[dave in australia]

The Australian utes were not made by Ford Geelong, but by a body manufacturer in Ballarat under contract, from memory, and then sold through Ford agencies. The bodies are wood from the rear of the doors back, including the subframes. The sides, rear of the cab and tailgate are clad in metal, but not the top pieces of the tray, the bits that make it either a flare side or well side. The sides are made from 3/4 inch mountain ash, and supported by 3, 3/8 inch by 1 1/2 inch metal strips shaped to the sides of the tray, checked into the wood, between the wood and the steel cladding. The floor of the tray is also made from 3/4 inch mountain ash.