The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Panels 'N Burbs 1946 Panel Truck Floor Wood Kit Replacement Help

I haven't found much out there for replacing the wood and metal trim pieces for the floor of this panel, and the correct replacement for it. Does anyone have any experience, resources, and leads on getting a replacement kit for this? Mine is a 3/4 ton panel. What is installed now is not correct and in need of replacement.

No experience with the 46's but maybe this will help.

First off is your floor ONE piece plywood or is it boards?? (My52 is one piece plywood but I don't think yours is)
If so, the plywood can be special ordered as bigger than 4/8.
I do not know of a kit for what you want even though I know they have kits for pickups.
I'd suggest calling Mar-K. They're known for their quality and American made! They can probably help with the "placement". Give them a call and let them know your a stovebolter. If they can help they will..... or you may also post in the section for truck bed section and someone from Mar-K may chime in. They keep a check there.

Not sure which metal trim pieces your looking for but if its the metal strips to go in the floor I feel sure you can get those. Again, I refer you to Mar-K.... but you could also make a few calls to other vendors which are listed in the Links section here on the bolt.
If its specific trim pieces you may try the Parts Wanted Forum in the Swap Meet section.

Good luck. I love the windows on the back doors of the art deco style....hopefully something I've said will help?

Hello,
I have a 46 with the original floor and they are seperate. The trim looks just like what would go in the bed of a pick up. You can find that many different places. (Pro's Picks or any after market truck bed company). The metal peices are going to be more difficult if you're talking seat pockets? I have not seen those? Could try Jim Carters?

Russ Sweet

I have a 46 Suburban. The strips are the same as a pickup however you may need the long bed strips.

I had my wood cut locally at a wood shop. Let me know if you need dimensions.

Dave Murray/[email protected]

I have the floor torn out of my 1 Ton panel and a few of the corner strips. I believe yours has the same length as mine. I am probably going to make all the wood to replace the original. Some of my corner strips are rotten as well as the tops of the wheel wells. The length of the wood is slightly longer than anything I have found that is readily available, so if you are going to do it as an original, they have to be custom made.The same goes for the hold down strips.

I am contemplating doing a tounge and groove floor, as yet undecided. I have a short thread on this in the bed forum.

When you have your floor out, it is a good time to fix anything exposed, like the wheel wells, interior panels and even the rear end.

Thank you all for your answers. The wood and strips in my panel can be salvaged but will need lots of work, nothing a good sander can't solve. The wood seems to be pine and in need sanding/stain/varnish, and the strips are rusted but can be saved. I thought maybe a kit was out there to replace it and save me all the work.

Yes, I will be cleaning up the undercarriage/frame once I remove the bed wood.

My bed wood is 97" long x 7-3/4" wide, and there are 7 boards across the floor. The rear wheel wells extend into each of the boards along the sides slightly. Not sure if the dimensions described is compatible to a long-bed pickup kit. Seems that kits are only available for truck beds through Mar-K, Jim Carters, and Chev's of the 40's, otherwise I'm looking at a custom replacement. Those places aren't certain it is a replacement. I don't want to order a truck bed kit unless I know it is the same as what I have.

I'm leaning toward restoring what I have. Seems to be less of a hassle. Anybody know what is correct for the stain/color for the wood and the metal strips so it will have a period look to it?

When you get the bed out, you can get a good check on the dimensions and see if something is compatible. The Mar k site says they will do special orders and have an online form for it. I can't believe it would be too much of a stretch for them to do a custom set for you.

The wood is probably southern yellow pine. If it is not cracked or split a clean up could work. I would try a good stripper or a power washer to get the junk off. Sand after you get to bare wood, you don't want to shrink the thickness of the wood.

When I took mine out I drilled through the top of any carriage bolt that would not break loose and drove out the shaft with a punch. Try not to destroy the corner strips. You can slide the board out after removing the bolts. There are some offset washers they you should save as well. As far as the finish goes,I don't know what came from the factory, but you can do whatever you like, depending on how the wood looks after you clean it up. I was thinking of painting or undercoating the bottom side when I build mine.

I love that you ask this question. This Thanksgiving I visited my parents bringing the wood pieces from my 1949 1/2 ton panel. We searched the woods and found a popular tree broken at top from last winter storm, we cut it and had slabs sliced from it. After a few years it will be cured and hopefully I will be ready for the perfect fit pieces my Dad will make from slabs. The color of wood looks very pretty already at Christmas visit.

49,

You should check the properties of poplar. It is not that widely used for exterior use.

http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/a...ts-magazine/yellow_poplar_127776148.html

Hello,
I made my own wood bed kit. I went to the local lumber yard and picked up Epi. Very tough stuff and looks great! It wasn't hard do either! I used this in my 35 Chevy truck that in my picture. I also used the Wow strips from pros picks.

Russ Sweet