73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Body, Glass & Paint => Topic started by: cacjl on June 24, 2011, 01:25:48 PM
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Hello Everyone, This is my first post here and I am excited to restore my Grandpas 75 Chevy. I have many questions but really want to start with the hardest one at the moment. I am trying to stockpile some parts before I start and having some trouble. First of all The truck is a fleetside longbed with a wood floor. I have found several companies that provide new wood kits with bolts and cross members etc. The one thing I cant find is the angle between the floor and the side that goes around the perimeter. My pieces are still there but in rough shape. Any ideas? I really want to keep the truck original so going to the steel floor will not be an option for me. I hope someone out there has an answer as it means a lot to me to restore the truck. Thanks
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welccome to the site from northeast ohio. great story behind that. im glad you want to restore it. you have several options as far as the floor goes. im sure some guys on here will guide you with better details . good luck man. and get some pics when you can.
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Thanks for the welcome. Grandpa bought this truck new in 75 and there are lots of memories with it. He said it was a special order truck made by a strip mining company but at the end they backed out. He drove by it every day for 6 months until my aunt and grandma brought it home to suprise him. It is a k20 4x4 with an inline 6 292. It is geared way down too, top speed is 55. I have read the lowest gear available to that truck was 4 88 but haven't checked it out yet. Someone once leaned way over and looked under it and said ill be that has 6 90 's under it? Don't know what they were looking at? Anyway thanks again here's some pics.
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Not sure on the side pieces, they might have to be fabricated as wood floors in fleet sides are not very common. I'd be willing to bet they gears are 4:10s or possibly 4:56s.Being a 6 cylinder they may seem lower than they really are. I had a 77 K20 with a 292 in years ago, it had 4:10s achieving 60 MPH was asking allot of it!
Welcome from New Hampshaa, Post up some pics!
What neck of the woods are you from?
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Trying to get some pics up but not going very well. Ill get them there soon I hope. Thanks for the info guys.
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I host all my pics to Photobucket, then just copy and paste them into the body of your message.
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the truck runs and drives great except ive been having a tough time getting the monojet carb to balance out. id like to find a spare one for parts or to rebuild.
http://s1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb471/cacjl/chevy/
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Nice old truck. Got some meats on it!!
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hey blazin thanks, you can hear them a mile away. you asked earlier-im out in moscow mills mo. about an hour north west of st. louis. thanks for the photo help too.
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Long ways from me then! ;D
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would be nice to have someone close to lean on. guess this site will have to do. gonna have lots of questions im sure. i think the hardest part is finding everything i need to do what i want. id like to do a frame up all original parts no reproductions.
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welcome from maryland
(http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m387/rebel_cowboy_83/imgcode.jpg)
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These guys have em
http://bedwoodandparts.com/
Welcome from ND
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thanks grim 82,
i checked with the guy and he said that there was only 1000 trucks made with this bed and he did not have the angle pieces. he said no one makes them after market either. he did ask if i would take some pictures and email them to him and he would see what he could find out. man that is a lot more than anyone else would do. i hope he can figure something out for me. i am keeping hope anyway. thanks for the lead. if this was that rare it also keeps me determined to keep it wood that much more. thanks again.
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glad your sticking it out
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would be nice to have someone close to lean on. guess this site will have to do. gonna have lots of questions im sure. i think the hardest part is finding everything i need to do what i want. id like to do a frame up all original parts no reproductions.
Welcome. I'm in central MO. Not really close enough to come over and wrench with ya, but at least a fellow show me stater. I've got a 78 K20. There's a few more of us on here, I think there's someone up near Moberly, probably about as close to you as I am maybe a little closer. Those bed pieces didn't look so bad in the pics, and they rusty? Looks like they would clean up but it was hard to tell. X2 on the old bias ply's, love 'em! Truck really looks pretty good from what I could tell. Have fun with it.
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jdl71,
thanks for the welcome. its about two and a half hours from here to eldon. i cant remember how long to moberly but probabl about the same. the bed pieces are pretty banged up a couple have some cracks and are weak. if i have to, i can weld them up and grind them out but i dont think they will be perfect like i wanted. maybe that will give the bed some character. i think the truck looks good on the outside but underneath its rusting out. the frame is solid though. it maybe some time before i start taking it apart but i want to get the parts i need before i cant get them anymore. im wanting to stay with gm parts if possible but from what i noticed they are pricey. anyway, all we have is time. thanks again.
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i checked with the guy and he said that there was only 1000 trucks made with this bed and he did not have the angle pieces
That would definitely not be an accurate statement, there were much more that 1000 Fleetside trucks made with a wooden bed, it was an option on them, contact Mark-K and tell them what you have, you should be able to use one from a long stepside and it work if they have them..
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captkaos,
thanks for the post, i have called mark k and they didn't have the pieces i needed. as for making the stepside angle work i do know it is different and i believe just a straight piece instead of having the wheel well inside the bed. i could possibly make something work from these pieces though. I'm not certain on the number of these beds made but i haven't found many people who know much about them. i hope there are more than 1000 thats for sure. anyway, keep the posts coming and I'm sure ill get it figured out. thanks again.
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You should be able to replace what you have with the stepside pieces, Post a pic of what you have.
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http://s1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb471/cacjl/ here is a link to some pics. i cant figure out any other way to load pics. i keep getting a message that says the file is too large.
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(http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb471/cacjl/P6270010.jpg)
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(http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb471/cacjl/P6270013.jpg)
(http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb471/cacjl/P6270012.jpg)
(http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb471/cacjl/P6270008.jpg)
(http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb471/cacjl/P6270007.jpg)
(http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb471/cacjl/P6270001.jpg)
hey thanks, im a little slow Irish_Alley
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thats really kool . the floor is unique.
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still no luck but still looking, sure isnt going well though .
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Welcome and nice starting point. And it is rare to find wood in a fleet side, good luck with the truck.
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Maybe try these guys?
http://www.tuckersparts.com/shop_by_category.php?cat=263&groupid=5&veh=1973
The pieces look in tact enough to easily replicate and then you can have them chromed.
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i didnt even think about chrome...great idea, i like it. thinking ill have to find a shop to make them for me.
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I would just sand blast what you have, and patch them if needed. They look to be in okay shape for the most part.
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Is there any information on this topic? I would like to find the bed angle needed in these pictures.