Getting ready to finish the bed on my 55 Cameo and figured that this was the best place to ask who/where are the best quality and price for kit. I am still not sure what kind of wood I am going to use but am leaning toward the original pine (it seems like everyone around here has oak and it seems kind of cool to me that you could have a different look than most with the pine and remain original). I would appreciate opinions on same, or if someone has had a good or bad experience based on their choice. Thanks, Frank
Mar-k ! Is the best . That's what all the high end parts sellers sell anyways , might as well $ave a few $ . Southern Hard Pine , it's more $ but take the time to hunt it down . Remember to paint all the boards , ends too , then do final assembly .
I have Oak For Both My 58 and 59 but really leaning on Hickory for my 58 Cameo Pretty Stuff When Done Right ,YES You Really want to Seal all Six Sides Of Each Board! With a Good UV protection if you Stain & Clear the Boards Allen
Oak was with in my budget. I changed the layout so all the boards are equal widths and milled everything in the garage while the truck was at paint. I really wanted to do black walnut but wasn't in the budget. Hickory is a good choice. Have fun and good luck Bobby
Sweet ! Wow that looks nice . I recently found a '58 Cameo Carrier with 235 and Dual Hydromatic Drive Tranny , I am studiously avoiding going to my freind's house next door for fear I'll buy it..... Yet another glorious Vintage CHEVROLET I'll love , cherish & work but not be able to park anywhere .
I think of everything I've done so far, the bed wood was the most fun. Time consuming...but fun. I did one coat of stain (on a pine wood kit from classic parts) and then 3 coats of glossy clear on the underside of the boards, then 5 coats on the top side. I also sanded the boards before the 5th coat using an extremely fine grit of sand paper (used for finishing furniture). Figure I've got about 4.5 hours on each board after it's all said and done. I also routered the end boards a little deeper so they'd slide under the angle strips a little easier. For being my first bed, I think it turned out pretty darn good.
Nate You Can park It Next to My 58 Cameo I'll Make Room,They can Sit and tell War Story's To each Other
Hey Bobby, I had Thought at One Time Of Making The Boards Equal Width Like You Have Done! Didn't Think It Would Be That Hard To Do until it came To Mounting The Bed To The Frame, You Would Have To Space The Bolts In The Board a Little Different If You Mounted Them The Stock Way Right? our With Equal Width Boards Do They Come In Contact With The Metal Strips? Just Wondering How You Did Yours and See You Mounted The Bed from Underneath Is That Correct? Yours Looks Nice By The Way, Set Up That Way! Allen
This is the only picture i had that kinda shows the bed washers turned to clear the metal strips and i did use the stock mounting locations. I'll take a better picture of the bed this weekend when i have the cover off of it. Thanks Bobby
Just Dawned On Me Your First Picture Shown was With Bed Off The Truck and Not Installed Yet! So Bolts Just Miss The Bed Strip and Looks Like You Installed Gas Cap After Too!
Correct. The only thing i had to do was raise the bed up a 1/2" because one of the bed supports hit the gas tank. Good luck on the wood. Bobby
I used Pine Pine, you stain it, paint it, it’s still pine, cheap, everywhere and one of the items I can say went back to original material. Even think of painting it black like the factory.
'58 Camio Carrier So then , I'll have to go buy it ? . I'm still searching for an L6 powered 1/2T.. rig with slushbox......
Pine Bed Wood Well no , pine isn't ' just pine ' ~ there's Southern Hard Pine that was used in our trucks it's getting very hard to find and $pendy to boot because it's very durable , like Industrial Pine so to speak..... You can use regular Pine and it'll look great but not stand up to much working no matter how well you finish it .
I Think It Would Be a Great Thing If You Bought IT!!!!! Glad I Still Have Mine,I Know Some People Said They Don't Like Them and Prefer a Stepside or Fleetside Over Them, But man They Were So Ahead Of There Time Back Then, With The Spare Tire Carrier Hidden In the Bumper and The Tape Reel Mechanism style Tailgate Latch's and Latch's Hidden inside The Tailgate.Approx only 1450 Made In 1958 Nate I Think you can't Go Wrong If You Get it For a Good Price!!! Keep Us Posted Please. Allen
I have a 55 Cameo, and the bed wood is still perfect after all of these years! I was thinking of Cherry wood, or something like that to accent the red in the bed (whenever I get around to painting it) but the original wood is so durable, I'm just going to refinish it!
