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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
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| | | | Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 96 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 96 | The truck I am building will be used to occasionally haul things and I cannot bring myself to buy one of those nice wood bed kits and spend a lot of time finishing it nice and shiny and then throw stuff in there to scratch it up. What I am thinking about using is the composite deck boards sold at Lowes and Home Depot instead of wood. I have heard that the AD (47-53) beds used different numbers and widths of boards. Are any of the boards wider than 5.5"? The composite decking comes 1.0" x 5.5" in a coupe of different colors. It will not rot or warp and does not need to be treated. I would be interested in hearing from others who may have found alternatives to 'show' wood kits. I am not saying there is anything wrong with building a show truck, but I will need to use mine. Cannot afford to have two. | | | | | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 874 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 874 | | | | | | Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,403 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,403 | Hey, I don't know about the wood widths, but someone else on here has a nice wood bed and uses it to haul stuff in. He got a rubber mat that fits in the bed so that he could use his truck but still have it look nice. That might be something you could do. | | | | | Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 96 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 96 | Excellent - thanks for the link. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 506 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 506 | 49chevyman,
The link is excellent, and has great pictures too.
Just in case, be sure to read the following about cutting the groove... and don't just look at the picture.
" The dimensions given are from members measuring old bedwood. If I was going to create my own board, I would purchase the wear strips first and use those measurements to adjust the dimensions below."
-Tom
1950 Chevy 3100 w/ 1956 235
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 406 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 406 | It is always a good idea to test dimensions on your truck before cutting the actual bedwood. Make sure the fit is to your liking and that the wear strips line up with holes in your sills. When cutting your own bedwood, we recommend getting the strips first then cutting short pieces of wood the same dimensions that you plan to use. That way you can test fit the wood in your vehicle before committing the wood you plan to use. Very frustrating to cut your wood then find that the holes in the strips do not line up with the holes in the cross sills.
Mar-Ktech | | | | | Joined: May 2004 Posts: 1,312 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2004 Posts: 1,312 | The composite stuff is not that strong - made to span 16" joist centres. It may sag between bed cross-rails ?? | | |
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