Technical PICK UP BED HELP

TIME TO LOOK AT FINISHING OFF THE PICK UP BED . I WAS GIVEN SOME OAK FROM AN OLD FORD. ANY ADVICE ON HOW TO FRAME THE BED MATERIAL TO USE ETC. WOULD IT LOOK BEST TO HAVE A LOWER DECK AND ADD WHEEL WELLS ON THE INSIDE OR HAVE A SHALLOW BOX ? WILL ALSO REQUIRE SOME SORT OF GAS TANK lol . 1938 INTERNATIONAL D ON A 1948 MERC FRAME . OPENING 47 WIDE 63 INCHES LONG
THANKS IN ADVANCE

 

Shallow box looks ridiculous but JMHO... I would go with wheel wells. Just a thought but could you slice a stainless steel sink in half and use it for wheel wells? Would it be long enough?

 

it's an odd one with the hump from the Merc frame head scratcher.
Did you get any snow yet up north ?

 

...make an angle that follows your frame rails, install it a little above the frame and lay your oak boards crossways, that'd look really slick.

 

shallow box. The crossmember would only allow about 12" in middle at lower elevation and rear may bump it.

 

Not a fan of the shallow box but unless you want to notch around the the cross member and the side rails (might look ok if done right) that is your options. You also need to have travel room for the center of the diff without constantly banging your bed boards.

 

With a low ride height Sometimes a shallow box is the way to go. It looks a whole lot better than a hump to clear the diff .

 

Can you raise the whole box a couple inches, then lower the fenders a bit, make extensions for the bottom of the box. I have seen a truck done like this and looks good unless you go overboard. but that could give you more box space.

 

I did the shallow box thing on my '32. You can see in this pic how shallow it was. The striper is sitting on the floor.

 

Outside of a couple of lawnchairs in bags, a small cooler and maybe a duffle bag you probably won't carry much in the bed anyhow or most guys with little hot rod trucks don't.
Gas tank in the back under the bed or maybe put an oval or round gas tank up across the front of the bed and make a hatch in the floor behind the axle and build a trunk in the space behind the axle to stick stuff out of sight. It wouldn't be big but would be a place to put some tools and supplies for the truck out of sight

 

I would do a shallow floor, with that being said here's how mine looks.

 

I vote tank in front underneath shallow wood floor, or in/under a vintage lookin home made wooden tool box.
I think the shallow beds look fine, everyone already knows the truck isnt factory.

 

Thanks for all the great ideas I like the storage idea cool.

 

A shallow bed isn't ideal, but still far better than an open mini-trucker rat-rod style one! At least with flat boards in there you have a chance of carrying things if necessary. I think I'd put the tank under the boards, behind the axle ('48 Merc one might fit!) because the prop may cause problems if it was in the front of the bed? You could then make two hidden storage compartments under the front section, with no danger of getting in the way of the prop.

 

A shallow box bow IMHO would look better and cleaner than the tubbing you would need to do as you would have to accommodate and clear the crossmember too. It may look a little odd on the front panel as then the "X" emboss would not be symmetrical. The extra hidden storage compartment(s) would be nifty too. I have seen where on the back you can have an area under the bed floor that is open when the tailgate is down.

 

Thanks feel free to add any Pics . Oh I have to make a tail gate as well as running boards LOL

 

I kind of like the idea of a flat floor, raised up to height of the framerails over the rearend. But then build a shallow box in front section for a hidden storage of sorts. In back, raise the fuel tank up so you do not really see it from behind the truck.

 

I was also thinking of putting the battery on the passenger side under the bed with access.

 

Maybe look at the early 60's mustang gas tank, that might fit in between the rear frame rails.

 

If it were mine?
I'd modify the frame. You don't need all that swoopy action and dipped crossmember for a Transverse spring. It looks like you have at least 6" of suspension travel room before the frame gets close to the rear end. You probably could get by with 3" travel and get back 4" of bed depth easy.

 

Not transverse. Parallel.

 

Exactly !
You don't need all that swoopy action and dipped cross member for a transverse spring.

 

Thanks for all the help I think I will mock it up with some wood and cardboard to get an idea of the different options . the mustang gas tank is an option with the fuel neck coming uo through the floor. Not sure I want to cut the frame at this stage . I could take out the rear crossmember and make another one . I had a buddy that was a mentor to me . He passed away with cancer over a year ago.
I could bounce ideas off him and usually come up with a solution. He was a good friend. I chose this project because of it's difficulty in memory to him. I think he would be proud of this build so far. I thank all for passing on knowledge you never know how encourging it is . Cheers

 

While lookin again for a bed idea that you might like, Ive seen lotsa diffrent ideas

 

Tailgate are easy....wish I had my bead roller when i made gate for my IHC. I would have put some insignia into tailgate and used lighter tin..That's 14 gauge steel framed with 1" tube stock,,weighs 50lbs. Better options for tailgate hinges I found after the fact. Battery under box floor is good idea. No doubt it will not fit in original spot.

 

Looks great what did you use for hinges. I have a bead roller great idea.

 

Well I took the rear cross member out . will fabricate one.
It might be an option to have the frame side rails come up through the bed .
I could always box them in later.

 

if it has to be shallow...why not a flat wooden tray ??

 

That is what I was thinking or a try exposing side rails.. or not will see

 

The unpainted bolt you see at bottom of tailgate is a 4"x7/16" SS bolt. It slips into a pin welded to tailgate bottom and remains in place with a set screw in pin. Its pretty simple. The pin appears to show wear but its not,,,just the pic..And then I latching brackets to inside of tailgate. These also lend support,,tailgate rests on these as well as hinge pins
My previous frame off was bone stock so building a modified truck,,all my ideas arrived with cost in mind...some quicker than others...I tried for days to link steering to rack with OE joints off various makes...finally visited a parts shop and the owner brought me to his back room and showed me his drag car and pointed out Sweet Joints,,,they can handle 30 degree angles and only 3 joints required to make it to the rack.