The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed 37' Chevy 1/2 ton pu bed

Does someone have an exploded view or pictures of how a 37' Chevy 1/2 ton bed goes together? I inherited one all in parts. This is driving me nuts. I have the manuals but they do not show much. Help would be appreciated. Thanks.

check at MarK, aside from these tips, should be some drawings in their catalog

46 JD, what part is giving you trouble? I have a '36 pickup that might be similar enough to show where stuff goes.

I've owned this pickup since 1965 and the bed is all original except for the tailgate that I made from sheet metal and tubing copying the original and the panel below the tailgate bent to shape for me by a friend in a sheet metal shop back in 1967.

..the way I did it. First I assembled the 4 sides. The front panel is bolted to the sides with the nuts to the inside. Then I put the LAST rear cross piece in. Then I made my wooden blocks which if I remember is 2 1/4" high. I set the bed on the chassis putting the wood blocks under the front cross sill. After I got the 4 coners "located" i then started on the other cross sills and boards. I'm sure Bill's advice to check out Mar-K is a good one. I did not have anything to by in the late 90's so I'll stop here before I tell you something wrong......

Thanks Yar,
I know nothing about this project and am not a puzzle person. I have 4 small wood blocks and 2 big blocks.
where do they go? are the sides framed up before the wood is put in? I really do not know enough to even know where to start. I love frustration!!!
any pics of the underside of the box might help my brain to click into gear.
Thanks!!

The taller blocks go at the rear ( bed boards rest directly on them ) The shorter blocks go at front corners, and under cross sill that is about 16" ? in from rear cross sill. Go to Mar-K's site. They have all sorts of info. and drawings of how this goes together.

46 JD, I'll take some pictures of the underside of my '36 Chevy pickup bed. I have no computer skills so I don't know how to post photos other than in an email.

What is your email address? Mine is [email protected].

I don't get why people buy the wood parts for the truck beds from an aftermarket supplier. They are simply strips of wood ripped to the correct width with the tops of the edges undercut to create a recess to flush mount the metal strips.

The wood is available from a variety of local sources allowing each piece to be selected for straightness and appearance saving shipping costs and the trimming is a simple table saw job. Shipping big stuff is really expensive.

When I did that job it took only the skills I learned in junior high school woodshop. It's nothing like the complicated wood frame inside my '36 Chevy pickup cab. That project required some serious bandsaw and shaper work.

Thanks Yar,
Send the photos to [email protected]
What did you finish your bed wood with? The wood is new and unfinished and still bundled since dad got it 15 years ago.
Thanks

46 JD, I will snap some photos in the late afternoon when the sun is shining directly into the garage because it's pretty dark looking up at the bottom of a pickup box.

I did my restoration in the early 70s and even if I weren't an old fart with a fading memory I probably wouldn't remember what finish I used. There is some great stuff now that is fast drying and durable as well as the old standby for outdoor finishes, spar varnish, in a variety of glosses to suit your preference.

I'm no professionaL woodworker but I have found that the smoother the wood is sanded before applying the finish the more the subtle grain patterns show making the wood, in my opinion, more beautiful. I use progressively finer grits ending up with 220 when I want a really nice grain pattern to show.

46 JD:
There are lots of helpful instructions on our installation information page. However, here are some specific ones that may help:

Wood Finish Testing Information I -Test to evaluate how well various wood finish products will last when exposed to outdoor use. Original wood bed testing article in 2004
Wood Finish Testing Information II - Test to evaluate how well various wood finish products will last when exposed to outdoor use. New test beginning July 2005
http://www.mar-k.com/wood_finish_testing_ii.html

Bed Mounting Information for GM Stepside and Ford Flareside Trucks
http://www.mar-k.com/bed_mounting_information.pdf

General bed parts installation: http://www.mar-k.com/bed_parts_installation.html

Hope these help. But there are many more on our website's installation page at: http://www.mar-k.com/installation_hints.html

46 JDGreene, I sent some photos of the pickup bed supports to your email address. They are simple wood blocks that can be precisely cut using only a chop saw and a drill press to drill for the bed hold-down bolts.

If your bed sides, front panel and tail gate are not too bad they can be made perfecly flat by shrinking the dents out of the metal. My tailgate was too far gone for that so I made a new one from 16 gauge sheet metal and steel tubing for the top and bottom. Mig welding equipment didn't exist long ago when I did that job so I used tig, a much slower welding process. With mig, making the tailgate would be a quick welding project once the sheet metal is bent into shape. Anyone with a sheet metal brake can do the bends.

If you'd like to see how that turned out before you invest in expensive repops I'd be glad to send you some photos.

Ray Waldbaum [email protected]

"How To Restore Your Chevrolet Pickup" Brownwell, has an amazing section of Pickup box restoration and rebuild. just saying.

46JDgreen, sent you a private message. Bill