Home made tailgates - pictures please!

The tailgate that came with the Dodge bed I got for the '58 is thoroughly hammered. I know there are plenty of these style tailgates roaming around but I'd love to see some custom ones that you all have made! Debating whether to make one or track down a stocker somewhere...

 

be careful making your own - taillights have a job to do, and all state DMVs publish regulations for how far back they must be visible to the naked eye. Most have some sort of prismatic feature on the inside to assist in illumination.

 

TailGATE, not tailLIGHT.

 

I was wondering when DMV got involved in tailgate making..lol

Mine is non functional but I made it none the less, fuel cell is right on the other side by the way.

 

I made mine out of 1x6 thick wall stock. There are 4 of them under the skin, notched and welded to tube on the bottom and a flat bar on the top. I had a sheet metal shop make the double bend at the top of the outer (back) panel, The inner skin is just flat sheet. I used 3m panel adhesive to bond the skin to the frame and rolled/trimmed the seam at the bottom of the tube. I had to have an iron monger roll some eyes into flat stock to form the hinge the bottom tube rides in. I did some other non traditional things to it too... but thats how I got the basic shape

 

here is one use to make for international trucks

 

Nice work cornfieldcustoms!

I like the inner structure idea of yours unkamort, makes sense to make it substantial enough to do work with like that.

 

It is 'deceptively' heavy. If your going to add weight...

 

funny you should ask..... I am at the end of making one for my 53 Dodge truck out of the front of the bed.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=729279

 

I couldn't help but think to do the same exact thing you are MoparMan, the front panel is basically what is sold as a 'reproduction' tailgate now anyhow, I may end up going that route yet since the front panel of my bed is in nice shape still.

 

yes, they look almost identical, I am taking the DODGE emblem and grafting it in the new tail gate. Here is my thread for taking the back of an extra cab and making a new curved bed front. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=728473

 

This one is homemade ,so is the latch and hinge.The bed is also.

 

Very cool and clean look!

 

Pic of mine being built, it is just single wall...



Finished with Ford script added....

 

Looks nice!! How did you add the script?

 

I made this one. Sometimes I like it sometimes not so much

 

I don't have any pictures but a friend of mine made a tailgate for his model A and made a mold for his press out of bondo and pressed it in. Looked great.

 

I cut the script out of an old junk tailgate and used panel adhesive to attach it. Then blended the edges.....

 

THE DUDE, your truck looks sooo good! I like the tailgate, nice to see your didn't bead roll a Bow Tie into it as it's so over done...hope I didn't offend anyone who has one with that statement

 

Here's a how to for a Ford Econo pickup.


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=221299&highlight=tailgate

 

Built mine for 55 F100

























Turned out a little heavier than stock.........32.5 to 26.5 pounds.

 

Man thats a fantastic job! You do great work.

 

I bent some tin into a pan. put a frame of 1" square tubing inside, welded a flat piece on tin on the inside so the tailgate is smooth inside and out..welded a piece of 1 1/4 tube stock on top...nothing fancy