Late model bed on my 66

[66-PMD-GMC]

Does ANYONE have photos of a 90ish bed on a 66?
I bought a 96 bed and I am starting to have second thoughts.
I think it looks cool but something doesnt look right.
ANYONE?

[kalirodding]

No pics, but I've seen a couple of trucks in my area that have newer beds on them. Your're right, something does'nt look right. I'm not a fan of that look, but some people are.

[66-PMD-GMC]

I dont have the bed on the truck but it is sitting next to it and I think it's the different wheel openings that are throwing me off.
I have never liked the original step sides as they look better suited to the 59 and older trucks and look out of place with the more square look of the 60-66 cabs.
I would love a fleetside and would get one if the sellers had an affordable price on them...
It would sure help to see one thats done.

[allengator]

Its the tail lights that kill it for me

[markeb01]

Assuming you were asking about stepside beds - here are links to a couple of trucks with the late bed. I’m not a big fan of the look. I never really cared for the bed even on the trucks it came on originally, thinking it looked too pinched up in the back. Seems like the appearance would be enhanced with more conventional tail light placement.

http://www.carnut.com/cgi-bin/02/ima...all/all116.jpg
http://www.carnut.com/cgi-bin/image....all/all085.jpg
http://www.carnut.com/cgi-bin/image....ark/ark154.jpg
http://www.carnut.com/cgi-bin/image....k98/ark111.jpg

[Indian113]

Thanks for the link!

I like the way he ties it together on the blue one with the molding.

I really don't care for the late model boxes on our truck- but I agree it looks like our boxes were a after thought

[blackedoutharley]

The best one I have seen was on a dually that was (is?) owned by Rich Guasco and was used as a support vehicle for his "Pure Hell" AA/Fuel Altered.

He even added the body line from the bed to the rear portion of the cab and it all flowed together quite nicely. I will see if I can get any pics.

[66-PMD-GMC]

Thanks for the photos!
The wheel openings are more "squared off" on the bed but once it is the same color it matches better. Thats what I was hoping.
I have the later tail lights not the smooth ones shown in the photos. I like the later tail lights.
Very cool, I am excited to get it completed and start on my "burb".

[blackmopar]

i just threw up in my mouth

[DWitcher]

Don't do it man. Nothing worse than a late bed on an early truck.. . .Well almost.

[spudtruck]

I know that this is one of the most contreversial mods you can do to the truck. I did mine because it was economical and I want to see if I can make it look okay.And if I don't like the results I can change it to a regular bed when I get the money. I did shave the rear steps and am blacking out the taillights. They look kind of stupid now because I painted inside of where the light sits. The truck itself will be medium gloss black John Deere color and I think that the tail lights will blend in. I agree with Markebo1 on the lights.

I hate to even show the pictures now because it does look like a sore thumb. I like David Frieburger from Hot Rod and his saying "Dare to be different". Good Luck. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have on mounting it up to the frame. Kevin

[daverod]

Spuds out of the closet.

[Captainfab]

I wouldn't do it. There is a '65 here in town with a sportside bed on it, and it looks like crap IMO.

[spudtruck]

Spuds out of the closet but no one likes his style but that's okay

[daverod]

Thats OK I know your cool and I like the truck. Can't wait till you put the big potato back in it.

[66-PMD-GMC]

Originally Posted by DWitcher

Don't do it man. Nothing worse than a late bed on an early truck.. . .Well almost.

OK, well here is where I am on this.
To me, it looks like Chevy and GMC forgot to design a stepside bed for the 60-66 trucks and then just decided to use the old 59 and back beds and frankly IMO they are butt friggin ugly on the 60-66 trucks. I think people are just accustomed to seeing them on the 60-66 trucks and thats why some people don't say anything.
As far as a fleetside goes, shortening a long bed version is OK IF you can find one in good enough shape to make it worth while.
I looked and looked for a clean short GMC fleetside and the only thing I have found in 2 1/2 years is junk or overpriced beds in "OK" shape priced the same as the space shuttle.
For example, I found a very clean, rust free fleetside that has about a 1/2 hour worth of body work needed and a wood floor that needs to be replaced along with the strips and a perfect GMC tail gate and the guy only wants $1200 for the bed..... WAY out of my budget not to mention the fact that after new bed floor and body work I will have about $1800 into a bed.
The 96 stepside bed has new paint that is flawless and came with 3 gallons of matching paint that is very near the exact same color I was going to paint the truck anyway. (Gunmetal Grey) I bought the whole package for $300 and it is a mount it, buff it out and go deal.
I just wanted to see what it will look like installed and the same color as the cab.
Oh, and blackmopar... don't swallow it back down dude,,, YUCK!

[66-PMD-GMC]

Originally Posted by spudtruck

I know that this is one of the most contreversial mods you can do to the truck. I did mine because it was economical and I want to see if I can make it look okay.And if I don't like the results I can change it to a regular bed when I get the money. I did shave the rear steps and am blacking out the taillights. They look kind of stupid now because I painted inside of where the light sits. The truck itself will be medium gloss black John Deere color and I think that the tail lights will blend in. I agree with Markebo1 on the lights.

I hate to even show the pictures now because it does look like a sore thumb. I like David Frieburger from Hot Rod and his saying "Dare to be different". Good Luck. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have on mounting it up to the frame. Kevin

What are the challenges of mounting this bed? Talk to me...

[k1rodeoboater]

I don't care for the newer beds on our trucks...but spud's has my interest
Posted via Mobile Device

[66-PMD-GMC]

Oh, and spuds.... I think I qualify to be in the dare to be different category building a GMC with a Pontiac motor and an NV4500 5 speed along with the 96 bed...
Yeah... That's different all right...

[kalirodding]

Originally Posted by 66-PMD-GMC

OK, well here is where I am on this.
To me, it looks like Chevy and GMC forgot to design a stepside bed for the 60-66 trucks and then just decided to use the old 59 and back beds and frankly IMO they are butt friggin ugly on the 60-66 trucks. I think people are just accustomed to seeing them on the 60-66 trucks and thats why some people don't say anything.

So what you are saying is that the newer style beds aren't (using your words) butt ugly on older trucks? Well the best part of it, is that it's your truck and you can do whatever you want with it. So it looks like you have made up your mind, so good luck.

[markeb01]

Originally Posted by 66-PMD-GMC

OK, well here is where I am on this. To me, it looks like Chevy and GMC forgot to design a stepside bed for the 60-66 trucks and then just decided to use the old 59 and back beds and frankly IMO they are butt friggin ugly on the 60-66 trucks. I think people are just accustomed to seeing them on the 60-66 trucks and thats why some people don't say anything.

I agree the 55-59 fenders never looked right with the 60-66 cabs. As a young enthusiast when these trucks were new I thought the stepsides looked stupid with the old bed, particularly because it was much too narrow for the cab. In the beginning I thought using the old fenders must have been a stop gap solution until the new fenders made production. Seven years later it was pretty obvious GM sat on their hands and correctly assumed truck customers would accept whatever they sold regardless of style.

If wasn’t until 1973 that GM produced fenders that looked like they should have been installed on the 60-66 series. They were as wide as the cab, and the angled corner somewhat matches the body sculpting. Unfortunately the wheel well openings don’t match very well. I still think they blend better with this cab than any other production fender.

Originally Posted by spudtruck

I did shave the rear steps and am blacking out the taillights.

No matter what the bed is installed on, shaving the rear steps off the later bed eliminates my biggest objection to their appearance. It never occurred to me this modification could be done. What a great improvement. It transforms what I always thought was a rather odd style into something rather stylish. Nice job!

[66-PMD-GMC]

Originally Posted by kalirodding

So what you are saying is that the newer style beds aren't (using your words) butt ugly on older trucks? Well the best part of it, is that it's your truck and you can do whatever you want with it. So it looks like you have made up your mind, so good luck.

Actually, no. I haven't made up my mind on anything to be truthful and no, it's not the bed itself that is ugly or wrong, it is that bed on the 60-66.
I worked for my Uncle Bill who owned a Pontiac/GMC dealership and he even thought the bed looked wrong when new on the 60-66 trucks.
Like Markeb01, I think the original stepside beds definitely look out of place on the 60-66 trucks but the mid to late 50's trucks look great with them.
I saw an 84 step bed on a 65 that looks pretty good and looks more period correct than the 96 bed I have.
I have a 63 and a 66 cab and chassis that I can use the 96 bed on.
I need someone strong to help me set this bed on for a test fit since it is painted and blemish free.
I asked for photos because seeing someone else's build helps me to make up my mind.
I really like the direction spuds is going with his build.
If I had a short fleet bed with a GMC or blank tail gate, the fleet would definitely win over any other option but as I said, I haven't found a good long or short bed in Arizona in my price range yet.
Hell, a nice bed without a tailgate would work too. I could get/find the tailgate later.
In any event, I am looking for a solution and the photos helped a lot. Thanks

[lakeroadster]

Too me this topic all hinges around the "theme" of your truck.

If you put a late model bed on a 60-66 and you don't make some major cab and dog house styling modifications it just looks like mismatched parts, IMO. The truck needs a theme, a certain flow and meaning to the parts assembled as (1) vehicle. Now maybe if you used a GMC hood, shaved the hood marker lights, added a cowl induction scoop, used a front roll-pan, shaved the drip rails and door handles, made a custom grille and limo tinted the windows it might look like the theme was continued back -to- front, so to say.

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of modifications. That being said I personally haven't seen any stock or modified-stock 60-66's with a non "era correct" stepside bed that looks "better" than the stock design. But it might happen, I just know that I haven't seen it yet.

They look different, but not better.

There are styling cues that make these step-side beds old school: stake pockets, the funky CHEVROLET or GMC script on the tailgate, the stepside fender leaning forward, the rolled over bed rails and the wooden floors. And these styling cues mesh well with the unique cab styling.

That being said mod's can be made to the stock bed that improve the looks, yet they won't make it look like your truck went through a time warp right behind the cab.

I am looking forward to more posts on this and I am hoping that yours will be the first that looks "like it was meant to be". Shaving those rear steps was a huge improvement.

[66-PMD-GMC]

Lakeroadster,
I am not intensionally trying to reinvent the wheel.
I want a bed on my truck that didn't come with a bed when I bought it.
In fact, neither of my trucks had a bed when I bought them.
My preference in all of this is an original fleetside bed with a steel floor not a wood floor.
Yes, I know the wood was the only option 60-66 but I want a steel floor.
The stepside... for me... the original stepside for 60-66 is not an option. I find no styling similarities in the 60-66 bed and cab other than the wheel openings.
The curves of that bed are far more suited to the 59 and back trucks.
That said, I am looking for an alternative that is $400 or less (more or less) to get a bed on both my trucks.

The GMC hood is already aggressive and different than Chevy. I am raising the center section of the hood and fabricating a cowl throat in the back to match the nose of the hood on front. The turn signals stay as is because I think they are part of the flavor of the GMC hood.
The grill stays the same with the exception of the GMC lettering is getting changed to PMD.
I haven't made a decision on the bumper yet but I do know I want to find something more modern.

[Chevy Fleetside]

Originally Posted by 66-PMD-GMC

OK, well here is where I am on this.
To me, it looks like Chevy and GMC forgot to design a stepside bed for the 60-66 trucks and then just decided to use the old 59 and back beds and frankly IMO they are butt friggin ugly on the 60-66 trucks.

and that is why I went back to a Fleetside Bed.