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Posted by Doc Dave on Friday, January 09, 2009 at 08:37:02 :
I wanted to give public thanks to Phil Street, Todd Somers, Chris Case and Eric Bannerman for clarifying a somewhat confusing situation with our truck beds.
Over several years I have read and heard talk of the military style flatfender power wagons as having three different design series of beds. That is true as to the design of the bed sides, rear fender attachment and rear valence. But it is not accurate regarding how the bed is constructed with the boards, nor does this statement recognize the variations in the rear valance or center tailgate hinge.
Actually, there are four styles of beds:
Series 1, early Series 2, late series 2 and series 3.
The beds on the early series 2 trucks are put together very similarly to the first series beds. The number of boards are the same (6), the center tailgate hinge is the same and (let into) the boards under the center strip, and just as in the first series the front ends of the boards are through bolted to the front lip of the headboard. This through bolting is in the middles of the central 4 boards, and for the wide outer boards on each side, two bolts are spaced evenly in them down through the lip. The early 2nd series beds also share with the first series the rectangular hole in a board, covered by a plate, to allow access to the fuel tank sender. Finally, it appears to me the rear valance is different between the early and later 2nd series trucks, and this influences the center tailgate hinge, among other things.
If a person has an early 2nd series truck, like I do, and you call the various suppliers of parts, there is usually not a recognition of this difference. I have been sent a few incorrect restoration parts over the years by more than one place because all 2nd series trucks tend to be lumped into what in reality is the "late 2nd series design" category.
From what I can tell, though, Mar-K knows about this because the bed strips I was sent by them recently appear correct for my truck.
The link below shows Clint's excellent drawing of a first series truck bed. As far as I can determine, this is the same layout for the early 2nd series. The only real difference I know of is with the rear valence construction/gauge of steel and the rear fender attachment to the bedsides, and thus the more angular shape around the wheel wells of the first series vs. the second.
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