Has anyone EVER restored a bed properly?

[davepl]

As you know, we all sand them out and stain them and varnish them and make them pretty... but that's totally wrong, and my is wronger than most!

I'm wondering if anyone had the courage/chutzpah/whatever to do it like the factory (just bodycolor) on an otherwise nice restoration?

I've never seen it done, so have never even seen a picture of a "restored" bed, just "upgraded" beds like my own. But it'd be neat to see one painted, in the same way seeing a restored 6-cyl is rare and refreshing. Maybe they should really be in the same truck!

[chewychevy67]

I thought about doing it on my build but couldn't go thru with it. I'll be following to see if anyone has.

[jocko]

Dave, I know where you're comin from. I prefer the factory painted beds personally. And, now that you mention it, I have to admit I've never ever seen a wood bed painted (as in, restored) factory colors in the 67-72 era. I intend to do this with my 72 when the time comes. Not as flashy for shows, and I do like the stained and shiny wood beds too(!), but it's just what I prefer. I have seen this done in the 60-66 world, rarely, but on occasion. Keeping in mind that they didn't get body color in that era, all were lamppost black, but still the same idea, factory is factory. Here is one of the best examples out there (this is member Yelmer's recent 66 Custom Camper restoration). It's a lot more work than just slappin paint on some wood boards, highly recommend reviewing his build thread before going down this road, I think it's as much, if not more, work than the current staining approach. So, I'm with you, I would LOVE to see a 67-72 restored wood bed that was done to original factory colors. And I'd REALLY love to see one on a dark olive truck..

[notsolo]

Wronger or not, your bed is nicer than a lot of furnature I have seen!... Possibly a restoration on the 60-66 side....The Astronaut's build maybe,

[68bowtie]

I painted the wood black on my factory black / wood bed truck. BUT this is no attempt at a restoration (someday, but not today). So I do not claim this to fit your scenario, but I thought I would share.

[bill3rail]

Interesting thread!
Any pictures from GMC or Chevy of original beds?

Bill

[old51sedan]

My truck is currently in for paint, when I removed what was left of the original wood floor that same thought came to mind. My metal strips have some of the original paint on them but are pretty well shot. I believe the boards were pine originally, but wondered if they were primed first, then painted. I really doubt it though, I bet the whole floor was painted, strips and all after being installed in truck. Anyone know for sure? The one I bought new in 69 had a metal floor.

[old51sedan]

I really do like the floor in you box. It looks like you painted everything first, then install with shiny need bolts. I'm sure the factory just painted it after it was installed, bolts and all. I may think more about doing mine that way, thanks for the picture.

[jocko]

Originally Posted by old51sedan

I'm sure the factory just painted it after it was installed, bolts and all.

I'm also interested in how the factory did it - I have the same assumption as you that they just sprayed the assembly, it was an assembly line, after all!

I've had 3 original bedwood trucks, two of which were not repainted. Of those two, one looked black (i.e. 40 years of dirt) on the underside (a med olive truck) and one looked about the same, BUT, with some white-ish areas (a white truck) - and that may have just been because the dirt was so old, it was turning white, who knows... So, I have no proof either direction...

When you think about it though, the underside is exposed to more road grime, abuse, and the elements (other than sun) than the topside. So a wood bed that is painted on the top only would rot out from the underside in short order. And many of them did.

So, I too would like to confirm the factory process - was there ANY protective coating at all on the underside of the wood or just bare? I always thought it was just bare, but now that I go back and stare at some old underside pics of former trucks I've had, I'm not so sure.

To the over-picky restorer, I am wondering what would be the best approach to mimic the factory look and still provide some level of protection underneath.. Perhaps clearcoat (or varnish, I mean) the underside of the wood before installing and painting body color on the top side. What about that nuisance exposed edge on the side that is visible in the wheelwell? Hmm.. I vote body color. But GM would never have gone to this much trouble.

I know my bedwood topside will be body color and look factory correct, whenever I get around to doing it, that is, but I haven't yet decided how to tackle the underside. Maybe just get everything together and lizard skin it! That's popular nowadays! (Just kidding, not gonna do that). I think I will probably baby it a little more than the factory did, and ensure the edges are sealed, imperfections filled, etc etc. Then perhaps paint the whole bed assembled, top and bottom. Hmm.

Joe, we need you to go take some pics under one of your low-mile wood beds to solve the mystery (and the exposed edge on the wheelwell too while you're at it )

[Greg58]

Here are pics of my 49 year old wood bed. It still has a little body color on it!





Greg

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by Greg58

Here are pics of my 49 year old wood bed. It still has a little body color on it!





Greg

What's on the bottom of yours barewood, paint?

[Greg58]

Here are some underside, no evidence of paint on mine, maybe some oil from the PO??

Greg

[Shaky]

I'm restoring the 292, and when I pulled the steel plate in the bed the original painted wood was there, but I just couldn't resist some new wood with poly to contrast the black paint...

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by Greg58

Here are some underside, no evidence of paint on mine, maybe some oil from the PO??

Greg

Thanks, it's remarkable how well they held up without a protective coating

[tdangle]

From what I can tell my 70 has no finish on the underside and looks like the top was fully assembled and painted with the body

[68bowtie]

Here are a couple pictures from my files. I'm not sure if the light green one is original or restored. It is a 68 longhorn.

[VWNate1]

FWIW, it's not just 'Pine' ! it's Southern Hard Pine, a totally different animal and why so few new bed wood kits last anywhere near as long / well as the originals did .

I can't imagine leaving the sides, ends and bottom of new wood (! $ HOLY COW !) unfinished, I used to thin the black paint and apply as much as they'd soak up .

The idiot that did my '69 C/10 said he knew "just what to use, you're gonna LOVE IT !!" then stupidly used some surfboard crap that's black and glossy like a mirror, it's my WORK TRUCK and I can no longer see the grain of the wood, sigh .

$850 wasted on really nice Southern Hard Pine wood .

.

[Greg58]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Thanks, it's remarkable how well they held up without a protective coating

Mine came from a dry area of Southern Colorado. Anything around here is long gone!

Greg

[special-K]

I've probably done about 1/2 painted as factory did, using southern heart pine, and the other 1/2 natural with stainless or painted strips.

[tx71smallblock]

young guy here... i never knew they painted the wood. learn something new today! i have always seen the sanded and stained look so i assumed that was how they came new

[72 tigger]

I would like to see a pic of a guy painting the inside of the bed at the factory- how did they reach everything?

[Snake72]

Here are some pics of my original bed, you can see the blue on the steel strips but long worn off the wood, underside does not appear to have ever been finished or treated.

I'm doing a factory type restoration and have thought about painting the boards blue but I have beautiful white oak beams from an 1840's Iowa barn that I want to mill into bed boards, it would be a felony to paint them

[Killer Bee]

^ excellent idea! thank you for posting, hope you don't mind if I borrow it..

this old 1800's mortise and tenon barn is falling apart and been unsafe for use for several years..

sad to think that dad and I lofted hay in it over 30 years ago and before he passed had already let a neighbor harvest some furniture wood..



I never realized the beds were painted so had to look in the 65.. only found a tiny scrap of the original turquoise..

the old barn predates the truck likely by a 100 years but that would be an awesome way to keep some of it alive..

[old51sedan]

I doubt 50-60 years ago they even had any kind of treated lumber. Even if they did I doubt GM/ Ford or anyone would have paid more money for it to put in the beds. I figured if I did mine I may paint the boards on the bottom before I installed them, just a thought.

[VWNate1]

Any Farmer, Rancher or Sailor would know that yes indeed they did have treatments for wood longer ago than 60 years .

These were low cost work rigs that would hopefully be traded in on a new rig in less than 10 years so no reason for GM to wa$te pennies per unit on treating the wood .

Myself I prefer the thin black paint they used in the previous years of light duty truck beds .

-Nate

Originally Posted by old51sedan

I doubt 50-60 years ago they even had any kind of treated lumber. Even if they did I doubt GM/ Ford or anyone would have paid more money for it to put in the beds. I figured if I did mine I may paint the boards on the bottom before I installed them, just a thought.