Installing a Composite Wood Truck Bed in a 1970 C-20

[@jgrc4588]

Awesome video, I've never seen anyone using rivnuts, that's a great idea. I think I need a beer now, love it! cheers my friend!! 👍👍👍Thanks for posting this.

[@myoneblackfriend3151]

I like the extra reinforcements and the nutserts. Great ideas all the way around.

[@deankay4434]

The fleetside with wood, narrow & wide, but big enough to put a sheet of plywood and shut the tailgate, takes 100 bolts even. Nuts & washers are hard when your 6’3” and no hoist. That is if you can afford a sheet of plywood. Very interesting as I looked into composite materials and no length, no width that excited me for the price. At 13, you could get a drivers license in the Midwest for “Farm / School” no photo, not even laminated. Already talk, I grew 6” at age 11. So hay money in hand, drove my motorcycle into the city while half of the gas stations where closed. Remember “Odd-Even” days to but fuel? Last digit on plate, last digit on calendar, you could buy gas. Sometimes only 10 gallon. Arab oil embargo, thanks peanut farmer turn house builder. Almost to the interstate on ramp & saw a PU for sale, red at closed gas station. They had these box things, mostly glass & inside was a phone. Called the #, guy said 1/2hr. He came, I drove & bought a 1965 ChevyC10 Apache. Construction company carried diesel, new & used waist oil from sites to service earthmovers, cats, backhoes & like. The old growth yellow pine GM used was tight grain, this one was soaked from spills. 4 1/2 years later, still looked them same yet lighter on color the composite. It never rotted or grayed. Senior year, worked for neighbor with center-articulating 4X4 JD tractor. No classes until 10AM, I drove deep into fields at 3AM, ran until 9:30. One day, I was late and jumped into truck and drove too fast. I went thru a dry rock bottom creek, hit hard. Got a mile or so, engine locked up and oil light came on short after, but wheels locked a skidded into a shallow ditch. Damn hole in oil pan of 283 Cu. In. locked up. Man I was mad because of school? Stupid. Skid, wheels locked? The 65 & older powergluide had a front & rear pump. You could push it downhill, throw it into low, spinning the engine. Late-Model class of racers loved these for that and power braking without more than letting off gas. Two day later, went back w/buddy & chain. It was gone. Reported stolen, never found. It was not uncommon for some farmers to drag old vehicles into ditches to stop erosion but keep cows from getting onto roads. Good bulls=$$, steers=paycheck or meat, cows made more cows but gave milk. Either way, they would get hit and $1k gone. Plus vehicle damage. I still get mad, but had no pencil, paper or cardboard for the dash. Still wish I had it. Duct tape on seat and all, yes, short bed fleetside. ASE Master Tech. Nice video, lots of work, planing and unique! Keep the old classic metal!

[@adriantomlin2902]

Lots of good info sir! Lots of different ideas to install a bitchin bed in a classic truck. The nutszerts air tool is kick-ass too!

[@vicosee4439]

Very nice i want to do this on my 1986 mazda b2000

[@robfuller8627]

I actually laughed out loud at 'here's where I get in and out of the truck a couple hundred times...' 15:51

[@mrlrob3102]

Looks great!

[@tomsawyer247]

Nice job I might try this

[@CapitalWheeler]

Yes, you've earned a beer

[@frankmehaffey9293]

I've got a 2012 F250 in great shape, except for the bed cross members. Stupid road salt in VT loves to eat the cross rails. Did you replace the ones in your truck with SS rails? Are the rails all bolted to the inside fender and wheel wells to hold up the sides and front panel? I have made several wood beds, but I would love to retain the outside and inside good panels, and do the rails with the composite on top. Great work!

[@brain151]

I could not find stainless rails, so I bought steel ones, coated them in POR-15, then undercoated the crap out of them. All of the rails bolt together and support the sides and wheel wells.

[@tomtrajnowski4266]

Why does everyone make things harder then they have to

[@AustinHarmon1994]

I see you have a notch on your passenger wheel well. What for? Never seen that.

[@brain151]

I am currently modifying a truck crane to fold up. If you look at 5:33 to 6:26, you will get a glimpse of the large, thick aluminum channel support that I will be mounting it to. The crane will fold over into that notch. That will be another video in a couple of months.

[@brain151]

By the way, the engine on that Camaro on your site looks sweet. I would love to see a video of the rest of it.

[@tomsawyer247]

Unless you have too many of those fn light beers