Aaarg!!! I bought a frankentruck /with pics

[llowlife]

Well I have owned several of these fine body styles for a few decades now...except never a shortbox especially a stepside. I prefer a FS and now it may appear that I will eventually get my wish, not at the current time as the cash cow has died as I was coming to the end of my adventure of building this truck...

Anyway when I bought it, something didn't "feel right", well after removing the bed and looking at some pics it would appear that I was right. The truck is "fuller" than it should be as some PO added long box fenders to a shortie..... It was well done as I didn't notice and it fits very nicely so someone went to a lot of work to get everything right. But now I will look at it everytime I get in and wonder "who is looking at me" and I will never be able to show my head up with pride at a car show so I will have to slink away and park on the "fringes" with the "B" class cars and trucks...Oh the shame....

Anyway its going to go back as it was because as I mentioned earlier the cash tree is bare. I will however not spend any more money that necessary on the fenders or box. That means that the frenched lights will be cleaned up and reused and rust repaired with OMG....bondo.... And in the mean time I will start looking for a FS when the treee starts to grow again...ANyone want a shortbox with long fenders eventually? I will post pics when it is back on if anyone wants to see it....Thanks for letting me vent

[bigguy69]

to be honest i didnt reliaze there was difference. learn something new every day.

[fishingjred73]

There isn't any difference as far as overall size. The only difference is the left fender if it has a spare tire cutout. They are positioned a little differently on the lwb vs. swb. Other than that same fenders.

[Zoomin]

Me either. I probably would have left it, especially since it was done well.

[BLAZERMAN]

fishingjred73 is correct..no difference in the fenders on the long and short stepsides.

[llowlife]

Maybe I feel a little better then? The pics I have seen all have a space behind the rear of the fender. My rear stake pocket has been cut out to clear the fender and it goes all the way to the rear of the bed. I have long and short bed steps so the ones i have on it are the short ones. Okay now I'm just confused. My fenders do not look like some others I see in pics

http://lacey-washington.olx.com/1972...p-iid-14727991

I'm sure you guys know better than i do bet this fender above doesn't go all the way to the rear of the bed. Is it possible my fender has been located incorrectly? again the short steps fit perfectly. Is there a difference from year to year? I would like to try and sort this issue out if its an issue at all and I haven't lost my marbles completely...Does it look "normal" to you guys? The fender in the pic is just being held on by clamps at this point for photos. It is a bit cocked but it is placed where it was as you can see from the paint outline.

[fishingjred73]

I'm thinking you may have a newer model box with our year model fenders on it.

[68Stepbed]

Something's definitely not right. The rear of the fender sits where the stake pocket "should" be. I'll try to take some measurements for you later on my truck and see what's wrong with it.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Who cut out the stake pocket? How was the tailgate installed? If your steps fit, then my guess is someone whacked off the last couple inches to bob the back of the bed.



Here's my bed naked. Something that is noticably different than your bed is that yours appears to have metal the dips down at the very back wheras mine does not.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I measured my bed. The top of my bed rail is 80 1/8" long.

From the very front of my bed to where the lower body line meets the bed is right around 14".

There are no differences between long and short step fenders, except when talking about the driver side mounted spare as mentioned above, those fenders do differ from long to short box, but only where the fender is cut for the spare.

[gkesseru]

How long are the boards on the inside?
Another possibility is it looks like the step may be too long and the fender was moved back to clear it. On mine the distance from the back of the front stake pocket to the front of the fender is 11 3/4". Got the right steps?

[jasons]

It looks like your bed is too short, the front proportions look right, but the rear is off.
The Mar-K website shows short stepside bed wood is 77 1/8". I checked a few years from 60 through the early 80's and all showed the same size. How long is the wood in your bed?

[storm9c1]

Originally Posted by jasons

How long is the wood in your bed?

That sounds like a personal question if you ask me.............

(sorry, had to, it's Friday!)

[jasons]

Originally Posted by storm9c1

That sounds like a personal question if you ask me.............

(sorry, had to, it's Friday!)

Great, now I'll get a reputation as the board sicko

Now returning you to your previously scheduled thread.

[67ChevyRedneck]

??? Any revelations?

[llowlife]

Just got in for the day working on the frame . I will get some measurements tomorrow. a just sitting there looking at the bed trying to figure out what doesn't seem right. THE wheel fits correctly in the fender. I would think that if the steps were too long or the fender moved back it wouldn't "fit" the wheel correctly. I spose somene could have lopped off the rear but they would have had to splice the stake pocket. As it sits the stake pocket in the rear has been covered. Thanks

[llowlife]

Okay I went and got some measurements...Overall length is 75 1/4. It seems we may have found the issue. I am 12" from the front stake to the fender, it would appear that for what ever reason the bed was shortened, along with maybe the frame? and parts were moved forward and modified to fit. Like I said...whoever did it did a decent job. I have an UBER shortbox!!!! I guess it will have to do for now. Can someone get me a measurement of the frame where I have measured it in the pic. If what I think happened I'll heve to lengthen the frame if I ever find a FS box. This is the only pic I have of te truck together for reference. It is not a great pic but gets the idea across.

[Palf70Step]

Maybe that is a blazer frame under the truck (Tazer conversion)?

Folks did it a lot, turn a blazer into a pickup.

[llowlife]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Maybe that is a blazer frame under the truck?

Folks did it a lot, turn a blazer into a pickup.

Great if that were the case then I'll be parking outside the car shows and walking in.....

Actually its a DD and will haul bikes...as long as the bed isn't too short to haul a bike

[67ChevyRedneck]

Who gives a rip what other's think?

Measure your wheelbase. A shorty should be 115". I don't know what a blazer should be.

[jasons]

If that really is a 2wd Blazer frame it is worth more that a short box truck frame.

It has been a while since I had a shortbox frame, but it dosen't look cut to me.
How was the rear cross sill for the box mounted? It should have a bracket welded to it that reaches about 3" forward to reach the frame instead of sitting directly on the frame like the others. If you need a picture of what I'm talking about let me know and I can get you one tomorrow, I have one laying around somewhere.

[jasons]

Originally Posted by llowlife

Okay I went and got some measurements...Overall length is 75 1/4. It seems we may have found the issue. I am 12" from the front stake to the fender, it would appear that for what ever reason the bed was shortened, along with maybe the frame? and parts were moved forward and modified to fit. Like I said...whoever did it did a decent job. I have an UBER shortbox!!!! I guess it will have to do for now. Can someone get me a measurement of the frame where I have measured it in the pic. If what I think happened I'll heve to lengthen the frame if I ever find a FS box. This is the only pic I have of te truck together for reference. It is not a great pic but gets the idea across.

I just looked at the photos again. What is sticking out the bed side in the last picture is the rear cross sill I was talking about in my last post. It should not be wider than the bed sides. It looks like that one was used from a wide bed.

I'd bet your frame is fine, someone just shortened the box.

[llowlife]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Who gives a rip what other's think?

Just being smart...I drive a 97 Mazda 626 with no exhaust back and forth to work....I have no pride or shame....Besides now I'm lighter!!!!

Thanks for everyones help. I'll post a pic when she's back together...which if the rest of this project is any indication should be about 2014.

Still interested in the distance behind the last frame crossmember....So its okay if I cut off the part of the crossmember sticking out the side of the box?

Driveshaft was a normal 2 piece so I suspect that the wheelbase is okay...I understand that that the blazer must be shorter

The reason I thought the frame was cut as it was a bit jagged like a torch was used on it. Plus the bolt holes in te rear of the frame are torched in (bumper mount etc.)

[llowlife]

67 redneck...just took a closer look at your naked bed.....Yep it definately looks like if you cut your fender off at the back it would look the same as mine....Question is...why would you "move" the stake pocket only to cut it off and then seal the top?

Just occured to me that if I take a DA to the box about 5 inches in from the rear I bet I will find a weld.....That would move the stake pocket and the tailgate mounts etc all at the same time.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Looks like my frame has 2 holes on top after the rear cross member.

I just can't tell from your pics, but it appears that the rear most crossmember was moved in towards the cab and a few inches were cut off?

I measured from the very back of the bump stop mounting bracket to the back of the frame, I got about 32-1/2". Hope that helps.