bed issues

[77c15]

My 74 longbed is getting a 3/4 drop this weekend, and while i'm busy spending my tax money, I need some honest opinions. The longbed is shot like crazy. I mean, you can actually see through to the ground in a lot of places on the bed floor, and the passenger side near the tail light isn't pushed in, it looks more like it's creased. Also, during my fun wetsanding the crap paint off (it WAS light blue like Sano's blazer, now it's white/red two-tone with NO clearcoat {previous owners doing}) i've noticed a LOT of filler on the drivers side bedside. I also need both front fenders, but they can wait. I was planning on getting a steel cowl hood, too. The opinion I need is: should I replace the entire bed with a decent shaped used one, or just get the panels and replace them individually? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!
-Mike

[aprice]

well first price out both options, depending where you live you will have a hard time finding a decent used box. i know in northern wisconsin here you would have problems, second would you be assembling the new pieces if you go that way or waould you have a local shop do the work, just depends on the extra cash you have. if you have it go with new

[Blazin]

Just curious, why are you wet sanding the paint before you do body work or replace parts? Buying all the parts and building yourself a new bed is costly both in $ and labor. You might have to travel or get it shipped but a good used bed would probably be less money and hassle. I don't recall the name of the company and I could'nt find my catalog but there are available new after market steel and or fiberglass beds completely assembled.

[77c15]

I'm wet sanding the old white and red paint off to try and get down to the original light blue paint. No prep work was done before the previous owner painted it (he told me it was his first time, and you can tell). I am going to definitely try and find a good used replacement. I'm in SC, so rust isn't too big a deal. Thanks for the input, guys!
-Mike