51 B3B build thread - after all these years

[Dave72dt]

This one has been redone 3 times.  The right side has a flaw in it and will be redone again.

[David A.]

I feel your pain. I spent several months working on my bed sides trying to get them as straight as possible. Mine were also stretched badly and bowed. I tried using heat and jacks but never could get them to straighten out. I finally took them to a custom car shop that had a frame machine. They used that and a torch and got them pretty straight. It still took me a long time to get all the waves and dings out even after that. 
it just takes a LOT of time and patience. 

[bkahler]

On 4/19/2023 at 1:09 PM, Dave72dt said:

You may be able to find one to look at it.  It'll be harder to find one willing to work on it.  The sides are really hard to straighten.  The embossed patterns add a lot of strength and when stretched are difficult to shrink back and then add the in the thicker gauge metal and that the panel's appearance on the outside directly relates to the panel's appearance on the inside means fillers must be at an absolute minimum.  The top rail is also not going to willingly go straight with the curled edge.  I've driven sections of pipe or solid bar down through that rolled edge to use as a dolly for working out dings and a sacrificial pipe can be left to help straighten a bowed flare edge.   Hours upon hours may be required to work the sides flat.  To top it off, standard box color is black.

 

This box alone took as long as doing all the metal forward of the box.  It's close.

 

Geez, you're doing a darn good job of making me feel jealous.... 

 

That panel looks absolutely great!  

 

I realize finding a good panel beater shop is going to be difficult.  I don't live near a large, populated area where the odds would be better in finding a shop.  I know the owner of a local all service repair shop is also a member of an antique car club so I'm thinking of contacting him for suggestions.  

 

I took a closer look last night at the top tube and it has a gentle banana shape to it, probably no more than an 1/8" to 3/16" out in the center.  The side wall itself is what has taken the most beating.  If I remember correctly the tube itself has no real dings or dents.  I think it just warped due to the excessive side loads.  I'm not sure why the passenger side didn't suffer like the drivers, side but I guess shouldn't complain since I on only have to fix one instead of two panels.

 

 

 

 

[bkahler]

On 4/19/2023 at 1:18 PM, Dave72dt said:

This one has been redone 3 times.  The right side has a flaw in it and will be redone again.

 

If you think that panel has a flaw in it, I'd be happy to take it off your hands

 

[bkahler]

16 hours ago, David A. said:

I feel your pain. I spent several months working on my bed sides trying to get them as straight as possible. Mine were also stretched badly and bowed. I tried using heat and jacks but never could get them to straighten out. I finally took them to a custom car shop that had a frame machine. They used that and a torch and got them pretty straight. It still took me a long time to get all the waves and dings out even after that. 
it just takes a LOT of time and patience. 

 

Unfortunately, I don't really have a lot of time or patience to be honest.  If I can find someone that can do a 10-foot job on it I'd be happy.  

[bkahler]

On 4/19/2023 at 12:50 PM, Los_Control said:

Never know, you might take a swing at it .... might come out better then expected.

 

 

I can pretty much guarantee the outcome would be worse than expected!  I make for a passable mechanic most of the time, but I do know my limitations and bodywork is one of them 

[Los_Control]

For giggles, sometimes it pays to buy spare parts.

This was posted on Facebook 5 hours ago .... $200 for everything ..... + shipping .... or located in PA.

Just 1 decent side bed If you need it, or pay a panel beater 6 times that?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/618593728345382/permalink/2100515440153196/

 

 

I saw this thing for sale 5 years ago for $200 & bought it .... Thinking I might need spare parts like suspension, brake drums ... might be fun to have a matching trailer to pull behind my truck .... today I have no plans for it.

It is pretty straight & has a decent tailgate. .... It is not roadworthy, sure is a pile of spare parts though.

 

I would bet a nickel, your truck being used to haul grain. It was always backed up to the grain pile & loaded by a tractor with a bucket.

Then the operator would bump the bed side to get all the grain to fall out of the bucket.

 

Would they then drive out to the field, open the door on the tailgate & leave a trail for the cattle to come eat?

 

 

 

 

Edited April 21, 2023 by Los_Control

[bkahler]

On 4/21/2023 at 2:14 PM, Los_Control said:

For giggles, sometimes it pays to buy spare parts.

This was posted on Facebook 5 hours ago .... $200 for everything ..... + shipping .... or located in PA.

Just 1 decent side bed If you need it, or pay a panel beater 6 times that?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/618593728345382/permalink/2100515440153196/

 

I'm not on FB so I had a friend look at the listing and he did some research.  Apparently, the sellers name is Joshua Favinger and is active on several Dodge forums.  I wouldn't mind contacting the guy to get a better idea of what condition of the drivers side panel is.  I'm not opposed to replacing the panel if the cost and added hassle of driving to Eastern PA and back can be justified.

 

 

On 4/21/2023 at 2:14 PM, Los_Control said:

 

I saw this thing for sale 5 years ago for $200 & bought it .... Thinking I might need spare parts like suspension, brake drums ... might be fun to have a matching trailer to pull behind my truck .... today I have no plans for it.

It is pretty straight & has a decent tailgate. .... It is not roadworthy, sure is a pile of spare parts though.

 

 

Dang, I wish that trailer was here in Kentucky!

 

On 4/21/2023 at 2:14 PM, Los_Control said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 4/21/2023 at 2:14 PM, Los_Control said:

I would bet a nickel, your truck being used to haul grain. It was always backed up to the grain pile & loaded by a tractor with a bucket.

Then the operator would bump the bed side to get all the grain to fall out of the bucket.

 

Would they then drive out to the field, open the door on the tailgate & leave a trail for the cattle to come eat?

Your explanation makes sense.  The truck lived most of its life in Idaho and I'm sure was mostly out in a field somewhere feeding cattle.

 

[Los_Control]

Here is a photo of it if you did not see it.

Looks like they had some sort of tie downs installed so there are extra holes to weld up .... pretty simple to fix.

Paint looks pretty rough, will take lots of sanding & prep. .... To be expected.

It needs work, from photo it looks pretty straight. Possibly your painter could take care of the repairs.

 

Just now, bkahler said:

Dang, I wish that trailer was here in Kentucky!

I see your location as Richmond, I was thinking VA .... a little closer then Kentucky.

 

 

Just now, bkahler said:

I'm not on FB so I had a friend look at the listing and he did some research. 

I'm not a big fan of facebook .... I use it mainly for marketplace. I did buy my truck from FB marketplace.

I have bought parts from a seller who advertises on FB ..... Just another tool in the tool box for these old trucks.

 

There is a seller named Douglas Crozier who I have bought from .... he ships everything.

Probably have to ship it through fastenal. Is it worth it? I dunno, He would know because it is his business.

 

I see DCM sells new low side bed sides for $800 each .... maybe someone sells the standard beds?

 

[bkahler]

Progress is being made on getting the cab painted.  No estimate yet as to when it will be done...

 

 

[bkahler]

Only thing happening on the truck lately is prepping the cab for painting.  I stopped by last weekend to take a peek and while he's progressed some it's still a few weeks away from being painted.  In the meantime, I'm concentrating on getting a few other projects done or at least farther along.  

 

Brad

[Los_Control]

Wow that is awesome, I guess I misunderstood, I thought it was going to the body man to get reassembled.

I knew some of the bed or fenders still needed some work or paint ...... My bad.

 

I have a acquaintance .... He owns the house next door & his daughter lives there. He lives around the corner.

He is a mechanic for the best shop in our little town, he turns out show quality paint work at home.

He always has a customer car being worked on & sometimes one in line to be next.

 

His current project is some 50's Oldsmobile been there for 3 months waiting to be next, finally has all the glass out & in sealer .... might be 4 months before it drives away finished .... It will be beautiful ..... just takes time.

 

 

[bkahler]

About time for a quick update.  The cab painting is just about done.  After buffing, a spot or two was found that needed to be touched up so that means another week or two before I get to bring the truck home.

 

I've been shopping around for replacement bed panels with no luck.  The one guy on face book that sounded promising ended up ghosting me.  Not sure why people do that, I guess it's just an indicator of how pathetic people can get.

 

With all the issues in trying to find replacement panels, my painter suggested making the truck into a flat bed.  That got me to thinking, does anyone have pictures of B3 1/2 ton trucks that are flat beds?  I'd like to see what it would look like. 

 

I would actually find a flat bed more useful than a high side bed.  It's something to consider anyway 

 

Brad

[Los_Control]

I'm a fan of flatbeds, done right they look pretty sharp and very useful.

I like several things with this one. I like that it has fenders, these are not stock for a 41 chebby but they look pretty close to our stock fenders.

I like the idea of hanging storage/tool boxes underneath. Think I would prefer black painted boxes .... just me.

 

While it would take some fabrication to use your stock fenders, you could use your running boards all the way to the fender as designed. ...... Possibly use the bottom 1/2 of your existing bed sides? Just looks clean to me with having it boxed in under the bed ... you cant see under the truck.

 

No idea what wood is being used here. You could use pine & stain it to get the color you want .... I like this color.

Then use penofin oil on it for protection.

Parked out in the driveway for a few months would look dull & crappy. Just use a rag & wipe on more oil.

Wipe it right over the hardware no masking. Get some on the paint just use a clean rag & wipe it off.

Same product is used for outdoor decks & wood .... let it dry a few hours and can sit on it without it rubbing on your clothes or hands. ..... 15 or 20 minutes you can do the whole bed & look like new. A extra chore but a easy one.

Hauling furniture & put a gouge in the wood, wipe on some stain then oil. Gouge will still be there but will be camouflaged with the new finish & disappear ..... Easy to maintain.

 

https://www.streetsideclassics.com/vehicles/3351-nsh/1941-chevrolet-pickup

 

 

 

 

[bkahler]

Los, that flatbed design is the style that I like as well.  I don't care for having the view under the bed wide open.  

 

Using the existing side panels cut down to the appropriate height would be a great way to achieve the hidden look as well as using the fenders.

 

You've given me something to think about

 

Brad

[Los_Control]

Just another idea. I'm thinking the fenders on that truck are trailer fenders.

This photo is from tractor supply, they sell for $100. They are smaller/shorter then the original fenders.

The height of the fender would set the location of the height of the bed.

 

So if the factory fenders are too tall & would look goofy ... you can use trailer fenders & drop it a few inches.

 

 

Random photo from FB. You can see how tall the fenders sit. Probably too high to put a bed over them.

 

You could cut 3"  from the sides of the fenders & weld them back together to fit the fender lower & tighter over the tire.

I'm not a good enough fabricator to know what would happen to the profile of the radius if you tried to section the fender. ..... Could turn into a mess. Or need to rebuild the radius also.

Might be easier to just start with new trailer fenders. They look good on the flatbed truck pictured above.

Edited August 9, 2023 by Los_Control

[Dave72dt]

If going with the stake bed look, have a metal shop bend up some sheet metal to hang below the stake bed instead of cutting up a high side. No one is stamping the 6' long high sides as far as I know. They wouldn't be large pieces since the fender would split the length up, would be a clean look and a hole saw would give access to the grease fittings on the spring hangers.

 

New low side bed panels are available as well as low side and high side stake pockets so there are some options out there

[Los_Control]

@Dave72dt I agree with you 100%, problem is @bkahler bed sides are in such poor shape ... upper rail bent bad enough just not worth trying to fix them ..... old farm truck loaded from the side for decades with a loader.

So cutting the top off of them would not be any loss to the Mopar world. .... Reusing the bottoms would be considered a save.

 

Brad is just in a tough situation, truck is on the path to final assembly .... still needs to work out the bed.

There are bed sides out there for sale .... just need to find them close enough to be practical.

Even if a flatbed was a temporary choice .... one step closer to getting the truck on the road.

Next year when not looking, might find what they need cheap & local .... build a original bed and swap it back over.

 

I would love to help them out, living in West Texas is like living on another planet .... were not close to anything.

I have a old trailer out back that I just store scrap iron in ....  flat tires, no lights, no fenders .... needs work.

I bought it for parts if I ever need them. None of the sheet metal works on my low side.

If I were to ever use the trailer .... I would prefer a flatbed trailer .... where I could haul 8' lumber with the gate closed.

There must be 50 trailers or beds sitting in fields somewhere closer to Brad then West Texas.

 

So in my personal opinion, the high side beds of Dodges are fugly.

The low side beds are just as fugly, because of the proportion of the cab height & bed sides .... they add comical relief to the viewer.

This bed is way better condition then my low side .... I should use it .... the low side makes me smile.

I would rather go a flatbed myself, then install a high side bed ..... that I already own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dave72dt]

If it's bent that bad, making some relief cuts won't hurt it.  Metal is heavy enough to weld back fairly easily.  Hammer and dolly the welds as you go.  I use the thinnest cut off wheels I can find, push the gap back together and tack.  The metal has been stretched and is heavy enough you need an acetylene torch to shrink it, propane isn't hot enough, or have a place for it to go with the relief cuts.  Welds are a series of tacks, not beads.  With a MIG, I usually do about 3 quick tacks, hammer and dolly while still hot, then let it cool.

 

If I can't dolly or shrink the stretch, I cut it.

[Los_Control]

@Dave72dt I'm really out of place here .... @bkahler has their own opinion .... I'm only offering my opinion that may not be the same as any others.

 

The problem is the 6' metal pipe or tube on the top of the bed side.

Once that is damaged or bent .... you will not be hammer/Dolley it out.

Yes there are ways to fix them ..... at some point you need to justify the time & labor into it.

 

My low side bed at about 1' from the tail gate on the driver side has a hit. I will have a really bad gap on the tailgate as is.

 

If I find a pipe that will fit inside the top rail, a cumalong to pull tension on it, maybe some heat on it to help out.

I can fix the 1 ding and make the tail gate fit better ..... will not be perfect, good enough for me.

 

Just picture a front end loader whacking that top rail for decades .... and trying to fix the dents.

I believe a serious body man would just start from scratch & build a new bedside.

 

Restoring a original bedside is more effort then some would think .... that top rail is a job.

[Dave72dt]

Yes, restoring an original bedside does take time and if you need to pay to have it done, alternative solutions may be required.   A stakebed, even if temporary, while a decent side can be sourced is certainly an option.  The cost of building a stakebed with compartments below could easily be as much as repairing a damaiged side.

 

Body shops don't want jobs like that simply because they can make more money flat rating insurance jobs and on the side jobs can take a long time to complete.

 

I'm on no timeline so I can spend as much time as I need.  My truck spent upwards of 20 years as a shop truck for a service station before being passed on to a farmer who used it to haul feed so yes, I do know what a beat up top rail looks like.

[ggdad1951]

I have sent him a PM about some nice bed sides, so he might go that route.

[bkahler]

Sorry All, I didn't have an opportunity to reply last night.  I'm retiring in four weeks and there's a crap full of stuff I need to get done before that happens

 

First, I'll address the condition of the driver bed side panel.  It has a banana bow in the top rail that exceeds 1/2" in the center.  The side panel is bowed more than that in the center area and that bow extends a good distance towards each end.  The truck was likely used as a cattle feeder on a farm in Idaho.  The tail gate had been modified with a slide gate to facilitate getting the feed out of the truck.  The passenger side isn't damaged nearly as much and I'm willing to give it a try if need be.  But the drivers side would likely cost a fair amount to have someone that knows what they're doing try and fix. 

 

When the painter suggested making it into a flatbed that got me thinking about options.  I already have two pickups and a flatbed would be useful, and different.  However, like Dave suggested that would likely cost just as much or more as professionally rebuilding the original side panel.  

 

Now however, Mark has offered a pair of panels that look very promising.  The pictures looked good, but one issue has me worried.  Mark, you mentioned their length being 80".  I measured my panels last night and they are 79-1/4" long.  Normally would probably not be a problem.  However, I've already purchased the metal bed strips from Midwest and they were sized for the 79-1/4" bed length.  Depending on where the extra 3/4" is located in your panels then my bed strips might not work.  Could you measure the length of the angled strips on the panels?  That would help me make a decision on what to do.

 

Thanks!

 

Brad

 

[ggdad1951]

22 minutes ago, bkahler said:

Sorry All, I didn't have an opportunity to reply last night.  I'm retiring in four weeks and there's a crap full of stuff I need to get done before that happens

 

First, I'll address the condition of the driver bed side panel.  It has a banana bow in the top rail that exceeds 1/2" in the center.  The side panel is bowed more than that in the center area and that bow extends a good distance towards each end.  The truck was likely used as a cattle feeder on a farm in Idaho.  The tail gate had been modified with a slide gate to facilitate getting the feed out of the truck.  The passenger side isn't damaged nearly as much and I'm willing to give it a try if need be.  But the drivers side would likely cost a fair amount to have someone that knows what they're doing try and fix. 

 

When the painter suggested making it into a flatbed that got me thinking about options.  I already have two pickups and a flatbed would be useful, and different.  However, like Dave suggested that would likely cost just as much or more as professionally rebuilding the original side panel.  

 

Now however, Mark has offered a pair of panels that look very promising.  The pictures looked good, but one issue has me worried.  Mark, you mentioned their length being 80".  I measured my panels last night and they are 79-1/4" long.  Normally would probably not be a problem.  However, I've already purchased the metal bed strips from Midwest and they were sized for the 79-1/4" bed length.  Depending on where the extra 3/4" is located in your panels then my bed strips might not work.  Could you measure the length of the angled strips on the panels?  That would help me make a decision on what to do.

 

Thanks!

 

Brad

 

 

I'll pm you a more accurate length with me reading with my cheaters on today!    

[bkahler]

7 minutes ago, ggdad1951 said:

 

I'll pm you a more accurate length with me reading with my cheaters on today!    

 

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