The first task at hand is...
The first task at hand is to straighten the bedrails. A little hammer and dolly work will go a long way at smoothing out the flat sections …
Back a decade or so ago, our buddy Kev Elliott, as editor of Custom Car in the UK, was building a ’46 Ford roadster pickup. Today, he’s a resident of sunny Southern California, uses phrases like “dude” and “stoked” instead of “mate” and “jolly good”, and is the tech editor of our sister publication, Rod & Custom. But one thing remains the same: he’s still building that cut up ’46 Ford passenger car that he converted into a roadster pickup.
A few things have always nagged at him about his pickup project, however, and he decided that now was the time to sort things out. What really bugged him was the fact that the front and rear fender swages and wheel openings didn’t jive. That was mainly due to the fact that the model years in which each were culled, 1946 for the front fenders and 1965 for the bed and rear fenders, were separated by nearly twenty years worth of styling cues. For the most part, Kev fixed the fenders back in the September 2009 issue of CCT. But the bed never was quite finished and, gunning for a debut at the 2012 Grand National Roadster Show, Kev decided to tear into the bed and wrap up the paint and body on his roadster pickup.
… but this big dip in the...
… but this big dip in the middle is a different story.
First, he needed to replace a few panels, with fresh sheetmetal courtesy of LMC Truck, which consisted of the front header panel and a cool, hot rod-style louvered tailgate. Then he decided to fabricate a nerf bar/taillight mount. That necessitated a few modifications be made to the back of the bed as well, which we’ll cover towards the end of the story. Finally, it was time for paint and body, which was handled by Kev himself, a well taught body man from his days in ol’ Blighty, using Summit Racing’s latest in paint offerings.
With deadlines looming, Kev tore into the back end of his truck with furious abandon, and the transformation really left the rest of ’round the office feeling like we needed to get something done as well. A long weekend later and Kev had the bed back assembled, in color, and looking better than it did back in 1965. Or was that 1946? Whenever it was, it looks better now than ever! CCT
With the bed still bolted...
With the bed still bolted to the chassis, a floor jack and a 2x4 is used to push the low spot up until it’s level with the rest of the bedrail.
A 4-foot level is used to...
A 4-foot level is used to ensure the entire bedrail is nice and straight.
The front bed header panel...
The front bed header panel has also seen better days and our time would be spent in vain trying to repair it, as with the original stepside running boards and lower bedsides from 1965.
The front bed header panel...
The front bed header panel has also seen better days and our time would be spent in vain trying to repair it, as with the original stepside running boards and lower bedsides from 1965.
The lower bedsides are spot-welded...
The lower bedsides are spot-welded to the front stake pockets so removing them requires drilling out the factory spot-welds.
Once the lower bedside and...
Once the lower bedside and running board are removed, the stake pocket flange is straightened using a hammer and dolly.
The front header panel is...
The front header panel is also spot-welded to the stake pocket up each side, yet bolted at the top with two fasteners. It’s removed in the same manner as the lower bedside and running board.
To attach the new front header...
To attach the new front header panel, Kev will be welding the two together like the factory did. This time though, oversized holes are drilled through the stake pocket and bedside and the header panel will be plug-welded to it from the inside. This rids the bedside exterior of any sign of it being welded together.
The lower bed panel attaches...
The lower bed panel attaches to the stake pocket in a similar fashion, but plug-welded from the outside.
Before the header panel is...
Before the header panel is welded in place, Kev applies a coat of black primer to the mating surface of the bedside that will be covered by the header panel once it’s in place.
Then the header panel is plug-welded...
Then the header panel is plug-welded to each bedside and affixed by the four upper fasteners.
Next, Kev turns his attention...
Next, Kev turns his attention to a few repairs necessary on each fender. The lower section is completely rotten and needs to be replaced with a patch panel.
The patch panel is installed...
The patch panel is installed so that it matches the contour of the wheel opening, before a cut line is marked on the fender.
Both panels are then trimmed...
Both panels are then trimmed and welded to replace the offending section of fender. You can see by the weld line the section of fender that was trimmed away and where the patch was used.
Here’s the bed reassembled...
Here’s the bed reassembled on the truck, complete with a new LMC louvered tailgate. Kev fabricated a rear nerf bar to house a pair of taillights and wanted to flow the lower bed rail better into the ends of the nerf bar before he paints the bed.
To do so, Kev first cuts away...
To do so, Kev first cuts away the stock rear bed panel and shapes the ends to follow the curve of the nerf bar. A keen eye will notice that the curvature has been cut into the rear panel so as to raise the nerf bar into the bottom of the rear of the bed. A tie down helps hold the bed square.
Next, Kev mocks up the nerf...
Next, Kev mocks up the nerf bar into the cut out section using a few C-clamps and spacers to mount the nerf bar exactly where he wants it in relation to a piece of square tubing that replaced the stock rear bed panel.
A piece of 14-gauge sheetmetal...
A piece of 14-gauge sheetmetal trimmed to fit the width of the rear panel is formed using a mallet and a piece of wood.
Then it’s welded to the bottom...
Then it’s welded to the bottom of the stake pocket and rear panel, one at either end.
To finish the back of the...
To finish the back of the bed off, Kev found these disc plugs at the local metal yard. Welded to the bed rail, they finish off the otherwise open hole nicely.
To finish the back of the...
To finish the back of the bed off, Kev found these disc plugs at the local metal yard. Welded to the bed rail, they finish off the otherwise open hole nicely.
Using some body filler and...
Using some body filler and gray primer, Kev then knocks out the dings and dents from his bed and fenders.
The Summit high build primer...
The Summit high build primer is then sanded nice and smooth using a longboard 320-grit sandpaper, dry.
The two-stage Summit Racing...
The two-stage Summit Racing paint requires a black base coat, so Kev applies a few coats of their black primer/sealer before wet sanding in 800 grit.
With everything nice and straight,...
With everything nice and straight, Kev applies Summit’s Acrylic Urethane Indian Bronze Pearl followed by a couple of clear coats.
Wet sanded with 800-grit followed...
Wet sanded with 800-grit followed by 1500 and finished off with Mother’s rubbing compound applied via a buffer and foam pad, and Kev’s roadster hauler is looking like it could have left Ford’s factory like that in 1946.