1951 F16

[kb426]

Last night I looked at pics to see what others had come up with. Lots of repeats as you all know. However, at some point, you have to decide f you like the original looks enough to retain them. I did rule out a cameo side because of cab width. You would have to start out with a 57 or newer to have enough cab width to go slab side. Having a bed narrower than the cab is usually all right. Wider than the cab looks like a bad marriage ready to fail. I notice several had used 55 fenders on their bed. I'm sure that was from the lack of availability of original fenders in the past. It's not a bad look but once again, are you trying to keep the original look or not. The one use of 55 fenders that I have seen that was really good was on a 1950 Dodge. Their original fenders look like trailer fenders. I looked at grille pics also. I had contemplated leaving the teeth off of the grille bar. I found a pic of that. It made it look like an International of the same era. Not doing that. I had thought about the angled headlights from the Chryslers that were popular back in the 60's. Lots to think about.

[idrivejunk]

Last night I did this image and others including a pic edit, to explain myself. Wasn't impressed with how it ended up and I doubted that anyone could grasp the concept, but it evolved a bit. My thoughts were directed at purchasing as few new bed parts as possible and modifying sparingly. Knowing nobody would bite at using car fenders mounted on bedsides that are out farther but under the stock rail.

This uses stock everything but adds the rounded bedside contour by allowing the stock fender to pass under the 10th gen F150 bedside sections. Forming a lip around the fender opening is the only trickyish part, the rest is bending straight bends more where they already exist. The ends would butt up to the stake pockets with pie cuts and bent tabs and the opening lip could be made that way too. Distance / angle of rounded bedside panel from flat one could be adjusted for the best look. The result is subtle enough to not detract from 51 identity, in my opinion, but adds intrigue. Whether it would be good looking is not only subjective but also difficult to discern in 2D.

What I mainly don't want to do is clutter your thread. But it would be fun to play with grilles. Still, believe it or not.  Let me know if the art department can do anything to help you and know that I am happy to assist within reason. Your interest in my work projects has always been appreciated and if a helping mind is wanted, offering what I can would be my pleasure.

Plug welds along the newly altered top and bottom bends are assumed here:



I doubt that the suggestion is a keeper but I share the desire to seek the unique.

[kb426]

When you mentioned the f150 side, my thought was to wrap it over the bed rail and gain about 4 " of width per side. It would need curvature to avoid looking like I double walled the sides with flat sheet metal. The end result would be similar to the older Stude bed. Time to digest.

[idrivejunk]

Alteration of the rolled bed rails' angle (the flat part) might not carry a big visual penalty if height is retained. I wonder if theres a way to use any of the flat top rail styles at all, and look at home.

Reckon I ought to surf up Stude trucks for a peek. I know they were made using car cabins, so to speak.

No, that was not an attempt at poetry. Just turn your head if you must belch, please.  

Study hard.  Throw yourself a curveball and scope out old foreign truck beds too. Ya never know where inspiration will greet you.

[kb426]

Chevy stepsides after 1955 have flat bed rails. I had considered using them to make it easier to fit a bed cover. After finally getting a cover on the 51 and seeing how much happier I was with the usefulness of it, I wish I would have done it 3 years earlier.
I ordered some used parts off ebay. A positrac carrier and a mark 8 rack and pinion. I disassembled the carrier and it all looks good. It was packaged well with no surprises. The rack and pinion came from Wisconsin at a salvage yard. It wasn't packaged the best. The 2 transfer lines were both broke at the fittings from shipping damage. You guys in the rust belt know the rest of the story. The steel lines were rusty so it might not have taken much to break them. I notified the shipper late friday of the damage. I'm not anticipating an problems over that. I sent them pics of the damage and the oil all over the package to show the end result of what transpired. Whether I use the mark 8 irs or the crown vic rear that would have to be narrowed, neither were posi's so that can be rectified. The outer spider gears will require some machine work for the retaining clips if used on the mark 8. I have enough tooling that it shouldn't present a problem.

[jaybee]

That seems like a good idea to me. Put just enough contour onto the bed side to take away the flat side. Just my opinion, not my truck, but IMO the flat rather than flared top to the bed will be more aesthetically pleasing as well as making it easier to put on a cover. The trick is in how much "old" to show on the outside.

[GPster]

A simple thought. How long a bed are you thinking about? As easy as you seem to be coming up with these vehicles, Find the backs of two (or more) of those cabs and use them as the front and back of the bed. Use the back side of one cab as the inside of the front of the bed so that the cab and bed curves are roughly paralell (I still can't spell that). Then fill in between the two cab backs with metal for the desired length and decide if you want to graft some fenders into the sides for the "SPLASH" look or if you just want to cut some style of wheel openings into the bare sides of the bed. That would give you something that matched the curved of the side of the cab. GPster

[kb426]

That's an interesting take, Joe. However, I have exhausted the supply of these trucks in my part of the world. There are a few left but most are not buyable by someone like me. A restorer might get them.

[kb426]

O&S was in low gear this afternoon. I brought the crown vic suspension in for a little exercise. You know that bending and twisting is supposed to be good exercise for us old guys. The disassembly went pretty smooth except for one of the coilover bolts. I sure was glad I wasn't a mechanic working on flat rate on that one. The other side I was able to knock out with a sledge and brass drift. I beat on the other side some and the sound of it didn't even change. Time for a new plan. This was the 1st time to use the H.F. press for something really stuck. That bolt made some noise when it turned loose. I have measured the crossmember about every way I could think of. I removed all the casting flash and anything that will be in the way of clamping it for welding. I decided to wait until tomorrow to cut it incase I have any other thoughts about this. Where the unit bolts to the frame is flat so I'm going to use that to clamp tubing to it to hold it straight. The bottom and top of the casting are flat also so it will make it relatively simple to clamp for welding. Because this came from a car without oil leaks, I'm not anticipating any problems with contamination.

[enjenjo]

I had a thought today. Years ago I built a model of a 56 F100 and used a 63 Ford F100 long wide bed. I pinched the front of the bed in to match the back of the cab so it was tapered from front to back, with the rear tires in the stock 63 wheel openings. It looked  pretty cool to me, I'll have to see if it's still around here. It worked fine in 1/25 scale.

[enjenjo]

Does your F6 have electric wipers? It was kind of common back in the day. I have had a F1 and parted out an F6 with factory electric wipers. Made by American Bosch.

[idrivejunk]

63 Furd long wide bed model? Why would anyone make a long bed model? :?

Everything about the 56 seems wider. Which reminds me of a joke. Why do cowboys roll up the sides of their hat brims?

I think 51 was the first year wipers were standard equipment but vacuum or electric and such is KB territory.

He just mentioned a leak free car though. I thought those were just an urban legend.

[kb426]

It has electric wipers. There's only one wire attached to it so non-functioning would be correct. Does anyone know if there's a 12 volt retrofit motor for it?

[enjenjo]

It has electric wipers. There's only one wire attached to it so non-functioning would be correct. Does anyone know if there's a 12 volt retrofit motor for it?

Yes, Newport makes a system for it. When you order it make sure you mention it has factory electric wipers. The holes for the transmissions are in a different place for electric than for vacuum.

I converted mine to run on 12 volt with a Runtz resistor.

[kb426]

Frank, I meant just to replace the motor. I have the Newport system in the F1.