The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop 58 Fleetside bedside repairs

Hello,
I finally finished the rust repairs on the entire cab and front of my truck. I have only two more pieces to fix and I am a bit overwhelmed. I am not scared to cut and replace metal, but I am unsure how to fix the rocket shapes as they have been damaged pretty badly. I also have some dent/kinks in one fender well that I think i can't just hammer out as they will stretch.

Here are the bedsides:
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2993651480102641910aSkcso

Should i try to find better ones?
or fix these as they are hard to find?

Thanks,
Brian

the beds are pretty rare, just depends on how much you wanna spend and how long you wanna hunt for better replacements

are those punched holes in the rocket? hafta grind off the flared out parts, fill with weld ... works to hold a heavy copper spoon behind the hole to fill, weld won't stick to the copper and it wicks some of the heat away, altho those rockets aren't real accessible from the back ... damage isn't any worse than rust thru, but actual kinked folds are best cut away and replaced, unless you're into learning how to shrink

my long fleet was pretty battered when I got it, from repeated sideswipes both sides, took awhile to clean up, and had a good bodyman do the final perfecting - no pics of that one, but this short fleet was worked over into this, after the one creased skirt was replaced - anything can be fixed

Bill

Thanks Bill,
the punched holes looked like they were done to pull out the dents.
These pictures were after I media blasted and primed the panels.

I was thinking about cutting off the inside panels to get at the backside of the rockets and then welding them back on.

The toughest rocket's highpoint was so smashed and then pulled back out that the highest point has been "smeared in a way"

Do you think a pro body guy can shrink and work these rockets back into shape?
would this be called "ironing"?
I want to have as little filler as possible when I am done.

Thanks,
Brian

yes a good bodyman can do wonders, and part of it is having the right tools - prolly hammer welding or shrinking, and there's a good tool for that kind of shaping, though there are other ways ... and you should be able to find some good old time bodymen around your area who can do real metal shaping

yes, R&R-ing the inner panel might be easiest, it is tough to get any kind of dolly in there ... to bad they used the screw trick, might have worked better to spot weld pins on

worth workin on IMO, even if you're looking for replacements all the while ...

Bill

Thanks Bill,
That is one cool website!!
I have found some replacements but they were too far away to see in person. You just can't tell from pictures of painted bed panels what monsters lie beneath.
Thanks,
Brian

That bedside looks to be in decent shape. Do as red58 said and grind the holes on the rockets flush with the parent metal and fill them with weld. On the fender well I would just make a patch panel for that ( thats not that hard). Don't need any special tools. And you know how to fix the rust through. If you lived closer I would do it for you just because I love to cut stuff up.lol Good luck, from the picture that bedside does not look bad at all. Like Red58 said, fleetside beds are not that common to find and those are worth fixing.

Thanks mkab,
It is funny but I have referenced you car domain pages before!! Nice job on your 58!

Hey not to loud its a 55 now.lol Don't tell anybody. Thanks man. You have a nice little project going yourself.

oops forgot about those fenders

Hey Briang,

Is that a long bed or a short bed? I can't be sure from the pic.

Hey Mike,
It is a short bed.
looks like the rain is coming our way

Brian

Hey Briang

Yep, the rain is on it's way. I have a bedside. I sent you an email.

sweeeeeet i will go take a look