Author Topic: Long Bed, cut bait or repair?  (Read 1797 times)

Offline kopeck

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Long Bed, cut bait or repair?
« on: May 24, 2017, 10:18:06 AM »
I'm starting to acquire parts and pieces to make my '79 C10 closer to new again.  This will be the third time this has happened to this truck, the joys of living in Maine.  That being said it's been retired from winter duty so hopefully this go around will "stick" a bit better.

Anyway, I'm curious about my bed.  From the top it doesn't look all that bad.  A small rust hole around one fender, the bed rails are kind of beat up and the below is a bit wavy from the rail damage.  I think the bed came of a service truck (my original bed lost it's floor about 20 years ago).  The underside is a different story, all the cross members, both the larger ones and the smaller ones are shot, some are nearly gone.  Oddly the floor is is pretty good shape.  The flare piece that goes from the fender well to the bed is crunchy on both sides, the fender wells them selves are beat up but solid rust wise.

There are three supposably rust free (haven't seen them in person) long beds available somewhat locally to me.  All of them say they were sourced from the south or dry states.  The prices vary from $1000 to $1400 dollars.

My question is at what point do you cut bait on a bed like mine and get source a new one?  I'm no body man so I would at least need some help fixing mine plus the parts to do so.  From what I see those crossmember are not available so they might be something I need to have made up.   I'm not sure the bed rails and side panels will ever be perfect but my goal is a nice usable truck, not a show truck so that's a bit of a toss up.

Thanks,

K


 

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: Long Bed, cut bait or repair?
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2017, 10:56:17 AM »
If you want this time to last then replace the bed especially since you are admittedly not a body man. The time and effort to repair will cost you more in the long run. P.S. Asking price doesn't mean it has to be selling price. You can probably do better on the pricing on those other beds. If yours is repairable you can sell it or sell it for parts.
,                           ___ 
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              ⌠ŻŻŻŻŻ'   [☼===☼]
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74 GMC, 75 K5, 84 GMC, 85 K20, 86 k20, 79 K10

Offline kopeck

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Re: Long Bed, cut bait or repair?
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2017, 12:08:47 PM »
You more or less confirmed what I was thinking.

Solid beds don't show up every day in New England and it wouldn't be hard to spend a grand in labor and parts.  I wouldn't mind learning the tricks of sheet metal work but this might be a bit more then I was to bite off at the moment.  The cab will need some work so there's still opportunities.

As far as price goes I hear you.  One of them comes with a tail gate that could be flipped and my bed is probably worth something.

K

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: Long Bed, cut bait or repair?
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2017, 05:51:58 PM »
Trust I know, I've lived in New England my whole life.
,                           ___ 
                         /  _ _ _\_
              ⌠ŻŻŻŻŻ'   [☼===☼]
              `()_);-;()_)--o--)_)

74 GMC, 75 K5, 84 GMC, 85 K20, 86 k20, 79 K10