The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Fleetside bed for 51 truck

I am curious as to whether anyone has ever traded a late model longbed onto a early model truck. I have a longbed 1 ton truck and want to put a fleetside box on the back. It used to have an old sheep pen on it, 7 foot by 9 foot. You know. Farm Truck. My difficulty is finding a truck box that covers all 9 feet of frame rail.

It would look very weird, since the styling is completley different. There's also an issue with the length, other than the '69-'72 Longhorn (8.5'), the longest Fleetside is only 8'. Yo should be able to get an original 9' Stepside box, check with the guys that cut their 1 tons down to 1/2 ton wheelbases. The bedsides are also available new from Mar-K.
Another option, if you want a Fleetside look, might be to find a Studebaker bed. They're similar in general shape to the AD trucks, and might work with tweeking.

I'm trying to go for a paneltruck look without the top. Just need a box about the right size to start with.

I see. The Studebaker bed, or if you're lucky enough to find one, a Canopy Express (basicaly, a Panel with open sides) is about as close as you'll get and still match the '51s body lines. Another option might be to check the salvage yards for a Panel, and get the parts you need. I almost did that myself with a Task Force 1 ton Panel that was missin pretty much everyhting from the cowl forward.

Thanks to a fellow bolter nearby, I may have found a donor panel truck. Also a 1951 1 Ton! Things are looking up!

So I bought me a 51 1 Ton Panel Truck for parts. I may be venturing into new territory by building a Fleetside style bed for my 51. The only trouble I'm having is finding a tailgate to fit into the opening left behind by the barn doors. [Shout out to beast54 for hooking me up. He wanted the doors, and I gave them away as a finder's fee!]

The current space for the tailgate (any modern one will do) is 52 1/2" wide by 18" tall. Anybody know what trucks' tailgate might be that size? Preferebly Chevy.

Dave, just wondering how this project is going, I would like to do the same on my 48 GMC 1 ton Dually, have located but not purchased yet a 49 1 ton suburban donor. Any pic's you can post or p/m to me? thanks

Please post pictures of that 1-ton suburban donor. They are about a rare as hens' teeth.

Wow. Forgot I had even started this thread.
1Plowboy, I'm with Tim. I'd love to see some pics of that 1-Ton Suburban!

So here's an update.
From thorough investigation and planning and sketches of what I wanted to do with my donor panel truck, I determined the cancerous rust was too much in critical areas. I stripped the panel truck of all its good parts and converted the rust-laden shell to a few coins in my pocket. I decided to go with a flat bed design, since finding another suitable donor panel truck was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack.

For those interested in the potential of the project idea, I think I would recommend a panel truck with barn doors and adapting a lower clam shell door from a suburban of matching year/style, thus giving you a tailgate. Perhaps someone would try this with a 3100. I could see getting accommodating parts more achievable. You would of course have to fabricate a front panel and bed sill for the bed, but everything else would be there.

Sorry about my bad joke. There were no 47-55 Advance-Design Suburbans.

There were 1-ton Panel and Canopy Express trucks that could be butchered (cut up) in an attempt to make an interesting "fleet-side" bed. Might as well look for a 1-ton donor panel body with an end-gate. The bottom piece might be convertible to a pick-up's "tail gate".

If anyone undertakes/attempts this type of project, please post before/during/after photos of your efforts (no matter what you end up with).

Someone did this already with a 1/2 ton...

http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/blog/index.php/2012/05/1947-1955-chevrolet-panel-pickup