SkinnyG's '61 Apache

[SkinnyG]

I needed to see if this all fit, but before I did, I repaired a badly corroded cab mount with 3/16" plate (a bit thicker than original).



Cab went back on the frame to check for fit. I added some strengthening ribs on the passenger side of the raised "X" to strengthen the top, since due to the lateral angle of the driveshaft, it was no longer trapezoidal.



Welded on, and I am -very- pleased with the result. Driveshaft clears the back of the cab by 1/4".



Glory shot, control arms on the ground:

[SkinnyG]

Nothing new, but put the bed (which had been stored outside) on the rolling stand I made for moving the cab around, and brought it into the shop.



Did some thinking and measuring, and things were not adding up at all. It was looking like I shortened the rear of the frame WAY too much. Oh no!

I scoured the internet, I looked for lots of pictures of a stepside frame, and couldn't figure out why the rear bolts won't meet the frame. I had cut 8" off the back.

Oh but wait.

A stepside bed is 14.5" shorter in the front, and 5.5" shorter in the back, to equal 20".

So the 5.5" the back moves, PLUS the extra 2.5" at the front, is 8".

I'm good. Whew!

Not entirely sure the bed mount holes behind the axle are really where I want them, but I can make something work.

[88Stanger]

Damn this thing is going to look awesome!!

[SkinnyG]

I looked at a variety of bed floor options.

Options:

Bed wood kit: $750 CDN

Make my own wood using composite fascia boards: $630 CDN

If I do a wood or woodesque floor, I'll need new bed floor strips and angles: $150 CDN

New steel fleetside bed floor I can cut down: $1300 CDN

Maybe find/modify a bed floor from Pick-N-Pull: $190 to $430 CDN (I'm not sure how they would price this)

Find a local bed and cut a floor out: $500+ CDN

Decision:

In the end, I can buy wood through the school wood shop at cost and make my own. So that's what I decided to do, in Red Oak. I ordered bed strips from Bill's Truck Shop in Ontario.

I intend to do a black stain, and then an oil finish so I can just keep oiling it off and on, maybe even with used motor oil since I will have some at every oil change.

[88Stanger]

Originally Posted by SkinnyG

I looked at a variety of bed floor options.

Options:

Bed wood kit: $750 CDN

Make my own wood using composite fascia boards: $630 CDN

If I do a wood or woodesque floor, I'll need new bed floor strips and angles: $150 CDN

New steel fleetside bed floor I can cut down: $1300 CDN

Maybe find/modify a bed floor from Pick-N-Pull: $190 to $430 CDN (I'm not sure how they would price this)

Find a local bed and cut a floor out: $500+ CDN

Decision:

In the end, I can buy wood through the school wood shop at cost and make my own. So that's what I decided to do, in Red Oak. I ordered bed strips from Bill's Truck Shop in Ontario.

I intend to do a black stain, and then an oil finish so I can just keep oiling it off and on, maybe even with used motor oil since I will have some at every oil change.

On my "69 i did my own wood floor. I used Black Locust which is a really hard wood with lost of "figuring" in it. I really like the dark and lights in it. Cost was low because my buddy has a small mill and the trees are local to us here. I borrowed a planner and got the boards from 5/4 to 3/4 and then cut the widths. After that i routered the edge and then cut the length. Honestly was not real hard, just need little better than basic wood skills. Fits perfectly. I plan to do similar to the "66. So I say good for you!

[WunTon]

Doing the bed yourself is the way to go if you have the tools and capability I think. There are some nice kits out there that make it real easy but the pride of doing it yourself when you have done everything else it worth the extra effort to me. I plan to mill my own as well and CNC my wood shop logo into the bed floor for something a little extra and because the truck will be used for my business so why not! I can't see what you end up with in the end.

[SkinnyG]

I work with wood under duress. Wood is for wheel chocks, sub boxes, and protecting my drill press table.

I can benefit financially from the school's bulk raw wood purchasing, and run it all through the planer at work.

[SkinnyG]

Second guessing the Red Oak option.

While LOTS of people are using Red Oak for the bed floors, these are mostly the "show" trucks with the miles-deep bar-table varnish on top. Clearly not for going to Art Knapps Plant Land for a scoop of crushed granite, or skidding a big block Chevy to the header panel to haul home from Pick-N-Pull.

I looked at other wood options = I'm kind of committed since I have new bed skid and angle strips coming. I looked at Ipe and Apitong, and Hemlock, and Hickory....

I'm back at my original though on going composite. Composite works out to about $210, since I can get three boards out of a 20' length, and it's cheaper by the 20'.

[88Stanger]

Originally Posted by SkinnyG

Second guessing the Red Oak option.

While LOTS of people are using Red Oak for the bed floors, these are mostly the "show" trucks with the miles-deep bar-table varnish on top. Clearly not for going to Art Knapps Plant Land for a scoop of crushed granite, or skidding a big block Chevy to the header panel to haul home from Pick-N-Pull.

I looked at other wood options = I'm kind of committed since I have new bed skid and angle strips coming. I looked at Ipe and Apitong, and Hemlock, and Hickory....

I'm back at my original though on going composite. Composite works out to about $210, since I can get three boards out of a 20' length, and it's cheaper by the 20'.

I am not going to lie here, i kinda like he composite idea. I have never used a router on composite, but that would not stop me from trying it. I really do like this idea.... Damnit, now i may just do this.... Sorry, do not mean to take your post away... but this composite idea is a good one. I love, love real wood look, but the composite idea is simple, easy, replaceable and cost effective.... hmm...

[SkinnyG]

I understand it machines just fine.

I checked with a local supplier on Ipe; they don't have any, and don't expect to see any before spring. I didn't get the price, but if the pricing even comes close to composite, why not just go composite.

Since I'm raising the bed floor anyway, I will be ordering composite deck planks (1" thick) this weekend, and alter the angle strip location to suit the taller thickness. I will probably also use the two "removed" bed braces and place them over the axle to better brace the boards, as I hear they don't do wide centers very well.

I am a HUGE fan of "low maintenance" when it comes to a lot of things.

[SkinnyG]

I shortened the back of the bed today. I cut through the spot welds of the rear stake pocket box, and exiting along the top of the rolled edge so as to be able to cut a fresh end when it's all welded back together.

[SkinnyG]

For the front, locate the spot welds:



Remove the steps:



Get some first aid because thin rusty metal bites when the bolt breaks (yes, my Tetanus shots are current, I -do- work with metal):



The bottom two spot welds were drilled from outside (easier to get to):



Mark cutting lines (14.5"), cutting right through the spot welds:



Weld a brace onto what will be the new front of the bed:



Cut along the cut lines, removing the 14.5" section. Pay attention to which side of the cut line you cut on:



Remove the front, and clean up the spot weld remnants on the flanges:



Shove the front half on to the shortened bed:



Bask in a fuzzy picture of accomplishment:

[SCOTI]

Nice.

[aggie91]

Nice, looks like you and I have the same idea on shortening a LWB Step Side to keep the patina if it is worth saving.

[88Stanger]

nice work

[SkinnyG]

The tentative plan for colours (roof/bumpers/trim "Cameo White" - body "Grabber Orange" - bed wood "Beach House"):

[SkinnyG]

Or a more gray wood.



Or more vanilla ice cream?

[53Sparky]

if you're asking for a vote, I say Vanilla Ice Cream is pretty good looking.

[jkeating1]

Originally Posted by 53Sparky

if you're asking for a vote, I say Vanilla Ice Cream is pretty good looking.

I agree-sometimes the whites on accents are too white. The Vanilla, or anything with just a hint of cream will be better.

[jkeating1]

Matching up, welding up, grinding, and smoothing those beads on the step part of the shortened running boards is going to consume some time, I imagine.

[SkinnyG]

Challenge accepted!

[SkinnyG]

A narrow window of dry weather meant I could blast the areas I needed to deal with. This is now Christmas break 2020, and I'd like to get the bed assembled and on the truck by the time I go back to school. The hope is to have the truck ready for paint in the summer.

Trex "Winchester" composite deck board were ordered. In order to fit these, an eighth skid strip had to be ordered since these boards are much narrower than OEM. The single skid strip came with no holes, so I had to drill and then file square.



Also picked up some 2x4" 0.120 to raise the bed floor, and some 2x4" 0.063 to raise the rear of the bed frame.



The bed header (?) was disassembled, and the board flange raised 4". Also spent a LOT Of time trying to straighten and shrink and true the panel. I have no idea what I'm doing; I'm figuring this out as I go.

[SkinnyG]

Started figuring out how to raise the bed floor, but what I put together warped all to hell, so I need a different approach. I have a new plan up my sleeve to reduce warping, but still do the deep.

Off to Metal Supermarket tomorrow.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by SkinnyG

Started figuring out how to raise the bed floor, but what I put together warped all to hell, so I need a different approach. I have a new plan up my sleeve to reduce warping, but still do the deep.

Off to Metal Supermarket tomorrow.

Metal Supermarket is a great source.

[SkinnyG]

I got it pretty close to straight. I'm not going to chase this panel to perfection - it's just going to get dinged up as -I- use the truck.



First, some brainstorming, because people don't seem to have a lot of detail in their builds to follow. That, and maybe I'm a little fussy:



I sliced the 2x4x0.063" rectangular tubing to an "L" that is 1-1/4"x4", and welded some flats on the ends so I can plug weld them to the bed. This is a LONG stretch to weld, and it's going to warp all the heck, so plug welds are a good idea.

I will place a length of 1x2" to create a new "back" to this, to recreate the raised stop at deck height. Should all look like this:





Then I cleaned and scrubbed all the skid strips, angle strips, and blasted bits and epoxy primer. I'll give that a few days, and then weld the front and back back on.