...I've always liked those utility beds, but as stated , I think they are fairly heavy. I figure a guy could make one himself that mite not weigh so much, maybe using aluminum. All of them I remember seeing used the circular "trailer" style fenders which were probly used by the manufacturer on all beds they made. If you built one, you could maybe incorporate the orig. rear fenders from your truck. (BTW, what is your project truck?)
Its a 53 GMC or Chevy. Whats left of it after the thieves got to it. This truck was really clean, as evidenced by what they took..It still has bins full of electrical hardware in the back! If I cant put this one together, I might put the bed on one of my Ford trucks.
Awesome! I've been looking for pics of these since forever!!! I'm a HUGE Western Electric freak - I collect, restore, and USE all kinds of old telephones. I've been considering painting my '50 F2 in Bell livery - thanks for the pics! ~Jason
I've got front fenders, grills, inner fenders, hoods, and two really nice doors if you're interested. None of them are in excellent condition, the doors are pretty close though. PM me if I can help ya, I'm about 6 hours away but could either meet ya' 1/2 way or bring them down for GNRS or GG Del Mar. Lemme know. Oh yeah, I don't need to get rich off of any of these parts so make me an offer. I can send lots of pictures.
When I help my freind drag home his 40 ford truck it had one of them on it. That was over 10 years ago and I think he crap it.
i just love how my truck pictures get around, thanks Bob =) . I won that bed off of ebay last year for $60 (cost me close to $400 by the time i hauled it home). It was made by the company Highway Trailer Co. in Edgerton, WI and is dated 1957.
Glad you like the pics, I try to be pretty good about keeping detailed records of any of my projects. If there are any other details you want about it, let me know.
It happens that your poster/pic of the phone truck is the same model that I was assigned to when I started work with the phone company in 1963. It was a 54 chev and had about 6K miles on it. Never got farther than about 6 miles from the shop. Anyway, the box on the back was very common for these service trucks and was referred to as the "LIU" box. No, never found out what LIU stood for although I had asked a number of people over the years. In about 67 or so they went to the standard square utility boxes that you now see. Just a little info that I thought may help.
yeah i know this is a old thread,but i brought it back up to see if there are any new pics of these bed/trucks to post. i really like the looks of these beds and i have a chance to get one. just trying to get some ideas. i have googled telephone truck and utility bed. is there any thing else they were called?
LIU stood for Long Island Utility. I bought 6 of these on International pickup chassis, from the General Phone company in Florida, in the sixties and as a bonus, one of them had the spare tire compartment filled with Princess phones. Everybody in my family got Princess phones for Christmas.
Wow... real surprised to see this pop back up! Weights and measurements put me off the idea, even though I still think one would be cool in the right application. I ended up fab'in up a more or less conventional looking bed.
Unclebob and I picked up a '60 Ford 3/4 ton a few days ago. It's a long bed (without the bed) factory 4 wheel drive that was an old phone company truck in Cedar City, Utah. We've located an LIU box for it already, and he's going to start collecting parts build an old phone truck. We have plenty of old tools (like cotton cord wrapped rotary butt sets, non-impact punch down tools, etc). This one probably won't get attention for a few years but I'll post pics when I'm back at my desk.
A complete Southern Bell 50s Chevy came up for sale on EvilBay awhile back. Ran and drove. I said yes at the time, my wife said no.
someone above mentioned weight.i guess i never really gave it a whole lotta thought but is the short bed utility box that much heavier the a regular p.u.bed. they did come on 1/2 ton p.u.'s didn't they,or were they 3/4?
This 1970 Ford truck with the telephone bed was at a local cruise in at Manassas, Virginia a few weeks ago.
There was one on Craigslist (Charlotte NC) a few weeks back. It was a 53 Chevy if I recall Edit:::: http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/2401856044.html
i seen a trailer here in nor CA where they used a bed off of one of those. let me see if i can find it... (update) It must have sold. it was painted silver if you happen to see it.
This was posted on another thread a few days ago, but the poster didn't give any more info. This is just too bitchin! <img src=http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1335723&d=1306900453>
Some of the Boxes for the phone company as well as the Power Companies were from the "McCabe Powers Autobody Company Co." (My Namesake!) http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1335763&d=1306903534
this popped up on craigslist. It says it is in mountain view CA. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/pts/2508550712.html
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