The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Advance Design 1/2 tons pickups did they all......

have shortbeds or were there longbeds too? I am buying a bed cover and think that all were shortbeds? Yes?

No, there are three bed lengths each year and two difference series of beds.

Advance Design is just Chevrolet, GMC was called New Design. That's part of this because GMC made a long box 1/2-ton while Chevrolet never did. Your question is specific to Chevy but should be understood in that larger pricture.

'47 to '53 both manufacturers used one set of beds, starting in '54 both used another.

You need to know which truck you are dealing with to get the right dimension. For Chevrolet truck size and bed length go together. A 1/2-ton is always a short box, a 3/4-ton is always a long box, and a 1-ton if it has a box is a 9-foot box.

Thanks, I have a 1948 1/2 ton Chevrolet, so all of those are shortbeds. Thanks. Parts girl asked me if I had short bed or long bed kind of threw me. I don't want to spend that kind of money and get the wrong size shipped to me and have to return it.
Thanks,
Mike

So any ideas were to get GMC New design Bed Parts? I have a '52 GMC 1/2 ton Longbed and would like to replace it with a new box.

Mar-K has very good quality parts. That's where I got my new front bed panel. I would guess that Jim Carters parts are just as good but I haven't used them for metal parts yet.

Mar-K.....good prices.. Made in the USA...good customer service.. a bolter on board here and extremely good packaging. Have fun and good luck
Dan

Absolutely Mar-K, I've seen and worked with a half dozen complete replacement beds and they are truly a work of art, a real bargan and a pleasure to have a company that is giving you what you expect at a reasonable price. To top it all off they're made right here in the middle of the good old US of A by American workers.
If you've followed the Bolt for any length of time you know I don't give a passing grade to many reproduction vendors, but this one gets an A+ in my book.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

So if I have a '49 3600 w/ 6-lug axles and a shortbed, what does that mean? Is that special order or something, or do you think that someone cut the frame and rigged a shortbed onto it? I don't know too much about Advance Design trucks, I mostly work on 1973-1987 Chevys.

Sounds like someone put a 3/4-ton hood on a 1/2-ton pickup.

So half-tons in '49 were 6 lugs? I didn't know that. Thanks.

Every 1/2 ton was 6 lug till 1971.