Some guys have been emailing me for this information, so I thought I would try and recreate the post I had up on another forum. The model A box is actually made up of 2 major welded assemblies, that are bolted together. The lower section of the box are actually the box valances, which are the 2 lower skirts below the box. They are joined together (in my case) by 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 1/8" angles. The lower set of angles bolt to the kicked up section of the model A frame, the top set of angles provide a base for bolting the wooden floor boards to.
The solid model in the post above shows the assembled valances with the angle crossmembers, and a detail of the valance itself. The picture shows the assembled box mounted to my chassis. Please note that I built a rolled pan with a license plate cove in it and welded it to the rear of the valances to give a more finished appearance. I will attach an assembly drawing of the valances with this post and a picture of the rolled pan. Note that in the model I show the cross angles as being made up of 2 different coloured peices---ignore that. They are in reality 4 seperate peices of angle as the drawing shows.
The box itself is basically 4 main peices---the box sidepanels, the front panel that sets next to the cab, and the tailgate surround that wraps around the rear of the sidepanels to stiffen them and to give a place to hang the tailgate. I made the sidepanels, but used an aftermarket front panel, which I have posted a model and a drawing of for identification purposes. I had a tailgate suround of an original model A pickup, but the center was totally rotted away. I managed to drill out the spotwelds and save the 2 vertical end peices. I spliced the new centerpeice into place, then welded the restored "suround" to the ends of the sidepanels. I have included a model and a drawing of thet new centerpeice I made.
There is one additional peice of sheet metal required. It fits between the inner edges of the sidepanels at the rear and covers the recessed area in the center of the tailgate surround, and provides a lip for the rear of the hardwood floor to set on. I used an original model A pickup tailgate.
And here are a bunch of random pictures of the finished box---you can tailor the length of the box to suit your own requirements, and if you have questions, then post them
Did you use a brake for the bends? What about the curved portions of the bedsides? Form it over a pipe??
The bedsides are made of #14 gauge steel, which is too heavy for a manual brake. They were done on an industial hydraulic press-brake, and the radius was "step-broke" which is a large number of small bends about 1/4" apart to give the radius which is dictated by the shape of the purchased front panel and the shape of the tailgate suround. This step-braking process requires a lot of #36 grit sanding disc work after the fact so that the individual brake lines don't show when it gets painted. No industrial shop carries a radius die that will give the radius of 2 1/4" in one hit.
Do you have the square bead along the top? I am planning on braking my own but thought I would have to somehow weld on square tubing to duplicate that.
That's really a great post--good description with all the pictures to go with it--- You did a wonderful job of laying the whole process out for those of us that could use the plans. Thank You for taking the time & effort to share the construction with the rest of us.This needs to be put where it can be found easily for future use. -- I've seen pics of that Yellow RPU a 100 times and it looks great everytime--Good work.
Thats just awesome work.I never would have thought it could be that easy to build one of these. What about that front panel did you buy it because it was just too much of a pain in the ass to build from scratch or what?
Wilobilly3 Why are you asking me if I have the square bead along the top? Can you not see it in the drawings, models, and pictures??? The way I designed it replicates what an original model A box looked like, and avoids all welding on the box sides except at the very ends. As soon as you do any welding on those big flat sides, it warps all to Hell, and requires a ton of bodywork and straightening.---maybe I misunderstood your question---
Doubledawg---I used a purchased front panel mainly because when I bought the original box at a swap meet the front panel (unused) came with the box. I have checked, and these front panels are only about $92.00 to buy new. Also, keep in mind that up untill I had started this project, I didn't have the faintest damn idea of what a model A truckbox was supposed to look like, and I thought that using the repop front panel would help me hold the correct shape. You can see one #A-871S at the attached link http://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/detail.php?fm_itemid=2996&fm_catid=196&fm_parentid=2996
I guess I didn't see it or I wouldn't have asked, sorry. I am basically a self taught blunderer when it comes to tinbending and I don't quite understand how you bend that tight of a square on the brake. I have a bit more experience welding and I know I could weld on a piece without distorting the panel.
Willowbilly---I checked with the metal fabricating place in town where I had the sides bent before I made that design---they have a special bending die for getting into really tight corners as I have at the top of the box. Yes, you could weld it and grind the welds, but since I had to have them use their large industial brake anyways, I had them do it.
Nice work and nice pickup. I have a question about the way the wood is attached. I can see that it sits down on the angle crossmembers and the step at the front and rear. Is the wood only held down by the stainless stips, in particular by the 2 screws in each strip that go into the angle, or are there other hidden bolts? Thanks, Tre.
The wooden peices have sawcut slots full length, about 1/8" deep and spaced in from the edge so that the edges of the stainless strips fit down into the sawcuts. The stainless strips are prepunched, and the holes are punched on the center of the strips. The hole for each bolt is half in the edge of one board and half in the board adjacent to it. The bolts pass thru the strips, the wood, and the angles that are part of the valance assembly, and at the front and rear the bolts pass thru the lip on the bottom at the front of the box and thru the filler peice at the rear of the box. At the places where there is no steel backup under the wood, there is an oversized flat washer on the far side of the wood, then a lockwasher and a nut. In the picture I show with the wood floor in place, I haven't yet installed the bolts along the very back of the box. Take a look at the picture where the battery is visble and you will see the "lip" across the back of the box (its that filler plate over the box suround) where the back row of bolts get installed
I always wondered how Henry did it. My neighbor and I built a 50" brake and I had planned to bend my own sides when I get to it. This thread is great, thanks for all the good info.
Did you use #14 gauge for any particular reason? It seems like thats some pretty heavy steel. Pro's Pick makes repro beds and their ads state that they use #16 gauge. Now I don't want to second guess anyone who can produce such an great finished result, but I wonder if using #16 gauge might be easier to form, or would it be too flimsy for a truck's bed? The local steel supplier I talked to suggested even going as light as #18 gauge but I think that would definitely be too light.
I'm guessing for someone who didn't have access to a break that could bend the 2 1/4" radus, that a 1/4 of a 2 1/4" diameter tube could be welded in there?
I used #14 gauge because I had no means of rolling a stiffner "reveal" in the bedsides like the original trucks had. If I had a bead roller (a good heavy one, not something for rolling light gauge stuff) I would have went to #16 ga on the bedsides. If you could find a peice of thin-wall tube 4 1/2" inside diameter and split it into 4 quarters, you could replicate the curve at the bottom of the box.---The issue there is that the full length weld where it mates to the box-side would require extensive metal/bodywork because it is highly visible from both inside and outside the box. The 2 1/4" radius is dictated by the radius at the bottom of the purchased front panel and the tailgate surround.-----I wanted to build this box with absolutely no bondo in the sides, and I achieved that---not a ripple anywhere.
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