Flare Side Bed - Let's Take One Apart!

[Bronco638]

Gary Lewis wrote

This thread is such a wonderful example of the knowledge that we have
documented on these trucks, and explains why we must spend the $1800 to port
all of this over to the new forum.  Well done, guys!  

Thanks Gary! Just trying to be a productive member of the site. Are you accepting donations? I could chip in for the forum upgrade.

Rembrant wrote

Gary, I don't remember much that I can help with these days, but these
Flareside beds are imprinted in my brain lol.
This is a great thread and I'm thoroughly enjoying seeing the progress of
Bronco Dave disassembling this bed. As with everything on these trucks, it's
like an archaeological dig trying to understand what was, and what was done
previously by other owners. That part is always fun, even as a viewer.

Keep up the good work Bronco638. Peace & Axle Grease!

Thanks Cory! I appreciate your insight. You've obviously done this before (more than once) and it shows. I just couldn't image trying this level of refurbishment on a truck from the Rust Belt. Not only would it have been a battle to dis-assemble it, most of the intricate things would probably have been rotted/rusted away.

There's more to tackle on this truck (the interior has me concerned as I have the funky door locks and very tired door cards). I think the engine compartment and drivetrain will be next up. Additionally, Mar-K sent an email letting me know my parts shipped. They'll be here Tuesday, June 4th. Woo.

[Gary Lewis]

Cory - You are really helping.  

Dave - You are on the list of people I'll hit up when the time comes, which may actually be next week if I can get a bank account set up.

[mat in tn]

Gary, I agree that this forum, a form of mentorship is extremely valuable. I only hope the youth can get this. too many are growing up without grandparents teaching and even parents teaching. it is far more than just old guys talking about trucks. I certainly am planning to contribute to the preservation of this. any experience that I can share I am glad to do so. not an expert in all things and I read along like the kid hoping to have his stupid questions answered sometimes. a constant study!

[Gary Lewis]

Mat - You are now on the list.

As for grandkids, my grandson is to arrive in mid-July and I need to have a running 235 to bolt in by then.  So far the search hasn't been very much fun.

[mat in tn]

ls swap?

[Bronco638]

Gary Lewis wrote

Dave - You are on the list of people I'll hit up when the time comes, which
may actually be next week if I can get a bank account set up.

 You got it!

[85lebaront2]

I know where one is, but he hasn't given me a price. It has a hotter hydraulic cam, close to the 1953-54 Corvettes. Bottom end was rebuilt, all bearings correctly shimmed. I don't think he would include the 3 Carter YHs and intake though. There is also a Powerglide set up for an open drive line, but probably can be converted back to closed.

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, Bill.  But I'd really like to find one close.

[Bronco638]

OK, some pretty good progress over the weekend. I'm ready for my bed flooring kit and rear (#5) sill (which is good because they arrive tomorrow - June 4). I still need to get a short section of 5/16" fuel hose to run from the tank to the hard line as well as a short piece of vent hose, to run from the tank to the hard line.

Ready to install the tank:



I'll address the axle tube in the future, when I swap carriers or ring/pinion for a final drive ratio that better suits the 4.9/AOD combo.



The rear brake hose was replaced.







And, the new gas tank with new sending unit (and old vent):



I also took the opportunity to clean & re-paint the tank straps (their condition is so good, I can still read the engineering numbers stamped into them):





And, tank installed:





Filler neck installed:



I opted to use Fluid Film where the tank meets the frame and where the straps come in contact with the tank. I thought about using some type of rubber strip or indoor/outdoor carpet but that just didn't seem like a good idea. With the Fluid Film spray cans, you can use the straw to get the product in very small/tight locations. I also used it on the frame where I wasn't able to get good paint coverage or hadn't been able to reach with the wire wheel/brush.

[Gary Lewis]

Looking GOOD!  

On the fuel line, be sure to get some that is E85 rated.  I doubt they are selling any fuel line anymore that isn't, but I know the original hoses do not like the alcohol in the fuel and get soft and leak.

On the Fluid Film, it creeps.  I have some places above the rear wheelwells that have body putty in them and the FF found its way through microscopic cracks in the putty.  So it doesn't take a lot to get good coverage.

[Bronco638]

Gary Lewis wrote

Looking GOOD!  

Thanks Gary. Much appreciated, especially from someone that's done a couple of these trucks.

Gary Lewis wrote

On the fuel line, be sure to get some that is E85 rated.  I doubt they are
selling any fuel line anymore that isn't, but I know the original hoses do
not like the alcohol in the fuel and get soft and leak.

The old lines were discarded as they were cracked and stiff. I'm off to AZ to get some new line for fuel and vent. I'm sure the new stuff they have will be up-to-snuff (I would hope).

Gary Lewis wrote

On the Fluid Film, it creeps.  I have some places above the rear wheel wells
that have body putty in them and the FF found its way through microscopic
cracks in the putty.  So it doesn't take a lot to get good coverage.

I like to hear this. I could care less if it creeps which means it'll work its way into areas that I may have (just) missed. I recall an old trick that people did when bedliners came out, spread a quart of gear oil in the bed before dropping the liner in. The oil would creep and coat the bed preventing rust from trapped moisture as well as sealing areas where the liner would rub thru the paint. Nothing worse than having your bed liner become "structural" after a few years...

[Bronco638]

As Ralphie's dad would have said; "It is here!" And rushed to the door to sign for the crate labeled "Fra-Gee-lay"...

The rear cross sill came in it's own box and included copious amounts of sheet foam, at both ends and in the middle. It's pretty clear that it was made after I placed the order for it (in other words, made-to-order, for me). You can still see the scribe marks on the steel to de-mark bend and cut points. It is significantly better than my old one and I'll get some comparison images posted. I did a test fit of the wood blocks I cut (using the old ones as a template). They fit snuggly and the holes drilled for the bed-to-frame bolts might need some slight adjustments (with a circular rasp).

As for the wood (oak) bed flooring; wow. I cannot believe this is the Grade B wood. I would be happy with this flooring kit if my truck was going to be a Garage Queen. Granted, there are a few very small knots and some worm holes but all of that is on the surfaces meant to face downwards, toward the ground. All surfaces that are visible from inside the bed are very, very nice.

The instructions/documentation that are included are comprehensive and include the steps on how to re-assemble the bed so as to be able to insure proper fit of the flooring. I will need to test fit the two pieces that go under the bed sides. They did not come pre-drilled for all of the carriage bolts that are used to afix the bed sides to the bed floor. Also included are instructions on how the rear sill should be re-assembled and mounted as well as how to prep it for final coatings (paint).

The wood will need some attention to prep for stain. I knew this going in and the instructions confirm what I've read, on-line, about how to treat wood for long-life in this particular application. I have a little clean-up to do around the milled areas for the bed strips and around the holes drilled for the 1/2" bed-to-frame bolts. Then, I'll need to slightly round over all 90* corners so as to prevent the stain from failing (any 90* corner on a piece of wood will be the 'weakest' area when it comes to coatings). Due to the nature of the angle, the coating will be thinnest at that point and therefore prone to failure. At the very least, they should be radiused to 1/16" with either sand paper or with a router bit.

I've decided to use a Benjamin Moore tinted stain that blends with the colors that my once Toreador Red truck has become. It's more a silvery rose-gold now. However, the one color that I think really goes with the patina only comes in a solid opacity. The oak grain is much nicer than I anticipated so I think I may go with a semi-solid (or even a semi-transparent) stain instead. Mar-K included a 2" x 2" x 6.5' piece of scrap oak that I can use to test stain colors. That's pretty nice of them.

So, I have some metal prep to do and then some woodworking to do. Pics coming. Thanks for staying tuned...

[Gary Lewis]

Wow!  You have your review already written.  And, by the way, there's now a place to put it in the Vendor Review section.  

[Bronco638]

Gary Lewis wrote

Wow!  You have your review already written.  And, by the way, there's now a
place to put it in the Vendor Review section.  

Thanks Gary! I'll copy that blurb over in case someone misses this thread but is looking for feedback on Mar-K.

As promised, I took some side-by-side pictures of the new rear sill to compare it to the old one. Yeah, the old one is pretty sad (in no particular order):









As mentioned in the last post, I test fit the blocks I made in the new sill. They fit nicely but it appears as if they might need some adjustments when it comes to the drilled holes.

I followed Mar-K's instructions with respect to metal prep for paint. I de-greased the sill with a Scotch-Brite pad and then washed it with warm, soapy water. I rinsed it with the hose and then dried it with a towel and compressed air. I had perfect weather for painting; warm, low humidity and a light breeze. I applied the primer in three coats letting it dry ~30 minutes between coats. It came out looking very nice (pics to come) but I did burn thru an entire 8 oz. can of primer.

I was able to find a spray can of Duplicolor in Ford Toreador Red (if you look at the second and third images I posted, you can see where I sprayed a test section on the right end of the old sill). However, that's not going to match the truck, given its faded state. So, I think I'm going to try a combination of red and silver to see if I can't come close to the current patina. The other thing I keep reminding myself is that the rear sill is mostly hidden by the rear bumper. So, we'll see how it goes.

[Bronco638]

I took advantage of another perfect day for painting; temps in the mid-70s with low humidity and a bit of a breeze. I taped off the areas that will be painted to (hopefully) match the existing patina. But, I wanted to provide some protection to the underside of the sill (where I suspect that the factory didn't or only used primer). Here are some lousy pictures from inside the garage:





There were some areas that were very hard to reach and I was low on gloss black. But, I believe 90%+ of those surfaces now are coated in black. The few areas the spray tip couldn't reach are primed, at least. The rest of the sill will be painted to match the truck. Some areas will be covered by wood but it's just easier to think of the sill having and 'inside' and an 'outside' with respect to paint colors. I am hoping to get some finish paint on the sill today as it's going to be another good day for painting.

[Gary Lewis]

Looking good, Dave!  I love the attention to detail.  

[Bronco638]

Thanks again Gary.

I was able to spray the rear sill Friday evening. Boy, was I right about the weather. I don't think any of the coats of paint took more than 20 minutes to dry.

I had my wife take a look and her first questions was; "which one is the new one?". That felt pretty good. I think it's obvious that the new one is on the box (which makes it look bigger than the old one). I used a combination of Duplicolor Ford Toreador Red and Duplicolor Chrysler Silver. There are alternating coats of red (heavy) and silver (light) with a final 'spritz' of silver. It's close enough.

As an example of my truck's patina, you can see the rear section of the driver's/left side flare, at the top of the image. Left-to-right is bottom-to-top. It literally goes from a dark red to a pinkish silver. All of the truck is like that.

I managed to sand all of the wood flooring yesterday. Today will be another great day for paint/stain. I need to seal the end grain first and then hope to get one or two coats of stain on today. I'll get pics, never fear....

[Gary Lewis]

That's a very innovative way to get the right color.  Well done!  

[Bronco638]

Yeah, I had my fingers crossed when it came to using those colors in that combination. It's not perfect (only someone with a lot of matching experience would be able to make it look really good) but for a panel that's largely hidden by the rear bumper, this works. And, I did it myself. Can't believe how stupid expensive paint is though. I did lightly wet sand it with 1500 grit to knock off the dust/nibs. Now when I apply the patina kit, it'll blend in with the rest of the truck.

So, with the intent of staining bed flooring on Sunday morning, I laid all of the boards out on my sawhorses.



I mixed up a 50/50 batch of end grain sealer (white glue & water). If you're using this as a guide, I got that idea off of the internet. You can buy end grain sealer but it's not cheap and it only comes in big containers. I tried to find a pint of it but had no luck. I might have used an ounce of my concoction. So, yeah.. It was applied with a foam brush I found on my work bench. So, what, less than $1 of glue and 'supplies'? =)

One minor complaint I had with the way the two flooring pieces, under the bed sides, were cut; looks like they used a bandsaw or scroll saw. The lines weren't very straight. I discovered this when sanding. I ended up using my router with the straight cutting bit and a fence to "square things up" so to speak. If anyone needs more detail, let me know and I'll elaborate in a future post.

Speaking of sanding. The instructions from Mar-K say to start with 100 grit and work your way up to 220. 100 grit is a bit aggressive for the flooring I received. The planer they used to make the boards must have had a sharp blade because the board surfaces were pretty nice to begin with. So, I used an industrial grade of 220 grit (supposedly lasts longer and doesn't clog as quickly - the sheet is a dark red in color). That seems to be perfect. One piece of sand paper, on my palm sander, lasted for one piece of flooring. I used the sander to also round over the edges. I did have to sand some areas by hand; the holes for the big bed-to-frame bolts, for example. All-in-all not a bad job but it did take most of the day.

I used a small foam brush to apply my end grain sealer mix. I ended up applying three coats with a dry time of about 20-30 minutes in-between applications. Seems to have worked well. The end grain will also have stain applied to it, too. Don't forget about the angle cuts on the two bed-side pieces. As those two flooring pieces narrow and widen, that's end grain as well. Be sure to seal those areas, too. If you're confused, let me know, I'll provide more detail.

As I was about to start staining, I re-read the instructions and am glad I did. I had forgotten to drill all of the holes for the bed side carriage bolts! So, let's start to re-assemble the bed...

How about we finish up the tank install. I ran new fuel and vent lines.



First up is the front sill which is now bolted to the front bed panel. I did apply some Fluid Film to the horizontal area where the two pieces bolt together. That's a poor design and a water trap. Not only between the flooring and the sill/panel but there's a natural low point at the sill/panel interface where water (and dirt) can just sit. There's some decent corrosion there and I'm not surprised that this area is most often found to be completely rotted away.



And, after that, the new rear sill (please excuse the messy garage).



Much sweating and cursing later, the bed sides are on.



All of the fasteners are loose so I can try to make the bed as square as possible. Everything went back together very nicely (I was somewhat surprised). Now, I need to start getting the intermediate sills in-place so all of the flooring can be laid out, properly spaced and then marked for the carriage bolt hole locations.

What corollary of Murphy's Law states that if you dis-assemble something and have X fasteners that after re-assembly you end up with X+1 fasteners? I have one extra bolt from the bed and cannot, for the life of me, figure out where it goes. I do have to tighten all of the nuts/bolts so maybe I'll find out.

Progress may be a little slow over the next week or so as something landed in my lap, with a rather large thud... Let's see how this plays out and I'll let you know.

[Gary Lewis]

Looking great!  Really well done.  But I'm anxious to find out how your lap is after the large thud.