Improved bed?

Haven't been able to decide wether to build pu bed or stay with flat bed. Maybe this will help. Let me know what you think. This is just in mock up phase. will have to fill some holes and cut and fit piece to wrap around tail light pod.

Before
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After, bed side in mock up pos.
Attachment 43561

I think it will make Ugly Betty a little more pleasing to the eye. Also ordered a chopped 32 radiator. In the full height shell this will allow me to move the grill shell rearward 4 to 6 inches so should make engine compartment look alot shorter. Also will reduce that bull nose effect.

All input appreciated, as always. Charlie:cool:

That's one cool lookin truck! The flat bed sure looks good!

I would sure like to see it from the back though.
Kurt

This shot is not that great, and still have to cut fit piece for aroung taillight. This was crude cut to get it in aprox place.
Attachment 43562
I didn't get pass side fit, even roughly. I got it basically cut to size and I just ran outa steam.

Wow I think it's looking really good.
I bet you can't wait to get it finished.
It's comming along real nice.
Kurt

Looks good to me. But if I was gonna put a bed on it I would make it a little longer. Just my 2.

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Originally Posted by dlotraf33

I think it will make Ugly Betty a little more pleasing to the eye. Also ordered a chopped 32 radiator. In the full height shell this will allow me to move the grill shell rearward 4 to 6 inches so should make engine compartment look alot shorter. Also will reduce that bull nose effect.
All input appreciated, as always. Charlie:cool:

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Hey Charlie, that little jewel is gonna be eye candy no matter what bed. On the other subject, new shell, it has been my observation that the best look is achieved by the radiator shell cutting right through the center of the tire looking at the truck from the side. Just my two cents.

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Originally Posted by techinspector1

Hey Charlie, that little jewel is gonna be eye candy no matter what bed. On the other subject, new shell, it has been my observation that the best look is achieved by the radiator shell cutting right through the center of the tire looking at the truck from the side. Just my two cents.

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I got the new radiator mounted and I was able to move grill shell back about 3 to 4 inches. And now it's just in front of the axle. It improved the look a bit. Also scored a moon tank and got it set. I still havent done anymore on the bed. It got too hot and then another project was forced upon me. Little girl on a cell phone knocked the hookey out of my 66 and I have been scrounging parts to fix that one. I hope to get it painted before someone else hits it....:LOL:

Attachment 45290

Attachment 45291

Thanks for the kind words Tech. It's still a very much on going project. I try somthing and look at it for awhile to see if I like it or not. I think by next spring I might call it finished. But then again..............:3dSMILE:

Front end looks a bunch better!!! Tough luck on the '66, hope you put her cell phone in an appropriate place so she won't be talking on it.......:D

For the back, maybe a bit longer and the side boards uneven lengths with the top one shorter????????

Anyway, looks great now, but no reason to stop looking for ways to improve it!!! Heck, a Hot Rod is never really done anyway!!!!

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Front end looks a bunch better!!! Tough luck on the '66, hope you put her cell phone in an appropriate place so she won't be talking on it.......:D

For the back, maybe a bit longer and the side boards uneven lengths with the top one shorter????????

Anyway, looks great now, but no reason to stop looking for ways to improve it!!! Heck, a Hot Rod is never really done anyway!!!!

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Thanks Dave, Shorten bed was the plan. Will probably loose the wood side board and make upper sides in metal. I wanted to keep rear tail lights so without a major re do there I am stuck with the lenth. I want the buckets to protrude slightly from side and then probably mold in. But shorten bed top to make it look right. Or maybe sides flush with bucket. I forget now what I was thinking. It's been awhile since I started mocking it up. And my memory is shot..............:D

love the front and like the rear. i would also make the bed come out a little longer.

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Originally Posted by dlotraf33

. And my memory is shot..............:D

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My memory is a whole bunch of legal pads with notes, numbers, sketches, and diagrams on them.... now if I could remember where I left them!!!!:eek::LOL::LOL::LOL:

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

My memory is a whole bunch of legal pads with notes, numbers, sketches, and diagrams on them.... now if I could remember where I left them!!!!:eek::LOL::LOL::LOL:

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Yeah, I make lists, forget them. I have had a grocery list, stoped at auto parts store, upon leaving I paw in pocket and find folded up list, (of course not remembering what it is) think "don't need this" and throw it away. I get to store and can't find list, and can't remember I threw a piece of paper away till long after I have returned from store and still can't find list..........:LOL:.......:CRY:

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Originally Posted by dlotraf33

Yeah, I make lists, forget them. I have had a grocery list, stoped at auto parts store, upon leaving I paw in pocket and find folded up list, (of course not remembering what it is) think "don't need this" and throw it away. I get to store and can't find list, and can't remember I threw a piece of paper away till long after I have returned from store and still can't find list..........:LOL:.......:CRY:

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now that is bad:LOL:

Charlie, it looks very cool the way it is. I like the rounded tube look from the side view and back view. Those tail lights are fantastic. Very cool truck the way it sits now! Also like the front with the new moon tank! The short bed also gives it a jackrabbit ready to run look! One mean lookin little RPU.
All it needs is a hidden set of speakers under those tail light tubes, and a sound track of the batmobile turbine engine winding up! Maybe some hidden flame throwing nossles too! :)

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Originally Posted by stovens

Charlie, it looks very cool the way it is. I like the rounded tube look from the side view and back view. Those tail lights are fantastic. Very cool truck the way it sits now! Also like the front with the new moon tank! The short bed also gives it a jackrabbit ready to run look! One mean lookin little RPU.
All it needs is a hidden set of speakers under those tail light tubes, and a sound track of the batmobile turbine engine winding up! Maybe some hidden flame throwing nossles too! :)

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Yup,I like it too,,Bed looks about right,front end looks good,Proportions are quite suitable I think..

yep i like the length of the bed as the back wheel not in center not bad looking as is,but longer bed just would not look right to much off set to back wheel center . the tubes for you back lites many look better if you ran that part longer to a roll pan and widen the lite pod off set it a wee bit

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Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

yep i like the length of the bed as the back wheel not in center not bad looking as is,but longer bed just would not look right to much off set to back wheel center . the tubes for you back lites many look better if you ran that part longer to a roll pan and widen the lite pod off set it a wee bit

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I'm with you Pat, longer would look bad. The one thing I did learn on this project, is get it outside and stand back and look a proportions. What looks good up close may look like crud back 50 feet. I was lucky that some of it turned out as well as it did, since this was my first total creation. I have considered wideing those lights. The other thing I learned is what looks good to me on Saturday, may not on Tuesday..............:D

That RPU has attitude. Looks cool the way it is. I love them tail lights also and the bed length is to my likin also. Nice job you have done so far.

Well it's been awhile since I did the mockup on this bed. I started to do the final fit a few weeks ago, and then got sidetracked with Lethal Weapon. So I got back on it this weekend and did the final fit and welding on the rear protion. I still have to do the sides, welding, but I wanted to get a good look at the rear first. I need to take the bed completly off and make some pannels for the front, as stiffners and to give it a finished look between cab and bed aprons. I also need to weld in the trunk front. At the time I originally did it, I was so sick of welding and grinding I just used cabinet ply, and the vibrations are working the screws loose.

Attachment 47486

another angle

Attachment 47487

I still have some finish work on the rear section, but I wanted to shoot a little rattle can primer on it so I could get a better view of what the finished product would look like.

As I mentioned elsewhere..... I bought a new floor drill press, my christmas present, and tried it out yesterday. It's an import, but Tractor Supply had them marked down on Christmas Eve, so I bought one.

Attachment 47488

I need a rear bumper of sorts to ballance the rear end and give it a finished look. Originally I thought some type of nerf bar setup, but I didnt want the top bar to be above the bottom of the tail light buckets. So that was out. I think I will just make a pipe bumper. That's what we would have done years ago to make a push bar.

I cut out some 1/4 bar stock, 2 inches wide and drilled some holes in it.
I'll take some 1 x 1/4 and make a top and bottom, to form an I beam. The curved end will face the front and I'll bend the 1 inch to follow the curve. The other end will be notched for some 2 1/4 I think. I had a piece, but it turned out about 5 inches too short. The story of my life...........:LOL: I think about 40 inches wide which won't be quite as wide as the bottom of the rear, but will be about as wide as the width of the outside of the tail light buckets.

Attachment 47489

Very nice work!!!!! I Like the rear pannel.

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Originally Posted by Mike P

Very nice work!!!!! I Like the rear pannel.

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Thanks Mike. Metal work, ie sheetmetal, is not my strong point. I had replaced a pass bed side on my 66 and was staring at the old one, fliped it over in my head and thought, Hmmmmmmm that might work.....:D

Well last week I finished the rear bumper. The pipe I had in mind was 5 inches too short, so I made a trip to the local Ace and bought an 8in nipple which gave me 5 1/2 in with no threads. beveled the ends and now have the 40 in piece I needed. I welded up the brackets with 3/4 x 3/16 top and bottom to simulate an I beam design. After I grabbed another piece of 2 in stock and drilled more holes and added it to the bottom for some character. I thought it looked cool.

Attachment 47661

I capped the ends with some thick fender washers, and welded some tabs on to attach it.

Attachment 47662

Finished it, primed, painted, and installed it a couple of days ago. Here is the rear shot. The body work is not finished, but I rattle caned it black, until such time as I can take the entire bed off and finish it. Is it just me or does the damed thing look like it's staring at me.

Attachment 47663

I don't know............ This one might end up in the scrap pile. Reminds me of a quote " Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!".......:eek:

Last pic reminds me of this guy....lol


http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/img/2...2506-large.jpg

Nicely done dlof!

it looks damn good..... and definately unique.....wouldnt change anything.....
and you ought to not ever have to worry about gettin rear ended....LOL
Larry

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Originally Posted by twoblularry

it looks damn good..... and definately unique.....wouldnt change anything.....
and you ought to not ever have to worry about gettin rear ended....LOL
Larry

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Thanks Larry, I hope it does, as I have been hit in the rear 6 or 7 times. Hutchinson Tx?