The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Need some flatbed inspiration....

Let me give you some background...I was just given an opportunity to get a 55 Fairlane for a very reasonable price. I offered something for it before and they denied it now they want less. In the mean time I went and bought my 52 1 Ton and the only depressing part is the fact that it is a flatbed and not a long bed. I was looking for inspiration for what can be done with a flatbed to make it look hot rodish or somewhat cool.
I have seen a few nice ones, but it is either stock or it is a bed. Just looking for some input. Thanks

I have a 1 ton step-side, and like it..

Also have 2 ton, and am looking forward to having a 7' x 10.5' flat bed. I am trying to find the pieces for, or someone who can make, an aluminum frame, similar to what an original one would have looked like, just aluminum. Then I'll make the wood floor and add the unpolished stainless strips. I don't care for "hot rodish or somewhat cool" just simple, extremely functional, and practical, what it looks like is secondary to what it actually does.

You may consider designing and building your own bed to give the truck the look you want?

Grigg

You can gome up with all kinds of stuff, maybe not as cool. But it can be very useful and custom to your needs. My brother and I made mine and I have become very fond of it and it works well. If you look around and take your time planning it, you could come up with something migty cool, though a 9 ft bed is hard to beat, good luck with yours.

Flat Beds are cool Enough, Put some stakes sides around the sides, make it look nice. Do you have duel wheels?

I thought about the flatbed route but will probably stay with the bed, alothough its gonna be some work to fix it up

What Birge said, but hide the stake pockets inside the side rails, and fair in some jockey boxes below the deck, flush with the outer edge of the tires. You could do a thing with LED tail/stop/signal lights, but make 'em good and visible when they're working. A bumper that looks like an underbed wing would be cool as well.

Check these pictures out of a truck that sold on Ebay recently. I considered making a simialr bed for my 53 3600 (3/4 ton) Chevy truck, bud decided to put a short bed on it instead. I believe this definitely fits your "somehwta cool" request.

http://community.webshots.com/album/563669707yrPVvR?vhost=community

It is funny that you posted those pictures, months ago when that truck was up on ebay, I guess he has been trying to sell it for a while. I DL them as something to shoot for. One thing I really liked was the wheels on that truck. When I found a site that had them, for a crazy price I almost fell over. I planned on removing the Heavy duty setup on the 1 ton and either go with a clip in the front or a 1/2 ton straight axle with disc brakes. On the rear probably switch over to a lighter gear that the 5.14s that are in there now. Especially with the smaller tires I will be taxing that axle even more.