The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 3100 style bed on 3800/4100 dually?

Hi, I'm planning to buy a Stovebolt of my own soon (I prefer the 48-54 style), and while I like the looks of the 3100 rear bed and its rounded fenders, I plan to use the truck to haul real loads locally, and 1/2 or 3/4 ton isn't good enough. Looking at old sales brochures, the 3800 one-ton with the long bed might be ideal if I can find one, but there seem to be some 4100 and 3800 flat beds around with the same 137" wheelbase and duallys in the rear. So my question is: Any advice or thoughts (or even better, pictures/stories) on fabricating a bed for a dually-rear Big(ger) Bolt that uses 3100 pickup style fenders and bed sides and rear gate, but some custom sheet metal for wheel wells inside the (wider) bed, and a widened rear gate? I realize that ultimately this is just sheet-metal bending and anything is possible, but I want to think through what I might be missing in advance, and you guys are the experts on these trucks.

In addition to the general question, a specific one on dimensions:
does anyone know the inner-inner and outer-outer measurements for both the 3100 pickup single rear axle and 3800/4100 dual rear axle?

My goal here is something that looks good *and* hauls. Thanks in advance!!

I'd stick with the ready made 1 ton.

Here are a few issues... If you widen the bed it won't look right behind the cab. Running boards will be tricky to make fit and look right. Small truck rear fenders may not be big enough to fit nicely over a 20" wheel/tire.
Just sounds like a whole lot of work for something that may turn out looking kind of funny, and won't be much if any better than the 1 ton you're trying to mimic.

Grigg

Grigg, thanks for the reply. You are right about widening the bed vs. the cab. And the fender vs. 20" tire is a good point, too, though I think that could be worked around.

Just to confirm -- the outside-outside width of the wheels on the 4100 dual rear is *wider* than the single rear tires on a 3100, correct? Meaning, they stuck the extra two wheels of the dually on the 'outside' of the first two, not the 'inside'?

Given your point about cab width, there are problems either way... just curious which way ;-)

Also, what's driving this crazed (?) notion of mine is that my quick survey of the trucks-for-sale landscape suggests that '54 or '55.1 3800 longbeds are rare as hens teeth... whereas there seem to be plenty of 4100s around, at attractive prices, even if I'd need to add a bed.

You really are in for a LOT of needless work to make this thing look correct and that seems to be your big concern. I've seen folks widen the rear fenders for dual wheels but it will be off the chart both in time and costs.

Suggestion: why not fabricate the body for the correct length and get some fiberglass dually fenders somewhere and go that way or just use a dually bed. You'll pay thru the nose for it but at least it is quick. Don't forget the shortening of the wheelbase to make anything fit. More food for thought.

onohoku, you have an idea, and I know how hard it is to get rid of those crazy ideas.

But look here at Jim Carters page it has been done, or somewhat similar:
http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/blog/2010/02/1946-chevrolet-dually-1-12-ton/

I'd like myself to add a bigger pickup bed like this WITH a hoist !! When I have finished with the towing of racecars...

You are not alone, and crazy...

Is there anyone who have built anythink like in the Jim Carter link above?

The truck in that link is factory, GM built it

I've seen pictures on the net of what you're talking about but I can't seem to find them now. They widened a 9' bed out so that it was the same width as a fleetside, then put fleetside tubs in the inside so the inside dual fit under the bed and the outside dual fit in the fender. I don't remember how they did the running boards. I'll keep looking and post a link if I find it.

http://www.customclassictrucks.com/featuredvehicles/0812cct_1957_gmc_1_ton_pickup/index.html

Here's one. I know I saw a yellow one somewhere too but didn't find it yet.

P M sent

You guys are great! I got busy for a few days and came back to the thread, and look at all these ideas and links. Thanks! Basically this is exactly what I'm talking about. The Jim Carter '46 shows the top side rails of the bed (not sure what the proper term is) wider than the cab... a widened 3800 bed on a 4100 chassis would have that approximate bed/cab relationship. And the tubs for the inside wheels would work just like the '57 that jfnar linked.

Hmmm...

Check out the link below it is from our very own Gallery.
http://www.stovebolt.com/gallery/maher_shawn_1946.html
I have also found this picture.
http://image52.webshots.com/752/4/28/10/2462428100104094307uReyRl_ph.jpg
Hope these help.

Onohoku et al,

I just uploaded 5 shots I took of Jim Carter's '46 1.5-ton at Kansas City several years ago

At Macungie last year (2010) there was a '38 Chevy 1.5-ton with a similar bed, fender extensions and running board treatments. The '38 we saw, however, had small wheel wells in the bed. I just added shots of that truck, too, to the link above.

At any rate, factory dually pickups exist (but obviously not in big numbers).

Another thought is using a wrecker body or cutting down a fire truck body from the era. A while ago, there was a really nicely done GMC 2-ton in the Wheels Of Time (ATHS magazine) that had a firebody cut down to make a big pickup. Why go to all the trouble of fabricating fender extensions, running boards, etc etc when the Darley's, Seagraves and Pirsches of the world have already done it for you? There are firetrucks out there that have been outside too long and not worth restoring (firetrucks are hideously expensive to paint and restore so firetruck guys like to find them in nice shape to begin with and will pass up a weathered one, thus giving you a decent headstart on your pickup body). Same for the wreckers. We saw a Holmes unit in the junk yard last month that would make a cool dually pickup body (lots of curves).

Something to consider.

r,
John

I was thinking along the same lines for a truck project I would like to do.I would like a truck that could be used on a daily basis on a construction site.Tool boxes are important,something like this:
http://www.city-data.com/picfilesc/picc40181.php

I have no idea where I would start to look,anyone have any ideas for locating old fire trucks?I would guess that the truck I have in mind (a service body like above) wouldn't have the sexiness of a pumper that a collector might desire.

Finding two particular pieces of the bed are going to be difficult: the 9 foot bedsides and the 1 ton fenders, despite trucks being plentiful. They often sold as cab and chassis models to farmers.

Take note that the '46 cab is not as wide as the AD cabs, and thus the rolled top edge of the bedside would not look the same as J. Carter's.

For my prospective bed, I have a gutted 51 1-Ton Panel that I mercifully saved from the scrap metal yard. I will be converting it to a Fleetside bed for my '51 Chevy 3800. It still has a little bit of flare for that rear fender look. It clearly wouldn't work for a dually without modification to the inner wheel tubs as mentioned was done for the custom beds posted above.