Step one of a restoration project.... - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

**1971Stepside** · 11-04-2002, 03:16 PM

GET A TETANIS SHOT!! Holy Crap, this could only happen to me. Yesterday I was gettting the old wood out of my bed and trying to get it completely disassembled. Anyway, this one board needed a little coaxing. I climb up on the saw horses and then the bed (which is laying upside down on the horses) and give it a swift nudge with the leg. Well, it came out like that and my shin went directly into a nice rusty floor support and took about 2" of skin off nearly to the bone (there ain't much skin there to begin with). I'm bleeding everywhere and could barely get down off of the bed and saw horses. I did go back and finish after the wife bandaged me up.

Got my shot today and the Dr. was laughing at me!

So, to my question. Is there any way to salvage the bed strips? Mine are dent free, no surface rust, but the bolts are pretty rusted to the holes. I'm afraid if I grind off the heads I will mess up the strips...are there any tricks to this? I wish I had a blue wrench!!

11-04-2002, 03:16 PM	#1
1971Stepside Almost Satisfied Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Springfield, MO Posts: 2,932	Step one of a restoration project.... GET A TETANIS SHOT!! Holy Crap, this could only happen to me. Yesterday I was gettting the old wood out of my bed and trying to get it completely disassembled. Anyway, this one board needed a little coaxing. I climb up on the saw horses and then the bed (which is laying upside down on the horses) and give it a swift nudge with the leg. Well, it came out like that and my shin went directly into a nice rusty floor support and took about 2" of skin off nearly to the bone (there ain't much skin there to begin with). I'm bleeding everywhere and could barely get down off of the bed and saw horses. I did go back and finish after the wife bandaged me up. Got my shot today and the Dr. was laughing at me! So, to my question. Is there any way to salvage the bed strips? Mine are dent free, no surface rust, but the bolts are pretty rusted to the holes. I'm afraid if I grind off the heads I will mess up the strips...are there any tricks to this? I wish I had a blue wrench!! __________________ 1971 C10 Stepside. LSx 6.0 with BTR Stage IV, Speed Engineering Headers, 4L80e transmission w/3200 Circle-D Stall. 3.73. Posi. Purchased this truck when I was 17. I started the rebuild (or take apart) in 1993. I have drug it around all over the country in pieces. Finally back on the road in 2021. "I can't complain, but sometimes I still do. Life's been good to me so far."



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