Hey Guys. I am after some measurements for the 1931 Model A Pickup Bed. The improved one not the earlier one.
The other three measurements needed are the width of the fold, the width of the floor and the depth of the sides from the floor to the fold. Any help is appreciated.
Been messing with a '33 bed that I was going to shorten and run on '32 rails... Almost all the re-pop parts I see listed run from '31 widebed to '37 pick up bed... except for the head board and the bed length/ beadwork... If '33 measurements are cool ? … i'll shovel a path out to it, bring my camera, tape measure, clip board and a sharpie...
That’s appreciated, but there is no need to go out in the snow unless you have to. It will be a while before I start fabricating the bed.
Mack Products in MO makes all the new parts for the pickup beds,even the short version.An email to them might get you the measurements you need. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...roducts.com/&usg=AOvVaw03_5fICPh2OW4UI054Et8H
Warm rain for 2 days, snow dropped 6" … no shoveling... bed measurements are from a '33 bed... #1 angled flange = 4.25" … #3 hight = 14" … #2 width = 45.25" … HIH.
More snow melted... outside measurement from bedside bottom up to the angled flange, '33 truck = 19.5"
Thanks for the fresh measurements, it’s really pushing me along to get this underway. I made up a paper pattern about a week ago and finished t******* the wheel wells yesterday. The pickup bed will be mildly tubbed to suit the Roadster/Coupe fenders I have. The coupe/roadster fenders are stock but the pickup fenders were more narrow, hence the need for tubs. The tubs will basically be the same as coupe/roadster wheel wells.
Hey Guys. A long over due update. I was able to get measurements and patterns from a local Rodder’s 34 Pickup last week and after modifying them accordingly, I fabbed up this test piece out of s****. The reason I have done it in halves is due to the size of the panel being to hard to run through my bead roller. A number of mistakes were made, but these will not be repeated when I do the other side. The biggest mistake was making the beads too deep, the extra material drawn into the beading process leads to distortion of the overall panel. The solution is the pre stretch the panel first by running it through the English Wheel. Then to use one less turn on the handle of the bead roller. An important note, the test material is 19 gauge not my preferred 18 gauge and as such, it’s more prone to distortion. Being a test bed, I’m using what material I have at hand as I will be making several different variations until I settle on the one I like.
I had these dies machined especially for Model A’s years ago, the one I used for this job is on the right.
I’m going to make a couple of prototypes, one a 31 and the other a 32, out of the same s**** sheet I used for this one. I also picked up a 1.2 x 2.4 sheet of 18 gauge cold rolled steel and once I have tested out the two beds for rigidity, I will begin work on the proper bed. I have calculated that by doing the sides in two halves, I will be able to get a full bed out one half of the sheet and a quarter of the other half. The stake bed pockets will be constructed from four lengths 2x2 Rectangular Hollow Section with a 2mm wall thickness. The tailgate will be constructed from a combination of 20x20mm Rectangular Hollow Section with a 1.6 mm wall thickness and 18 gauge cold rolled steel. The leading panel will be constructed from a combination of 18 gauge cold rolled steel and 20x20 Rectangular Hollow Section with a 1.6mm wall thickness. This is one of the patterns I am using to test the fit around the wheel arches.
At this stage, I am undecided on what combination I will be using for a floor. The 16 gauge original is too large to run through my bead roller without doing it in halves, lengthways. The other option will be to use locally sourced hardwood lumber in combination with screw in cover strips. I may try out each option and settle on which one is the most visually appealing.
I got out this morning threw undercoat on it and welded in the wheel arch. Being Summer the paint dried very fast.
One thing I figured out, when I make the next set it will be in to halves not three. There’s less room for distortion and less welding doing it that way.
With that side complete, I learnt a couple of other things as well, I need to pre stretch all the panels first and I need to make my cuts neater for when I **** weld the two sides together. Another thing I might need to change is the bead roller dies. The half round ones I’m using are perfect for doing straight line swages and wheel arches but struggle with tighter radiuses. I may end up using the tipping die rollers for the tighter radiuses.
One thing is certain, I have come a long way since I started the thread five years ago, I have been able to get all the measurements needed to complete the bed both online and from a couple of full-size beds. The most important thing with any project like this is found in the perpetration. I went to my local hardware the other day and picked up a sheet of MDF. I has already made up most of the cardboard templates but needed something more rigid for the cutting templates. I could use s**** sheetmetal for them as I have plenty, but figured it’s better used for the test panels. The MDF is easier to cut and shape, lighter and more rigid.
And this is the template for the the two halves, I used mostly cardboard for this section because I need to save the rest of the MDF for the front panel, tailgate and floor. I did use MDF for the folds along the top so there’s a certain degree of rigidity.
I found this last week, the front panel and tailgates were interchangeable between the 31’32’33 and 34’s.
Hey Guys. Another long overdue update. I completed most of the tailgate. I still need to put the return in along the top and add the hinges. I was also lucky enough to purchase an original tailgate from a local rodder last week. He’s been building Rods for over 50 years with the majority being 28/29 Model A’s, he had kept this tailgate as a pattern in case he needed to make a new bed.
The main reason I purchased it was to use the hinges as a template for the ones I want to make for mine. I dropped around this morning and he gave me these.
I’m very happy with how they turned out and I will be adding them to the tailgate as soon as I get time.
The next part of the build will focus on the stake bed pockets and the lower frame that will support the tailgate. I have been looking at various images of pickups both in The US and here in Australia to get clues. There are two 34 Ford pickups in my area, and I know the owner of the closed cab one quite well, so I could always call him up to have another look at it.
A few weeks ago was able to measure the stake bed pockets on the early Model A pickup bed the local rodder is using on his Roadster pickup. They worked out to be just over 2x2 inches. So based on my thinking, I’m most likely to use a combination of 2x2 RHS for the sides and 4x2 RHS for the rail, with the actual pockets made out of 18 gauge sliding over the 2x2 sides.
I happen to have an unrestored wide bed if you need any photos of a particular angle or something along those lines let me know. The steel floor has been removed along with the wood in the bed I have so I can't help you with any pictures of that stuff.
The other thing I did was add the capping to the sides. The was a single length of RHS. Plenty of mistakes were made here. I should have left enough material for a one inch flange on the edge of the fold that I could have clamped the RHS to and plug welded. I didn’t do that because I didn’t leave enough material. As a result I had to **** weld the capping to the fold. Never again !
The Jalopy Journal
