Just wondering if anyone has tried adapting an S-10 bed to your truck? My bed floor and mounting rails are pretty well shot. I'd want to use my original fenders if this could be accomplished.
I've never seen an S-10 bed on one. I have seen several 88 and up full size beds put on them. Using the original fenders would take some fancy body work to make them look right because of the bed curve where our trucks are flat. It might work though. If you try it post pics. I all about seeing something custom. Myself, my bed is shot too, so I'm buying the front piece and taking the four corners out of my original and going to make the rest. How hard could it be to make a bed. It's mostly flat sheet metal. As for the tailgate I'm welding my shut so it won't be functional. Maybe just another idea.
I agree that S-10 bed is much more flat, but will still take some good body work to get them to look right without a whole lot of body filler. Most likely you'll have to cut the inside (side that bolts to the bed) of the fender as the same curve of the bed. Make a cardboard cutout of the curve and trace it onto the fender will be your best way to get it to fit. This is how I always do my fabricating before ever even touching the sheet metal. If it were me I would weld the fenders on instead of bolting them and fill in the seam so that it looks molded together. Make sure you brace the bed well and try to get alot of the flex out because the bed flexing will crack your body filler after so many years. These are things you probably already know, but just my suggestions. I like the idea though, so keep me posted on what you do.
Beat Up Bed FWIW ; My 1949 original bed is in pretty bad shape , it's been rusted , bent , shot , drilled & split structural welds and burst the stake pockets from getting fully packed with sand then letting it sit and get wet until they rusted and split all the welds , tailgate is all dented up and bowed out about 3/4" from loads shifting back and hitting it . when the original wooden bed support blocks rotted away , it sat on the frame and bent and broke two of the sills , will change those out one of these days... I ground the rusty edges and had the split seams re-welded , tailgate has pop rivets holding the left seam to-gether untill the next time I decide to re-paint when I'll just have it welded up , unless you're going to make it a show truck , old beds ca be salvaged as they're pretty much just flat sheet metal , if you have acess to and knowledge of how to operate , a sheet metal brake , all the better . Once all welded and hammered back into shape , sand it as smooth as you can , prime & paint it , will look very good from 10' away . Mar-K is the # 1 place to go for bed parts & info too .
Nate is right if you have access to a metal brake and a welder this bed is very simple to make. If your original bed is good on top and rusty on bottom, which most are, then just make the bottom out of flat sheet metal and weld to it. A good weld and a little body filler would make this bed still look good. I'm only starting from the corner stakes and making the rest of mine. But I also have a great welder and a good metal brake. Just a thought. If it's a show truck then weld in a solid tailgate. Besides if you're showing it are you really going to be hauling anything in the bed anyway. That's my theory, so might as well make it all smooth. I think this would be much less work than making the S-10 bed work.
