UTility grade bed wood? stock type

[streetstar]

Do any of the vendors make pre-cut and drilled stock type wood kits? Or will i have to just make them myself. I have all the wood working tools a man could ever use, but i don't have a ton of skill with that stuff (or patience)

If its better to make it myself, what type of wood should i look for -- the green treated pine? Or do you use plain pine and treat it yourself.

This is for a truck i probably will pick up tomorrow -- its an unrestored survivor and will remain so, but $750 worth of African Bubinga wood , (or even a Horkey oak kit) would look out of place, and the weathered plywood sheets have got to go.

[special-K]

The factory used ash,I believe.You might be able to get it from Bruce Horkney.

[streetstar]

K, i should just start e-mailing you directly -- LOL (of course half of my questions will be answered if my LMC and Year One catalogs ever show up)

Ash would make more sense than pine for the OEM's, as it is a hardwood, -- but now ash is almost the same price as oak at the lumberyards

[Green Machine]

Southern yellow pine is what I thought was in there, I have seen several vendors that carry this, lot cheaper than oak, and cheaper than ash also.
Southern yellow pine is a harder pine than "generic" pine you can get at the lumber store. I would do some searching, and call some of the vendor.s If you are not real picky, sometimes they may have a set that has a few defects that you can get for a good discount.

[Boog]

I went to a local saw mill and bought oak boards for one truck and I bought southern yellow pine for another truck. The oak I had someone to edge for me but the yellow pine I edged and drilled myself with the help of my 9 yr old son. We didn't even have a table saw. A skill circular saw and some clamps and we got the edges cut out for the strips. Turned out great for a backyard afternoon project. I painted both floor sets with black paint as this was for my DD each time. It can be done for not a lot of money.

[Winter]

3/4" Marine plywood cut to fit and bolted in, painted with polyurethane porch paint to match the bed, will last twenty years and look presentable in a "working" truck.

[streetstar]

Winter, did you cut yours into planks to fit the bed strips,, or just bolt the whole thing down over the top?

Doesn't sound like too bad of a project any way you go about it -- supposed to pick the truck up tomorrow - i guess i'm getting antsy

[Winter]

"Winter, did you cut yours into planks to fit the bed strips,, or just bolt the whole thing down over the top?" streetcar


I removed all the old bed boards and metal strips, cut the marine plywood to size in one piece, and bolted it in directly to all the steel bed cross braces using small carriage type bolts. The side edges of the plywood bed are not visible. This was 8 to 10 years ago. I think I used a couple of solid oak strips too (painted also), maybe on the sides or underneath the bed as spacers on top of the bed cross braces. Painted it with forest green polyurethane porch paint to match the truck, a 1969 GMC shortbed step side, straight 6, 3 on the column farm truck in good shape. Marine plywood is very resistant to rot and warpage, and is tough also. I guess it has a lot of good glue in it.

The truck is currently in another state right now so I can't verify the exact bed configuration now.

[Fred T]

I would use the southern yellow pine. The treated stuff cracks and twists worse than SYP. You can easily make the boards with a table saw. If you have a dado blade it will be easier.

For advice and instructions go to GMC Pauls tech tip

[special-K]

I think that is right about yellow pine in factory floors.I just recently saw an original restoration with ash.I`ve seen it used alot.Do you want to paint yours like factory or just use the same grade wood?

[streetstar]

Well, for better or worse, the deal i cooked up came through on a '69 i looked at a week ago. I got the boards opinion on pricing, etc. before i shot the gentleman an offer (i love decent unrestored, trucks - so i had beer goggles on at first viewing)

The goal is for the end result to be similar to the (unknown to me) board member's truck in the bottom pic, except with those "swingin 70's" US mags on there instead of new billets-----
so i was just wanting basic wood with a clear finish --- i am not in the mood for a showpiece right now, so this will be my "go to home depot" truck -- or whatever. I won't haul rocks in it, but i definitely plan to use it !!

[Gray Ghost]

I've only seen yellow pine factory floors. You don't want to use the treated version because it will shrink a bit on you. Use the regular SYP.

That doesn't look like a Home Depot truck by any stretch....looks like it came from the 'hood'.

[streetstar]

Originally Posted by Gray Ghost

That doesn't look like a Home Depot truck by any stretch....looks like it came from the 'hood'.

Which one ?

I don't know --- i am at the stage of the game that i like an unrestored (unmolested ) truck. If it is close to rust - free, still has original paint and trim, and has an original interior with an uncut dash ---- thats a big thumbs up that some otherwise well meaning 16 year old hasn't gotten ahold of it and done irreparable harm before he discovered girls and his parents made him sell it
That gives me the discretion to do what i want without having to undo previous "repairs"

(No offense to teenagers-- some of you will be fine upstanding truck enthusiasts -- but i have seen what some of you do to trucks also)

[Boog]

And we were all teenagers once weren't we... good lookin 69.

[Sequoyah]

I would just use Douglas Fir or Pine 2x material. Mill it down to specs

[special-K]

I`m right with you Streetstar.I like that truck.I love seeing a truck that has survived the decades,especially one that was someone`s pride`n`joy with era-correct mods(like those slots).A true survivor is what I`ve come around to prefering.After building trucks I`m afraid to drive or park places,I prefer the casualness of an original unrestored truck.The uninitiated look past them as an old beater,yet the true early truck fan goes nuts over it`s suspended state.It`s the same with Bikes for me,too.
Unfortunately,those are tough to find back east around here.So,I`m completely building one from the ground up.All original sheetmetal,but it`ll need paint to match.I`m thinking a satin factory color in single stage.I`m doing a woodloor,too.I`m thinking to "weather" some wood for the floor.I may use something more exotic but it will be aged.I want unpretentious to be the vibe.