this Stovebolter.com thread. Has anyone bought bed wood from them, and if so, what is your opinion of the quality? Thanks!

I called them today about wood for my 58 (which they also have listed at $275 + shipping) and they said they had never made wood for one that new.

The $275 is implausibly cheap, and the dimensions they gave did not match my rough measurements. They took my rough measurements and said they would do some research and get back to me.

I will add that the greatest majority of the information I can find online about the strip widths on the 58/59 Fleetside (including GMC Paul's) is wrong.

So the fact that they looked up the info they had and asked to verify it while I was on the phone is a point in their favor to me. The fact that the first thing they had listed being incorrect does not terribly bother me, since they are taking the time to validate it.

They called me back to say they went through all of their documentation and can't find anything that matches my existing strip sizes, so they can't sell me a wood kit.

While I am disappointed that they have a listing for a kit they can't actually produce, I respect them for going through the trouble to check and verify my needs before taking my money.

I still believe that my wood is original and correct due to other 58/59 trucks I have seen in person and online. Also because there are not extra holes in my cross-plates that would indicate it was redrilled for different widths.

I would still be willing to do business with them, but I would call and verify their offerings rather than just ordering online.

How big a difference are they talking about? Is the problem a difference in the width of your boards or the width of your bed strips? Could your bed be from a different year?

I assume the problem is that your bed strips are too wide compared to what they have on file? If so, perhaps you could rout a wider groove in each board?

The difference was the width and number of boards.

The 58 amd 59 fleetsides are unique. I can make my own wood, and probably will. I was just hoping to find a reasonably priced kit so I can spend my time on bits and pieces that I enjoy more.

Based on the holes in the crossbars and the other 58/59s I have seen (including my 59), I am very confident that what I currently have is original.