Whadia you think of my "AD" bed ? (be honest)

Fooled around with the back of the 50 yesterday for a few hours .Im trying to come up with something a little different .I just cant get excited about a tailgate with chains and stock tailights on it so i modified it a little..I shaved the hood ,handles ,gas filler neck ,exc. already and im trying to make the rear look kinda clean and smooth like the rest of the truck.I removed the gate and welded in sum 1 inch sqaure tubing to frame it in followed by a piece of 16 gauge welded in flush.I intentionally made the panel a few inches shorter than the tailgate so i could kinda "fake" little tailfins with the bed rail kickups by making them taller.I am in the process of making a rollpan for the rear thats gunna hang down a little past the frame an inch or so with cuttouts for my exhaust tips and house the license plate in the middle.If you dont like it please shoot me straight cuz i get tunnel vision sometimes when creating things on car bodies.I bet i have taking the bed off this truck about 10 times now to weld ...

 

Ok IMHO I think the tailgate should sit flush with the rear stake pocket. Or remove the stake pockets to make it really clean. In the last photo it looks like it is sticking out past the end of the bed sides. It's kinda hard to picture it totally, but I think fenders and a bumper will make it all come together. Keep going at it, I bet it will turn out nice.

 

Nope....different isn't always better - on all stepsides, the taillights should not be narrower than the fenders. This is pretty much a traditional site, so your 'itty bitty fins' and bugeyed taillights might cause some consternation. That being said, you're not building for me...or any other hoodlums or drugstore cowboys....do what you like and endure the potential recriminations....which may not even occur. Heck - you could start a trend...but probably not HERE.

Good luck on your build regardless of what you decide.

dj

 

LOL .Thanks for your honestly guys .This was the whole reason i didnt finish the entire job yet.I figured i'd ask for others opinions before i got to past the point of return on it ...

 

I agree with RoadFarmer the gate needs to be even with the bottom of the stake pocket.

 

no!

 

To the bat cave Robin!!!

 

Anyone else have an opinion to share on this .Come on ,your not gunna hurt my feelings ...

 

How about some square or retangular tail lights, maybe a bit smaller. Those large round lights look like you are trying to make the bed into a '57 Ford trunk lid.

 

The AD trucks are very curvy in almost aspects, your tailgate is even more angular than the original. The tail lights..mmm...negatory pigpen....

 

That tape isn't going to hold the lights long.

 

I agree ,that was what came to mind when i stuck those tail light lenses on there (57 Ford) .It was not my intention to mimick one though .I am gunna take your advise and try and see what it looks like with a different shape light in different places .Thanks for the honest opinion BTW ...

 

Any tail gate without some bead rolling looks " homemade".
Without knowing you overall "design plan" I would install the stock tail gate and maybe 39 Ford tear drop tail lights in the fenders.

 

I would take the taillights off for now, and focus on the tailgate. I think trying to remove the harsh angles, and go for some curves into the "fins" would go a long way towards a better flow. I like the idea of dropping the center some and going for the fin look. Once you get that looking good, I might think about mounting taillights in the fenders. I have seen some AD trucks done tastefully with those, giving a mild custom look.

 

You asked for opinions... mine is that i dont care for it. It looks way to flat across the ass end for my taste. The tailgate looks too short and the lights too high.

I am not one to openly criticise, but you insisted.

If you wanna smooth out the back end i would look a smooth original style gate without the script.

goodluck to ya!

 

I'd like to see it without the tail lamps and in primer before I make judgment. if I have to judge it as it sits I don't care for it. Lookes like the side rails are wings.

But someone will jump on here and call me a meany for saying that so disregard that statement about me not likeing it and lets wait until it doesn't have plastic taped ot it and some primer on it before i pass judgement on it.

 

tail lights definitely don't go with it.

 

One without the round lights .Dont hold back guys im listening .So far i would consider all your comments as constructive .Im not worried about those that wanna shoot holes in everything ,so far i havent seen any .I am gunna do a bit more to it this weekend when im off for the holiday and then decide if i like it .BTW ,buying a smooth tailgate and roll pan from a cataloge is not my idea of being individual .Nothing wrong with that i suppose its just not for me .Its gunna take more work to bring it to the look im after sure ,but i only worked on it a few hours and i have all the time i need to do it ...

 

Not feeling it. I cant put my finger on it without seeing more progress, but something about it doesn't seem right. I think i would have to agree with what PurdueSD said in that the tailgate looks too short and the lights too high.

 

What I'm going to suggest involves a tremendous amount of work and may not suit the style of build you are planning, as the AD is a very curvy / rounded design, I think your box / bed could reflect this, similar to the Studebaker perhaps formed from the rear quarters of a 40's coupe there is a similar one on the AD show me thread, your car , your build, your cas therefore your choice.

 

I like the 39 tear drop light idea. I am thinking about dropping some 50 pontiac lights into my roll pan on my AD.

 

Looks like a retarted robot

 

When I saw it the first thing that came to mind is the Mothman because witnesses say they see large red glowing round eyes. I guess it was your truck all along.

 

Tailgate just to short,needs to match up to the siderails,lose the huge tail lights and find something you can put in the rollpan,or even better the fenders.

 

Its retarded not "Retarted" ...

 

You sure its not ra-tared like in The Hangover LOL

 

I think if you get it out of sky and on the ground, and the pan on, than play with the lights. With it sitting high, the gap to the ground throws everything off. and remember you only have to please yourself. If you like the big round tail lights than go for it.....you can be sure that they will know you are stopping....

 

Not my cup of tea either (Older I get the more 'stock" I like) but before you decide the tailgate is too short I'd build the rear pan. That would give more visual "hight" to the back. Too me a lot of trucks with a stock hight tailgate and a rolled pan looks too fat in the back, maybe your short gate would work ok.
No on the tailights, smaller lights frenched into the rear fenders or rolled pan.

 

Removing the tail lights helps a lot. Dropping the whole rear 3-4 inches (maybe swap to other side of leaf) so that the truck is level front to back would help a lot of the "center is too low" look. A roll pan that hid the gas tank some would help as well. I still think it needs a bit more curve going into the fins.

 

Took the taillight off, still doesn't work


Tried making it taller, Still doesn't work