Narrow bed or wide bed

[langus480]

Hello,


I just recently purchased a 1931 Ford Model A truck and it is missing the bed.



I am not sure about the differences between the narrow bed and the wide bed other than the obvious. Is one more desirable or are they about the same?



Is the wide bed as rare as hens teeth?


Looking for 1931 Model A truck bed close to Phoenix/Mesa Arizona.


Not sure the difference in a wide bed or narrow bed, which is better?

[Charlie Stephens]

If you have the fenders you can tell which came with the truck from the factory. If you don't have the fenders for a wide bed they are almost impossible to find. If I needed a truck to use I would go with the wide bed but I prefer the look of the narrow bed. I have a '31 RDPU with a narrow bed.

Charlie Stephens

[Joe K]

The narrow bed is almost "unusable" as a means to carry anything. Maybe pieces of wood not to exceed 6' in length. And the width is narrower than a piece of plywood is wide.

I've carried plywood ON the narrow bed by using the ratchet straps and strapping it to the "top" of the bed and let 3' overhang. While secure, it does not lend confidence to those following.

A wide bed MIGHT allow you to sink the plywood to the bottom of the bed. With a similar overhang issue - but at least you have the tailgate to help.

As looks go, the narrow bed IS better - and the parts (all of them) are available either used or repop. One usually puts a couple of "side boards" to level the bed appearance to be a continuation of the "door belt line." It gives a place to put the advertising message of your choice.

Problems with used beds center around the center front panel which tends to rot out if the trailer box has been used to make a trailer (common adaptation.) Also the stake pockets and rear "Z" strip tend to collect rain and rot out at the bottom of the "u." You can feel underneath the curve to feel holes that may have formed.

Most restore the wood as original with "bed strips" which were being reproduced for a while in stainless (which is nice) but may not be available now. The beds were originally paint on wood "body color" - but many polyurethane for appearance. I recommend "Waterlox" which is a tung oil based coating MUCH superior to polyurethane (which "embrittles" in the sun.)

Joe K

[Phil Brown]

Widebed much more rare, almost as rare as the fenders for them :-) typicaly they are known to be correct on late 31 trucks with the steel top cabs and indented firewalls
easy way to tell the beds apart is that the narrow beds have two tailgate hindges and the widebeds have three

[Brentwood Bob]

Pm sent.

[Osage Orange]

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Rarer still are the AA express beds (ala Walton lumber truck), which are about eight feet long, around four foot wide and about thirteen inches high. They, too, have rare rear fenders and three straps on the tailgate instead of two. Model TT's can be adapted, but they really aren't the same.
Good luck with your search. Mack Industries in Moberly, MO can fix you up with the narrow bed, I believe.

[langus480]

Originally Posted by Charlie Stephens

If you have the fenders you can tell which came with the truck from the factory. If you don't have the fenders for a wide bed they are almost impossible to find. If I needed a truck to use I would go with the wide bed but I prefer the look of the narrow bed. I have a '31 RDPU with a narrow bed.

Charlie Stephens

Thanks Charlie for the insight

[langus480]

Originally Posted by Phil Brown

Widebed much more rare, almost as rare as the fenders for them :-) typicaly they are known to be correct on late 31 trucks with the steel top cabs and indented firewalls
easy way to tell the beds apart is that the narrow beds have two tailgate hindges and the widebeds have three

Its good to know. My truck has the wood roof, I guess meaning its a soft top or an early 1931?

[langus480]

Originally Posted by Osage Orange

Rarer still are the AA express beds (ala Walton lumber truck), which are about eight feet long, around four foot wide and about thirteen inches high. They, too, have rare rear fenders and three straps on the tailgate instead of two. Model TT's can be adapted, but they really aren't the same.
Good luck with your search. Mack Industries in Moberly, MO can fix you up with the narrow bed, I believe.

I actually have the AA express bed and thats actually what started this whole craziness...Not sure what to do with it

[langus480]

Originally Posted by Osage Orange

Rarer still are the AA express beds (ala Walton lumber truck), which are about eight feet long, around four foot wide and about thirteen inches high. They, too, have rare rear fenders and three straps on the tailgate instead of two. Model TT's can be adapted, but they really aren't the same.
Good luck with your search. Mack Industries in Moberly, MO can fix you up with the narrow bed, I believe.

With the fenders, but again, not sure what to do with it

[Joe K]

Model A "Closed Cab" trucks follow in three patterns.

The squarish 28-29 Pattern body which has body parts recycled from 26-27 Model T production and a fabric top on wooden bows.

The not so square 30-31 pattern which is more akin to a 30-31 Coupe (may share doors) Like the coupe it has a top "insert" which is fabric on bows.

The similar in appearance but improved construction 30-31 pattern but likely made after 1931 and incorporates a solid steel roof (no Fabric)

The 28-29 version was never available "wide bed." The 30-31 fabric top MAY have been available wide bed. The 30-31 steel top is almost exclusively where the wide bed is found today. All three of these are mostly seen narrow bed.

The express bed would be a "Model AA" option and would require the longer AA chassis to support it.

Aside:

Model AA in any year are pretty much limited to 40-42mph as provided by Ford. Aftermarket transmissions were available to be placed in the "intermediate shaft" position on the truck to act as "overdrive:" (Thinking Warford Transmission here although there were others.) Also, the AA differential was available in "high speed" versions (mostly found) and "low speed" versions (mostly found on the later bevel gear Warner gear differential.) The Low speed AA rear end must have been a "crawl mode."

I have had a 30-31 AA Truck - I can assure you it is a BIG truck by comparison with its Model A cousin. Many parts require a 3/4 drive impact wrench for disassembly and similar more extreme measures.

Joe K

[Keith True]

Wide bed was June of 31,and the steel top was August of 31.There are soft top wide bed trucks around.If you had a steel top narrow bed it means somebody put it on there.There is a late 31 steel top here that has a narrow bed on it.The family that owns it thought it was original,but over 40 years ago the original owner told me the story.The truck was a year old when it got rear ended and wrecked the bed,and there were no wide beds in the junkyards yet.They put on a narrow bed,fenders and all,and it is still on there today.I pointed out the curved indent on the back of the cab where the later bed's arced headboard hit it.One of the grandsons went to the home to ask grandpa,he confirmed the story with lots more details.

[AYooperA]

Langus,
Saw this on Facebook marketplace. It’s a listing from New Mexico so not too far from Phoenix. I will caution you I don’t know who this is, if it still for sale or what kind of shape it’s in. Just passing this along but looks Model A to me.

[Joe K]

Model A truck beds have a tendency to show up converted to "trailers" - frequently using the Model A front axle (with two springs) underneath.

I think a trifle small for trailer use - but I can see it would be convenient towed behind a lawn tractor. Beats a wheelbarrow for carrying dirt.

Most of these suffer from the open "post pockets" which collect rain which pockets in the bottom of the "U" and rots it out.

Joe K

[Keith True]

I don't know what that bed is in the picture.It is not A,andand I believe it is not T.I could be wrong about that,but I've never seen a T bed with the stake pockets like that.The front stake pockets are not flush with the front of the bed on a T,they are set back so a stake will clear the back of the T cab,as it slants rearward.

[Bob C]

The bed in post 13 looks like a 1926 Model T.

[AYooperA]

Yes, very poor pictures of the bottom two beds. Can quite make out what they are.

[langus480]

Originally Posted by AYooperA

Langus,
Saw this on Facebook marketplace. It’s a listing from New Mexico so not too far from Phoenix. I will caution you I don’t know who this is, if it still for sale or what kind of shape it’s in. Just passing this along but looks Model A to me.

Ive seen quite a few listing on FB marketplace and actually bought one of the guys listings: Paid with the normal "Goods and Services" option, NEVER THE 'Friends and Family" option, as this seller requested. I am currently in dispute with PayPal to get my money back after showing the seller to be a scammer.


PayPal is trying to get the seller to accept the money, and after two weeks, if the seller doesn't accept the money PayPal says they will give the money back to me...


I have a screen shot listed with PayPal to substantiate my claim of fraud as the seller messaged me that he doesn't want the money unless it is through the "friends and family" option.


PayPal is losing my trust to say the least. I've never heard of such things as the way PayPal handles peoples money.

[Gene F]

Originally Posted by Joe K

Model A "Closed Cab" trucks follow in three patterns.

The squarish 28-29 Pattern body which has body parts recycled from 26-27 Model T production and a fabric top on wooden bows.

The not so square 30-31 pattern which is more akin to a 30-31 Coupe (may share doors) Like the coupe it has a top "insert" which is fabric on bows.

The similar in appearance but improved construction 30-31 pattern but likely made after 1931 and incorporates a solid steel roof (no Fabric)

The 28-29 version was never available "wide bed." The 30-31 fabric top MAY have been available wide bed. The 30-31 steel top is almost exclusively where the wide bed is found today. All three of these are mostly seen narrow bed.

The express bed would be a "Model AA" option and would require the longer AA chassis to support it.

Aside:

Model AA in any year are pretty much limited to 40-42mph as provided by Ford. Aftermarket transmissions were available to be placed in the "intermediate shaft" position on the truck to act as "overdrive:" (Thinking Warford Transmission here although there were others.) Also, the AA differential was available in "high speed" versions (mostly found) and "low speed" versions (mostly found on the later bevel gear Warner gear differential.) The Low speed AA rear end must have been a "crawl mode."

I have had a 30-31 AA Truck - I can assure you it is a BIG truck by comparison with its Model A cousin. Many parts require a 3/4 drive impact wrench for disassembly and similar more extreme measures.

Joe K

They sure are. Most years I go to a somewhat big regional car show and a guy drives a AA over sometimes. That thing is huge compared to my Tudor.

[langus480]

I guess after looking closer I think I have a Model TT Long Bed, not a Model AA bed. I am really not quite sure what I have. I just know its long and looks like a Model AA or TT...

[Keith True]

The easiest way for me to tell the TT an AA express beds apart are the fender mounts.The AA fenders bolted to the bed sides,and the TT beds had brackets that came up from the frame.No bed side mounts on the TT.

[Marshall V. Daut]

Check with Sammy Guthrie at Arizona Model A in Gilbert. He has just about everything you need. Also try Bert's Model A Center in Colorado. Steve always has a lot of parts like that.
Marshall

[katy]

Post some pictures of what you have.

[Karl Wescott]

Originally Posted by Joe K

Model A "Closed Cab" trucks follow in three patterns.

The squarish 28-29 Pattern body which has body parts recycled from 26-27 Model T production and a fabric top on wooden bows.

The not so square 30-31 pattern which is more akin to a 30-31 Coupe (may share doors) Like the coupe it has a top "insert" which is fabric on bows.

The similar in appearance but improved construction 30-31 pattern but likely made after 1931 and incorporates a solid steel roof (no Fabric)

The 28-29 version was never available "wide bed." The 30-31 fabric top MAY have been available wide bed. The 30-31 steel top is almost exclusively where the wide bed is found today. All three of these are mostly seen narrow bed.

The express bed would be a "Model AA" option and would require the longer AA chassis to support it.

Aside:

Model AA in any year are pretty much limited to 40-42mph as provided by Ford. Aftermarket transmissions were available to be placed in the "intermediate shaft" position on the truck to act as "overdrive:" (Thinking Warford Transmission here although there were others.) Also, the AA differential was available in "high speed" versions (mostly found) and "low speed" versions (mostly found on the later bevel gear Warner gear differential.) The Low speed AA rear end must have been a "crawl mode."

I have had a 30-31 AA Truck - I can assure you it is a BIG truck by comparison with its Model A cousin. Many parts require a 3/4 drive impact wrench for disassembly and similar more extreme measures.

Joe K

The 1930-31 Pickup/Truck share the same door with the Tudor sedan (Except for the incredibly rare truck doors with a dimple to clear a side spare tire). The 1930-31 Coupe door is about 1-1/2" shorter than the PU/2D door