Long Bed With Wood Rare???

[78ChevySilverado]

I purchased a 72 CHeyenne Super long wheel base. Is it a rare option to have the wood floor in the long bed? Also I have a hand-held spotlight that came with the truck, is that some kind of factory accessory or something?? Just wondering I'm not too knowledgable in 67-72 trucks 73-87's are my forte.

[sactoC10]

My 71's got a wood bed, not sure why or how some were wood and others were not. Seems to me there are less wood beds than steel. Good question!

[72 CustomCamper]

I have one of the hand held soptlights. When my uncle bought me truck new he said they sold the spotlights in the parts dept. ...

Chuck

[Longhorn Man]

on all step side trucks (6 1/2 foot, 8 foot and 9 foot) had wood, with no steel floor availible, as did the 8 1/2 foot bed on the Longhorn.
The fleet side trucks, both 6 1/2 and 8 foot had steel as standard, and wood optional.
I don't know that it is especially rare, just uncommon.

[Stryker67]

It's rare if the wood is original and intact......trust me on that one.

[sactoC10]

Any idea what the wood looked like new...how it was treated...color?

[8door]

sactoC10
As I understand it, the wood beds were hard pine. ( Southern Yellow Pine) and these were painted or stained black. The metal strips were all steel with galvinized bolts also painted black. But I have seen some originals maybe earlier trucks that were painted more like the body colors. light blue, green etc.The after market bedwood is now Oak and stainless or chrome metal strips, but original pine and paintable metal strips are available from venders.
Chris

[Longhorn Man]

I think 68 was when they chainged from body color to black for the floor. I remember some one (was it 68suburban?) who had both an early 68 dealer book and a late 68 dealer book, and about the only difference he had found was the inner bed floor color.

[GMC AMI]

Two of my 6, the 68 4x4 and the 71 4x4 GMC longbed fleets have the wooden beds. I did not know they were considered rare, learn something new everyday or why get out of bed!

[krazy_texan]

i used to have a 72 cheyenne super that had a wood floor and it was all original and perfect, somebody had put in one of those hard plastic slide in bed liners and nothing ever happened to the wood.

[franko72]

My 72 Cheyenne Super has a long bed with the original wood bed. It has the original equipment painted blue the same as the rest of truck

[Longhorn Man]

Originally Posted by franko72

My 72 Cheyenne Super has a long bed with the original wood bed. It has the original equipment painted blue the same as the rest of truck

I may well have had that backwards.

Here is a shot of the original wood in my old longhorn. There is some blue paint on it, but the truck had been repainted once.
I'd show a pic of the one ton's bed floor, but all the oil stains in the driveway would be embarasing.

[lux hauler]

The wood and metal in my blue '72 are painted body color also.

[Longhorn Man]

It looks like wood was WAY more common than we think.
Acording to the red book (ISBN 0-87341-933-2)
'67 44%
'68 28%

Bummer is, it doesn't list the percentage of 69 - 72 with the wood floor.
Those two percentages only include trucks that the option was avalible.
ie; step sides only had wood, longhorns only had wood, so 44% and 28% were on the 6 1/2 foot and 8 foot fleetsides only.

[boraxman]

I wish my truck had a wood bed....Oh and I wish I was rich too!

[sactoC10]

The wood on my bed is in really good shape, but the bottom side is black and the top side is yellow, which must have been painted when the truck was repainted...since the yellow is all the same. My wood looks to be hard pine, from one board that is losing paint. Just can't tell if it is the orginal wood or wood that was put in there at a later date. HMMM...

[8door]

sactoC10
Can you post a pic of your bed?
From what you say it could have been redone or may have just been painted.One way to find out if redone is to look at the bolts. The originals, I'm talking about the metal strips now, had a spline on the bolt shaft, were after markets bed bolts were more likely square stepped carriage bolts.But who knows could be same bolts were reused.Black paint on bottoms of wood was factory.

[sactoC10]

8door,

Yes, I will get some pics and post them...but it will take a few days. I'll get some good close ones and let the opinions and ideas come flying in!

[78ChevySilverado]

ttt

[super-k]

I wonder how rare the wood floor was in the `73-ups.I had a `78 Dually w/wood foor.Never seen another.It had the CamperSpecial option.It seems most 8`Fleetsides w/wood floor had camper pkg.,but not only(seperate option).

[sactoC10]

Interestingly, my truck did have a camper on it even though it is not a camper special. Original owner had it there most of it's useable life. Thus, the GOOD condition of the wood! Wonder why wood was preferable for a camper?

Broke down and ordered a digi camera, no more mandatory trips to the local film developer for my prints to go on disc...yahoo! Be a few days though still before I can post em (camera has to arrive).