The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed 1951 mid year change from 9 to 8 boards in bed

Hi, I was wondering how i tell if my bed holds 8 or 9 boards based on the VIN. Or is there a bed measurement I can take that will let me know? Currently the only thing in my bed are the angled pieces of metal that are on the sides and attached to the sides. Thanks, GREAT WEBSITE!!!

Do you have the cross sills from side to side? Each bed floor divider piece was bolted to them, so just count the holes side to side and you can determine how many boards were there.

Refer to the Mar-k website.

What if all that stuff is missing, like mine?
Is there a date when they changed?

The front panel and rear cross sill has corresponding holes too. If it is all missing then you can use whichever one you want.

Just to be a smartalek, I'll say the date was June 30, 1951.

I think mine was made July 1, 1951, but I don't have cross sills, so I will make it a 9 board bed!! Thanks for the info!

I was just being stupid above. There were different plants across the country and they probably used up all the old stuff before switching at each plant, so it would be hard to know exactly when the switch occurred for your truck.

The front bed panel has the same hole pattern along with the piece at the bottom of the tailgate that ties the two sides together.

You could mix the two, but it is not an easy thing to deal with if you want a stock looking bed.

FGT has it right about ". . . the piece at the bottom of the tailgate that ties the two sides together." It has holes for 7 strips or 8 strips (for 8 or 9 boards):

47-51 9 board rear cross bed still with your bed?

51-53 8 board rear cross bed sill

Do you have the rear sill (the rear piece that connects the bed-sides)?

Mine was built in Feb 51 and had 9 boards.