The Utility Bed

[Ryan]

You know what this place needs? A thread dedicated to utility beds... So, post what ya got!



[gallery link="file" ids="822,823,824"]... To read the rest of this blog entry from The Ford Barn, click here.

[Slowplane]

While it ain't a Ford, it was my grampa's last work truck. The family car then was a '29 Briggs leatherback Ford...

[Y-Blockhead]

Nice!!

[Brian]

Yes, nice; love Diamond T's

[Snouts out]

In the 50s,where ever you went,it seemed the Bell system beds looked alike.I wonder who made e'm ?

[drumyn29]

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1939 Willys Ute(utility)

[Tom Walker]

When I left school I worked in Oz for a year, and saw Holden and Ford "Utes". I thought Utilities were unique to Australia. Evidently not judging by the pic of that lovely Willys.
Am I right in thinking a Ute is distinct from a Pickup in that a Ute is more of a "car" spec, ie better finished in the cab, where as a Pickup is more "truck" spec?

[45GPW]

Originally Posted by Brian

Yes, nice; love Diamond T's

So do I, but I think that one is a Mack.

[Brian]

You are so correct!!

[mot]

we had a utility bed exactly like the one pictured
it was in use in Sacramento as late as the 1980s
the mechanic used it and it was in perfect shape
never in a wreck,no rust,and always garaged
it went for auction around 1985 when he retired
the new mechanic wanted a van and didn't want that old piece of junk
I don't think it had more than 25,000 miles on it

[scooder]

A utility bed (Ryan's pic) and an auzzy Ute are completely different beasts. I'd love to see more pics of utility beds. In my mind these be built beds for a specific purpose, with all they lockers and different sections for different things.
Anybody got any of these, or pics of them like the Mack and Ryan's pic please.
Many thanks,
Martin.

[funrunr]

image.jpgHow ironic, I was searching craigslist for a friend who's looking for a 55 pick up for his wife and came a across this Bell truck for sale. Then I click on the Barn and see. Ryan is looking for pics. It's not mine but it's for sale and here's a couple pics from the ad

[funrunr]

The front view

[KiWinUS]

Originally Posted by Tom Walker

When I left school I worked in Oz for a year, and saw Holden and Ford "Utes". I thought Utilities were unique to Australia. Evidently not judging by the pic of that lovely Willys.
Am I right in thinking a Ute is distinct from a Pickup in that a Ute is more of a "car" spec, ie better finished in the cab, where as a Pickup is more "truck" spec?

Tom you also had "Utes in England , Austin & Morris -A55 & A60 , Mini utes & a few others from the BMC group.
I work on all them British nightmares growing up in NZ.
Cheers
Tony

[scooder]

Originally Posted by KiWinUS

Tom you also had "Utes in England , Austin & Morris -A55 & A60 , Mini utes & a few others from the BMC group.
I work on all them British nightmares growing up in NZ.
Cheers
Tony

Tony,
All of those you mention are pickups, and are called pickups over here. There not called utes, and never have been, they were advertised and sold as pickups over here. The "Ute" name is I believe a southern hemisphere name for this style of automobile, that being car based pickup, as far as I can tell.
Martin.

[oliverguy]

that restored truck I believe lives in the philadelphia area. Looks like hershey with the white fence in the background. If I'm not mistaken the owner had most of his collection burn in a fire a few years ago. I hope that truck was not one of them. Then again I might have my owners confused.

[oliverguy]

My grandmother worked for bell from about 1948 to 1978 or so. My father wanted one of those trucks to use on his farm when my parents were starting out. Bell had strict rules on maintenance and they were in excellent shape. She looked into getting a used one for him but for one reason or another it didn't happen.

[scicala]

Originally Posted by drumyn29

1939 Willys Ute(utility)

If I remember correctly, Willys made pick up trucks (USA) that had the passenger car front sheet metal and a separate bolt on bed (not like the UTE pictured).

[Lawrie]

No v8 but our pickup gets plenty of use.
Lawrie

[Jalopy31]

Here's a phone truck that I took photos of at a local show:





Todd

[Cecil/WV]

I was a mechanic for a dump truck business in the 60's and drove a '56 Ford 6 cyl Bell truck as a service truck. It was loaded with tools and parts and was a bulldozer in snow. Sure wish I had it now!

[racingrufus]

I have a 1955 Ford F100 bell truck. Before I bought truck 13 years ago someone changed bed to a later model bed and the rear fenders don't fit. I wish they had left the Bell utility bed on truck. The only Bell bed I have found was at the 2014 F100 Ford Truck Nationals, and it was a rust bucket.

[oliverguy]

Bell had strict rules about service and the linemen went out in any kind of weather. Office staff was supposed to report no matter what it was like outside. My grandmother who worked for bell was an excellent driver but still had to put chains on in her dress clothes sometimes to get to work.

The service trucks were good in snow she said, normally the men would go out looking for operators who were stuck trying to get into the office.

My grandmother later in life was always amazed at how crappy the service had become with the phone carriers and couldn't believe some of the sub contractors they have working now. So much for progress.

[rustyfords]

My dad retired from Southwestern Bell and drove trucks exactly like the restored green one when he started working there...same color and everything.

I remember sometime in the 70's, they had retired all of those trucks and I remember seeing them lined up behind a fence where he worked....must've been a dozen of them.

He said they were selling them all off and I asked him to buy one of them. He told me they were asking $500 apiece for them and he said that was too much money for an old worn out truck without a real pickup bed on it.

Oh to go back in time and scoop them all up! I'm sure the engines were worn, but the bodies on nearly all of those Texas trucks were rust free and as straight as an arrow.

[Wagga A'er]

Who built the first utility - where - when...
by Gary Warner

The story of the utility truck or coupé utility– the ute – began in 1932, when a letter was received by Ford Australia’s plant at Geelong, Victoria. It was written by a farmer’s wife who’d had enough of riding to church in the farm truck and arriving in saturated clothing;
‘Why don’t you build people like us a vehicle to go to church in on a Sunday, and which can carry our pigs to market on Mondays?’ her letter asked.

Bank managers at the time would lend money to farmers to buy a farm truck, but not a passenger car, hence the plea from one very fed up woman!

http://www.fastlane.com.au/Features/First_ute.htm
Sadly they are no longer produced.
They race a professional series of V8 Utes.
Thought you might like this pic.

[triumphleroy]

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Many early UTILITY BEDS were made by company named "POWELL" I bought a 1960 Dodge D-100 with Powell utility Body in 1960. The utility boxes were often moved from truck to truck when new trucks were purchased.
Quiet possible that "Powell" Built the Bell Company's beds. Powell was around for a very long time and were here in Business very early on, but like a lot of other USA firms are no longer around.....
I put 400,000 miles on that old truck and sold it in a weak moment and have tried in vain to find it for years.
And of course "UTES" and UTILITY BEDS ARE NOT THE SAME ANIMALS!!!

[hotrodfreak]

The 16" wheels on my 32 roadster are from a 49 Ford phone company F-1 with utility bed. They are still the faded green paint color. The neat thing I discovered after removing them in a wrecking yard and having old tires removed is that the fronts are 4 1/2" bead and the rears are 5 1/2 bead width so I put 7.50's on the rear and 5.00's on fronts. Works for me.

[rockfla]

That truck is for sale isn't it JALOPY31????

[VeryTangled]

Hi Everyone, I had a few spare minutes to search the interwebs and dug up a few candidates...

[Lawson Cox]

Originally Posted by Slowplane

While it ain't a Ford, it was my grampa's last work truck. The family car then was a '29 Briggs leatherback Ford...

Oh my gosh. I haven't thought of Andy Gump in years. LOL

[mercman from oz]

The Ute is not quite dead yet in Australia. Attached are photos of the brand new Falcon Ute for 2015, code named FGX (the one with the new Ford family familiar oval Grille) Parked next to it is the older FG MkII which was released in December 2011. In Australia, most cars enjoy a few years without change. The latest FGX retains the same basic body, with a new Grille that is in line with the styling of the latest Ford models. This FGX will be the last Australian built Falcon, as they plan to shut down manufacturing in Australia towards the end of 2016. This is very sad, as Ford Motor Company started production here back in 1925. Meanwhile, over at General Motors Holden, who also produce a Ute, they will also cease manufacturing in Australia slightly after Ford closes down. These are sad days for Australian car manufacturing. In future, all new cars will be imported.

[mercman from oz]

That Willys Ute mentioned earlier would have originated from Australia. Here is a picture of a 1939 Willys Overland Ute that a friend of mine owns.

[Newc]

Ok; Now try to find the matching utility box/ bed trailers, that Bell used. I have seen one with 35/37 Ford pu rear fenders and a sdn del bumper! Newc in Oregon

[ModelAMike1930]

I worked for Bell for 30 years and drive many of those trucks with the utility beds on them--at around 1963 they changed over to vans. The only problem with the vans was getting the ladders off the top of the vans-utility trucks were easier to work with..

[havi]

I got me one, made in 1957. Now I just need to decide if I want to put it on my '48 F1, or find a '50's truck to be more period correct.

[ModelAMike1930]

Originally Posted by havi

I got me one, made in 1957. Now I just need to decide if I want to put it on my '48 F1, or find a '50's truck to be more period correct.

They used the same exact bed from the 40's to the early 60's on our trucks.

[havi]

Originally Posted by ModelAMike1930

They used the same exact bed from the 40's to the early 60's on our trucks.

Oh, ok. I thought maybe the earlier ones had an "open back" in the center.

[ModelAMike1930]

I was an installer for Illinois Bell and drove one of those for years. They retired that style of truck for Ford Vans.