51 Ford

[kb426]

Too bad for the chevelle guy. That had to have hurt. The teardrops you have on the bed rails are what is most common. They're ok but: if we need to be innovative, that won't work.

[idrivejunk]

Lets call this average then. Everyone will be too busy eyeing the pan to even notice the rest is how I'll justify the blandness.



I'm gonna bond but weld the screw holes. One tub tacked-




Grey GTX shot-

[idrivejunk]

[kb426]

Tubs are coming along nicely.

[idrivejunk]

Thanks. One down. Just. You were right about the 16 ga not being very fussy. Its rare that I have the pleasure of welding new 16 to new 16. I can see my instinct to use a notch more heat will be gooder for the other side. Satisfied with this one and done. Only about 20 minutes planishing. Thought I'd get started on the other side but was pulled into discussions. Soon as the right side is done, we'll spot-epoxy bed sides plus inside the rails, end caps, and fillers. In preparation for attaching those. Plus inside stake pockets and those shave patches.



Also in that ^^^ pic can be seen how the floor brace is trimmed away where it stuck out into the tub. Same on front brace. We're looking at 13" wheel width, 6" back space, 28" tall tire. Plenty o' room.

This metal was pretty forgiving. I've welded a bit of 16 ga hot roll and its a mess but cold rolled is nice. Welding the length of the bed twice would have been pushing my luck on the fillers plus doing it that way could rust inside boxed rails.

[kb426]

I'd be happy to have that result on the tub.

[idrivejunk]

I prepared carefully and did not get greedy once... and in the words of Mc Cloud : There ya go.  

[idrivejunk]

Embarking-



A and F1 tails are close enough to same size for mockup.





That one is a very bellmouthed and offset exhaust tip instead of bumper. This one has an indication of the bottom edge and the vertical metal strip shows the bumpout of the pan flush with gate-

[kb426]

I'm glad you're working on the rear now.

[idrivejunk]

Yessir. Fender widening ought to be done after seeing proper meats under it. Alas, logjam at the decision mill affecting pretty much everything remaining. I may just make a blind pan to coax / prod / urge things along. All the fuel we've poured on the styling fire has been a dud and here we are, tools in hand, at the ready.

:?: Hey are you using one piece glass? :?:

[idrivejunk]

Another cherry mint with KS plate-



I liked the penetration better on this side. A notch more zots, half a freckle more wire, and a fly size gap rather'n gnat.











I gotta finish up the corners and trim the braces and planish everything. Had to weld up all ten fender holes this side, that was a bonus. Glad I stopped at two on other side. Pulled my template off the old bed. No good. Bonus.

[idrivejunk]

Forgot the more revealing shot. No planishing yet-

[idrivejunk]

I have one bedside outside plus parts ready for epoxy-

[kb426]

I think that bed rail will be neat.

[idrivejunk]

REALLY? Honest and for true? Gosh!





I'm glad. Makes about as much sense to me as skid plates on running boards. This is a low truck not high, and the rail mod is invisible unless squatting or maybe driving a Miata.

The owner now wants the bed front and side panels welded together so the bolts shown at top can be eliminated. So I extended the filler there, chopping off the only labor-invested area of it.

If the boxed bed rail is a common mod, I'd like to know how others have done it.

I've concluded that making a featureless roll pan with the intent of throwing it away is the best course of action for back there. Because it will go like the rail filler did.

Since we are going with stock round tail lights, I think custom slot shaped exhaust tips rather than bumperettes is the way to go.

I have a wierd mirror question that I think I'll need to illustrate and make a thread on. Meanwhile... anybody done or seen a one piece door glass conversion and / or have thoughts on them on these 50s F-trucks?