My buddy, the previous owner of my 62 Unibody was going to go a much different route on this truck when it was his project. Smoothed off, something totally different with the roof and box, more of a street rod kind of build. That's not really my style, and as you can see I'm going to go for more of a mid 60s vibe when she is all done. The one thing he did that is making it difficult for me to get past is he bobbed the rear about 10 inches. It really throws the proportions of the truck off when looking at it from the side. I think the only reason it sort of slides by is because its a Unibody. I wouldn't mind finding a section of a box to just put it back the way it was, but no luck so far finding that. Moving the rear up and the wheel well up to balance things out would be way to costly. Its above my skill level. So I'm looking for ideas to balance things out. I was thinking maybe side boards, two high. The lower one the length of the box, the upper one right at the beginning of the wheel well. Yes, no? I also considered making some sort of exhaust exit in the side of the box before the wheel well. The exhaust dumps out about there underneath. Don't remember ever seeing one done like that that I really liked though. Just looking for thoughts from someone with a good eye for proportions. Here are a couple of shots. One from the side, one from an angle.
It's not horrible length wise, I actually like the length if the bed rails to the cab, it's just the wheel arch is in the wrong spot. At first glance it doesn't appear that 10" was lopped off, it looks like the axle was moved back. Try the photoshop thread and ask them to move the rear wheels forward. If you were to contemplate adding it back on, I'd seriously think about just starting with a stock one in the first place though.
I agree the length doesn't look bad and the axle looks like it was moved back. Was this a long bed to start with? ....or did these even come as a long bed? I'm not too familiar with 'em.
It has a great stance and personally I like the 5 spokes. I would definitely not add to the bed and the wood slats would make it a bit farm truck. Kinda like the exhaust idea with cutout in front of the rear wheels. I would do more research on that idea til you find something you can adapt that looks right.
In the 3/4 shot it looks a little oddly proportioned but I the side shot (that's not truly fully from the side) it doesn't looks odd. I'd not use the wood sides either. Well, at least not with very wise slats. If you really want to use them I'd use three and they'd be pretty narrow, like 2 or 2-1/2" at most and lowest one not the full length of the bed
Can't see the back but it looks like you don't have a bumper. Maybe if you could find the right bumper it would help balance it. Even as it is it looks pretty good to me.
If I use slats I would use narrow ones, and the over all height of the side boards would be pretty low. The rear bumper is a good idea, I had totally forgotten that. I think I should start there. Ill have to fab up brackets and find a bumper that looks decent. Hope I can find one that isn't chrome. Had to have the chrome on my new front one blasted off so we could paint it. Thanks Tman, I appreciate that. Maybe someday I can mount a push bumper on it and give the Spirit of South Dakota a push start on the salt.
Well getting only a few replies probably means I'm fretting about nothing. It bugged me a little when I first got it, and then I was fine with it. Now that I'm driving it a lot more I'm able to see it from more of a distance instead of up close all the time in my shop. I've had a ton of nice complements on it and no one has said anything (out loud) about the proportions ... sooo, we'll see lol.
Shit man, I think it looks great. First shot gets it, second shot gives a little "I dunno"....but only because I listened to your thoughts in the post. I always thought the long bed uni was way too long.....while the short uni was a bit too stubby. I may like your truck because you have it in the "happy medium" mode......literally. Thumbs up on the side exit, but only if you have some sort of finishing plate for the pipe to travel thru......maybe some polished rivets and some slash cut pipes.....while you're at it. Putting some stainless side trim back would do a lot too. They look good installed. Enhhh.....on the boards.....never a fan.....but it is yours sir. Nice truck. I would love to have it. Congrats.
Dunno if it ever had side trim. I remember when my buddy picked this up it was pretty much a plain Jane farm truck from the dry side of our state. Ill do some side exhaust exit searches to see what I can come up with. I appreciate everyone's thoughts on this ... thanks.
Paint it nice, or leave it.. do something with that interior.. put a bunch more chrome and stainless on it.. thin whitewalls and call it a day. The short bed look, looks good to me.
Yes, the truck looks ''odd'' and out of proportion and the only way I can see to make it look ''normal'' would be a huge, and expensive undertaking. That would involve moving the rear axle forward like what was done in the 60's with the AWB drag cars. It's not a simple bolt/unbolt procedure either and any return on that investment would be lost just for the sake of looks. It's your call, but I think I'd live with it until something else comes along and takes your eye.
No chrome or trim is happening. I went back and forth on the thin whites in the beginning decided against it, wanted the more aggressive look of old style Torq Thrusts and black walls. It will eventually be painted and the interior will be done too. Right now Im just happy to be driving it =) The chassis was modified quite a bit. Rear springs, gas tank, shocks C notched, drive line etc. Front is all Mopar. Engine and trans is Chevy. So doing anything to the chassis is out of the question. We will still be poking along with this at the same time. Ill post pics as we progress. We have another project we will be dragging home soon (been saying that for years lol). Not HAMB material, but cool ol car none the less. Will be posted over on 67-72chevytrucks.com
Kidcampbell71 said it, and was MY first reaction. If you'd never mentioned the mod, I would have been hard pressed to notice. (but I'm 'tunnel-visioned', as step sides are my main thing...I have a '55 F100 and a '50 F1, both step sides) The later pickups are just getting more attention lately, (last 10 years) so I'm just really coming around to their 'charm'...being a mechanic for years, I've worked on and driven them a lot...So, I of all people should herald the later Ford trucks! "With a little work, any Ford truck can be a 'hot rod'..." And my favorite: "A guy NEEDS a nice truck." .......By the way...Yours is a NICE truck!
The bumper idea seems it would look better.Other than major surgery another option is eight lug wheel conversion and a couple f250 camper special emblems as thats where the rear wheel sits on them for better weight balance.Its really not bad though as it sits.I like it.
You already said no chrome or trim, and for the life of me....I didn't find what I thought I was talking about. The only trim pic I could find was this version. I swear I saw someone with trim that followed the factory reveal sweep....but clearly....as has been frequent in my life....I am completely wrong in my trim memory. Factory trim doesn't really compliment the body side, huh? Wish I could photoshop a nice trim sweep for you. Unless it was a magazine piece where someone used a custom trim piece. I dunno'.....I still like your truck though. Whatever you do, I'll bet it still looks good.
I don't really think the placement of the wheel wells in relation to the body are a problem. I do think if you can raise the stance 2" front and back it might look just right. IMO it looks a bit too low for the proportions it has. This is also probably the cheapest and easiest option. I did a quick photoshop of it.
It is a little odd, somewhere between the long bed and short bed version. The short bed had a 114" wheel base and the long bed a 122". So you have something close to the short bed bed length but the long bed wheelbase. I do agree that a rear bumper could really help as did patmanta's lifting - taller rear tires would probably complete the illusion.
The wheelbase does look alittle long, but I think most people wouldn't know the difference. The stock 8' bed always looks a bit heavy with the longer overhang, with yours being shortened it does look better. I'd paint & drive it. Plus it would involve alot of work to move the wheelwells, rear axle and suspension.
Lengthen the bed back to stock length, lower the rear to level with the front, 3" chop, shiny paint on astro supremes. Mint!
I think patmanta's raising did a lot to help out, taller rear tires now that they are more exposed. Concur the addition of rear bumper will also help. Not sure this style truck lends to wood sides. Overall, I think the 3/4 shot looks worse than it is because of the white fence background and also no rear bumper to extend the rear visually.
I think I would leave it alone, and add a rear bumper in to the mix. For the love of god don't raise it! Now, you had said something about exhaust side exits... Here is how I handled that same thing on member "endlessearth's" Chevy long bed. I couldn't stand to see a pipe just dropped below, so I snuck them through those long quarters, using a length of flex pipe before the turn out to give everything a bit of wiggle for expansion. I made the escutions out of 1/8" aluminum stock and finished them to match the Moon discs. The net result is that it visually shortens the quarters up a touch, at least to my eyes. I have a better detail picture, but the picture loader deal is having a bad hair day right now, so I'll try to remember to add it later.
Looks sweet as is and side exhaust ports would look best if they were oval shaped imo Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I agree with need louvers, the exhaust outlet through the bed side would break up the look of the bed in front of the wheels.
Im thinking the unibody bed makes it look long to the front of the rear wheel and its just the nature of the beast.Mock up a bumper on some bricks and see how she looks.
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