Looking for a new Pickup Bed

[Brace Bailey]

I've heard that there is a supplier/manufacturer in Missouri - for Model A sheetmetal parts. I'm considering buying a new complete bed for my 30 CCPU

I would like to eliminate the shipping and crating charges to close the gap on repairing my bed vs replacing it.

any advise on New reproduction beds would be appreciated.

Thanks, and Merry Christmas

[Russ/40]

The one in your photo looks very worthy of restoration. They are heavy gauge and there is a lot of metal there to work with.

[Rex Perry]

I am currently rebuilding a bed that has many, many more condition issues than the one in your picture. As Russ/40 says, there is a lot of metal in those beds and if you already have it, there are no shipping and crating charges.
If you can't live without a new bed the supplier is Missouri is Mack Products, Moberly MO. but I am not sure if he sells a complete bed.

[Pickupman]

The company in MO is Macs in Moberly, MO. What I've been told is they no longer make the 28 - Mid-31 pickup beds. They are only making the late 31 Pickup Beds. You might want to give them a call and check. Brockville roadster is the only one I'm aware of that is making the 28 - Mid-31 pickup beds.

Originally Posted by Brace Bailey

I've heard that there is a supplier/manufacturer in Missouri - for Model A sheetmetal parts. I'm considering buying a new complete bed for my 30 CCPU

I would like to eliminate the shipping and crating charges to close the gap on repairing my bed vs replacing it.

any advise on New reproduction beds would be appreciated.

Thanks, and Merry Christmas

[ltdann]

Brookville Roadster of Brookville OH is where you can get a newly manufactured bed. I have one and aside from some small details, are excellent reproductions. They have a website.

Is yours not salvageable? Looks to be in pretty darned good shape.

Rich

[SSsssteamer]

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For our Model A pick up, I bought a new bed unassembled from Mac's Auto Parts for about $1,730. plus $250 crating. I used the old one as my pattern to rivet the new one together as Ford would have done. Seems that it was shipped directly to me from Pontiac, Michigan for about $200 freight. It went together real nicely and I would score the build excellent!

[ronn]

someone is selling the repro beds on ebay for around 600. have no idea who they are made by.

look it up.


ps dont see then on there any longer, but there is one for 1399. plus shipping.

[Afordman31]

Originally Posted by Brace Bailey

I've heard that there is a supplier/manufacturer in Missouri - for Model A sheetmetal parts. I'm considering buying a new complete bed for my 30 CCPU

I would like to eliminate the shipping and crating charges to close the gap on repairing my bed vs replacing it.

any advise on New reproduction beds would be appreciated.

Thanks, and Merry Christmas

I believe I would put my money in that bed and not in a reproduction one!

[wrndln]

I agree with the above posts, the bed in the picture looks as good or better as the one I restoring now. More pictures might let us see the bed better. I would advise restoring it. Nothing beats original Ford parts.
Rusty Nelson

[bnchief]

It might look fine but if it has dens or a lot of them since it is one piece it is hard to make it look real good, I built a new bed for my 1937 ford p/u

[Brace Bailey]

I went down after Russ/40's remark and started looking at the thickness of the bed. I have some scrap metal - about 16 gage - and it is too thin.
So, I need to determine how thick the metal is on this bugger. It might
Be easier welding than I thought.

I may even go with a repair rear channel, instead of buying the more costly
U channel.
Anyone know what thickness Of steel I should buy?

Also, how are are the rivets to set If I go with new stake pockets?

[DougVieyra]

The makers of the pick up beds are not hard to find. With just a little investigation you can find them. Howell in Texas and Rootlieb in California are just two sheet metal workers that come to mind, besides the Brookville in Ohio. Just call them up and ask if they make the pickup bed and if so, do they sell on the open market. If they do not make the bed, I am sure that they know who does and can direct you to the source. Then make a call.

You can then determine if any are closed enough to justify the trip to pick up your pickup bed - or if the $2,000 for a new unit and your time for self pick up, can be better spent. Also, you might want to consider 'component' parts of the metal make up of the bed. If re-working your existing old bed has a particularly bad piece, you could just replace the bad part for a new part.

[JohnLaVoy]

we used everything from Brookville Roadster for our roadster pick up and were quite pleased with the quality of the bed.

[Pickupman]

Howells in Texas buys their beds from Brookville. I don't believe Rootlieb sells beds. At this time and to my knowledge their is only one manufacture of 28-Mid-31 pickup beds and it is Brockville Roadster.

Originally Posted by DougVieyra

The makers of the pick up beds are not hard to find. With just a little investigation you can find them. Howell in Texas and Rootlieb in California are just two sheet metal workers that come to mind, besides the Brookville in Ohio. Just call them up and ask if they make the pickup bed and if so, do they sell on the open market. If they do not make the bed, I am sure that they know who does and can direct you to the source. Then make a call.

You can then determine if any are closed enough to justify the trip to pick up your pickup bed - or if the $2,000 for a new unit and your time for self pick up, can be better spent. Also, you might want to consider 'component' parts of the metal make up of the bed. If re-working your existing old bed has a particularly bad piece, you could just replace the bad part for a new part.

[bnchief]

Brace with the pitting and cancer you have you will get a much nicer job by just replacing the bed considering the paint and all the work you are looking at a new bed may just be your best choice.

[Brace Bailey]

BnChief.... Yea, I've been down working on the Firewall this afternoon.
I was rebuilding some of the ribs that had been repaired (welded) and put
a good deal of bondo on the rest of the firewall to cover up all the pits.

I also want to thank the guys who have responded - I checked Brookville roadster, and their replacement parts - in some cases, are cheaper than the big boys....

I'm also factoring in selling the old bed - as it can be repaired.... just a lot of work....

Merry Christmas
BB

[v bogart]

Mack products 544 North Avenue P.O.Box 856 Moberly Missouri 65270-4403 Phone 660-263-7444 They still list a 28-31 complete bed in there new catalog www.mack-products.com

[Rex Perry]

Sounds like you are leaning towards a new bed. If you decide otherwise, and for those who have an interest, the material thickness in the bed varies depending on the part. The side panels are .074" thick (14g) and the rear channel is .089" (13g). Before purchasing a repair channel you might want to see how long the repair part is. I was concerned about the length so I had a hat channel fabricated.
The best way to repair your bed would be to disassemble it but don't do that if you are going with a new bed. Sell the old one and let the new owner see how it is put together.

[Brace Bailey]

I called Mack products - they don't have them anymore. Anita suggested Brookville.....
so... still scratching...

[Larry Jenkins]

Most of your responders favor restoring the bed.

I sense that your project has become a matter of "how soon can I get this thing done."

Model A restoration should be a pleasurable thing with little regard to schedule. Thinking out the details and actually being able to say, "I did that work myself" is most fulfilling.

Paying over 2K and maybe not getting the good fit or appearance should be one of your primary concerns.

[Keith True]

The new pickup beds are one of two things that I feel are as good as the originals.The other is brake drums,and I feel new ones of those are better.I have a nice bed I bought from a guy that bought a new one.It is real nice,and solid,but with some whiskey dents.all around.At the time the new one was $1500.delivered,and the body shop guy told hm that was the way to go moneywise.Truck was going black,and the shop owner told him that at $65.per hour to get the end product the owner wanted it would cost more than a new bed.The old one is nice enough that I paid either $3 or $500.for it.

[Brace Bailey]

Thanks Keith - a lot of folks have told me that the new ones are very nice, and to quote them "built as Henry would have". I do all my own body work and paint - because body work is VERY expensive... Cheap paint is $500 a gallon.
I did a complete restoration of a 72 Cheyenne SWB Pickup - triple black. Bed needed a lot of work, as did the cab, fenders and everything else. When I went to the paint shop for my third gallon of paint the lady wanted to know if I was painting a Kenworth.
So - it's a lot of work, and I've spent hundreds of hours working out dents and high & Low spots. Buffing, polishing, and still finding imperfections. My last project was nine years, and still needs an Air Conditioner installed. I would like to get the pickup up and drivable in months instead of years.
Merry Christmas

[bnchief]

Brace i had an old guy teach me how to lead a long time ago when i did my 1919 t i used lead was really pleased with the result i do think bondo today is much better than it was.

[DaWizard]

Hey Brace, I just finished roaming through the first 45 or so pages in the Swap Meet area and there were quite a few beds for sale.

Might be an area to look into.

[Synchro909]

This might be another solution.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1929-Ford-Mo...m=122275865627

[Brace Bailey]

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Ended up ordering a U channel and stake pockets from Brookville Roadster.
Discovered that the front stake pockets are spot welded on, in addition to
the rivets..

I removed the 24 rivets from the old U channel today - and was pretty happy when it came out without any spot welds. On to the patching !!!!

BB

[Rex Perry]

There are lots of spot welds used in the original assembly of the bed. It is my guess that they temporarily held the parts for final riveting.

[Brace Bailey]

Thanks Rex.

I agree. I was thinking I might put a few pop rivets in while I'm lining up the rest of the holes. The new stake pockets and the U-Channel have no holes, so
I've got to drill through the other side to make the holes line up.

Now - if anyone has any advice on how to set the rivets... I don't presently
have any of the concave hammers for my air chisel. I'm researching local Model A'ers....

[Mikeinnj]

Brace, You should get the on line catalogs from the major Model A parts suppliers i.e. Brattons, Snyders, etc. Here is a link to the rivet set tools you will need.

https://www.brattons.com/catalogsear.../?q=rivet+tool

[Brace Bailey]

Mikeinnj... Thanks - I have a Snyders... not sure about Braxton's. I will order the 1/4 rivet set.

I have the patch panels welded in for the front stakes... will get on the rear and the U chanel tomorrow.

[Mikeinnj]

Originally Posted by Brace Bailey

Thanks Rex.

I agree. I was thinking I might put a few pop rivets in while I'm lining up the rest of the holes. The new stake pockets and the U-Channel have no holes, so
I've got to drill through the other side to make the holes line up.

Now - if anyone has any advice on how to set the rivets... I don't presently
have any of the concave hammers for my air chisel. I'm researching local Model A'ers....

Heat the rivets red hot and insert them doing one at a time and place a heavy weight (bucking bar) against the already formed head and use your rivet gun to form the small side. Good luck !

[midgetracer]

I just put a complete bed together from Brookville. You really do need a rivet gun to put one together. Maybe you can borrow one. I tried to put one together with a air hammer, but it goes too fast and does not hit hard enough. It is hard to keep it on the rivet. With a 2x rivet gun (looks just like a air hammer) I could set all the rivets cold at about 20 seconds a rivet. My first pickup I bought new side panels, front panel and U channel and tailgate. I used the sub structure from the old box as well as the fender flanges and stake pockets. It looks very nice. It is hard to straighten the side panels as they need to be finished on two sides. Good luck and again, I highly recommend a rivet gun. It is amazing how nice the rivets look when they are set.

[Brace Bailey]

Making progress with an AN430 Round Rivet set and my 30 year old air chisel - have the U channel in,
getting ready to attach the Z panel. From the looks of the old U channel, the
Z panel must be spot welded to the U channel... right?

also, anyone have luck with an offset rivet set? The front panel is going to
be impossible to get on with my straight rivet set. I may just heat it up and
put a 10 degree offset in it.

Thanks Midgetracer

Here are some pictures...

[SSsssteamer]

Setting rivets is a skill that gets better with practice. By the time the rivet job is finished, you have just learned the skill of setting rivets. The biggest mistake that I made in setting rivets is using too high of an air pressure on my rivet gun. Your rivet installation looks like the Ford factory did it. Good job.

[Rex Perry]

You are correct that the rear Z panel is spot welded to the top of the channel. Ford originally used wood spacers inside the channel to keep the hinge bolts from crushing the walls of the channel. Make sure that you use wood or metal tubes to prevent this damage. I would try an offset rivet set before bending a straight one. There are lots of options.

[Mikeinnj]

This is from an 06/28/10 entry by Marco Tahtaras regarding his riveting process:

"The cross members were riveted with 1/4" rivets. You'll find that the the holes to be riveted measure almost 5/16" (and were intended to be). The shank of the rivet MUST swell to fill the hole to be effective over the long term. For this reason it is difficult if not impossible to tighten a loose rivet. You can tighten the "set", but not swell the center.

For bucking we start with a ready made 8" bucking bar with the proper recess for the rivet head. We then cut the bar short enough to fit within the frame rail. This short bar is then welded along the side to a heavy piece of steel forming an off-set bar that extends around the edge of the rail. The bucking bar should be at least 3-4 lb.., but 5 lb.. is better.

For setting the rivet we use an air chisel or air hammer. I've been told they are commonly available in short stroke and long stroke versions and I use the long stroke or long barrel version. I think way too much is made of the type of air hammer as the rivets swell like butter when the shank is properly heated. The setting tool for the air hammer is matched to the rivet size similar to the bucking bar.

The riveting requires two people in almost all cases. The first person holds the rivet by the head with pliers while the second person heats the rivet with a torch. The rivets are heated red from the middle first, then towards the outer end.

Next, while the first person slips the rivet into the hole and backs it with the bucking tool, the second person sets down the torch, picks up the air hammer and proceeds to rivet.

The result is a rivet that completely fills the hole as it should. The process requires approximate 30 seconds per rivet."

[Russ/40]

Brace, I came back for a look see what you have been doing, since my post #2. Happy to see that you went ahead with the existing bed. Your results look real good, and I can see you really getting into it. That Brookville channel is a nice looking piece, expensive, but very nice. Nice job

[Brace Bailey]

Almost done. Rivets set - still have to attach front panel, but I have it all
Straightened out now. Ordered the stainless strips, panel and bolts.

Working on the Cab mounts now....

[Henry's Lady's Man]

Just in case, this looks like some nice wood to insert in a bed when you find/make yours. - Chuck

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Oak-Bed-Wood...RVnWWm&vxp=mtr

[Brace Bailey]

Wow... that is nice. I already have my wood - in the pictures. I noticed the bed wood on E-bay had the grove dropped down on the edges, so the stainless strips will be flush with the face of the boards. I may consider routering mine down
To achieve that look.

Thanks for the note.

[Brace Bailey]

Found this old post - have done a ton of body work and primer and paint to the bed.
Rubbed it out today. Will install the wood and stainless strips soon.
Ended up replacing almost every rivet in the bed.

It’s not going to be perfect - but considering what I started with, I’m happy.

Still have to fix the tail gate. It’s bowed out and just springs back when I push it in. Same delima - repair the old one - will never look like new, or drop $300 plus shipping for a nice new one.....

Right now I’m going with 87 year old metal.

[Larry Jenkins]

Great job. At a much lower cost and you ended up with Henry's steel.

Now, post images of your bowed tail gate. The experts here will certainly know the solutions.

[JBill]

You can buy just the tailgate from Brookville. BTW, you've done a terrific job on that bed. A lot of work. Good for you. Mac's in Missouri used to sell some of the small hardware. Chains, hooks, chain bracket, chain cover, that sort of thing. I don't know if they still do, or if those things are readily available from any of the good vendors.

[Dick Carne]

For the time involved to get a really nice and straight bed, and given the relatively reasonable cost of acquiring a new bed, I would recommend contacting Brookville Roadster in Brookville, Ohio. Their bed unassembled is something just over $1400 plus shipping (not including the tailgate). However, I would also recommend having them assemble the bed itself if you were to consider going that route. My nephew and I built a '28 roadster pickup for him several years back, and used all new sheetmetal from Brookville. In the end, it turned out really nice and is virtually indistinguishable from the original body parts. From my perspective, the body will be straighter, there will be a much lower opportunity for body related issues once completed, and your project will move along much faster. If your current bed is as good as so many have commented, then perhaps the sale of your current bed might make the selection of a new bed all the more financially feasible, not to mention the rather enormous amount of time otherwise required to achieve the same results. Again, just my opinion. Good luck whatever route you might choose.

[oldredford]

Originally Posted by Brace Bailey

I've heard that there is a supplier/manufacturer in Missouri - for Model A sheetmetal parts. I'm considering buying a new complete bed for my 30 CCPU

I would like to eliminate the shipping and crating charges to close the gap on repairing my bed vs replacing it.

any advise on New reproduction beds would be appreciated.

Thanks, and Merry Christmas

I have a 1930 Cab and new Brooksville bed forsale in the Model A swap section for $1,000.

[Brace Bailey]

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Missed the bed and cab. It is just as well that I continue my bed project as I’m all in.
Decided to install my new white Oak boards and stainless strips. First thing I discovered is that the slots in the boards don’t match the width of the stainless strips (or the black ones I have as extra either). If I move the boards out so the strips fit into the groves... there is a gap of bout 1/2 inch around the square steel plate that goes over the rear end.

So, the first picture shows the wood installed in the the correct location - (tight against the 1/4” stainless bolts in the strips, and on into to the bed cross members. I put the masking tape down first so I could trace the edges with a ball point pen. Then take it all apart again and head to the table saw to re-grove the oak.

Last picture after I cut all the groves, sander sealed and lacquered the edges. I also had to cut 1/8” off each cut-out for the center plate.
I went to install all the polished stainless cap bolts- and discovered I had lost 11
Of them. Hunted everywhere- even my blue jeans in the laundry.... no luck.
After about an hour... and looking at the two pictures, I determined that I only got 28 of them (for the strips) and am short the 14 that go down the sides on the outside boards.
Senior moment