Flareside bed question...

[1968flareside]

I have begun removing the bed from the 68. Someone has welded in a piece of sheetmetal for the bed floor. I've seen the wood kits and that is what I plan to put in. My question is, did the flaresides have any other bed floor other than wood and the metal strips? Just curious. As I said, I will be putting in a wood bed, as this will be a cruiser and not an everyday driver. Thanks in advance!!

[Joe Kriston]

I've seen diamond plate floors,but couldn't tell you if they were factory or not...Let me know when you start redoing yours...I have a '54 that I have the new strips for,and I was going to try to router the wood planks out of a 3/4 sheet of oak plywood that I got at Home Depot for thirty bucks...I got the exact measurements I need from a vintage Ford place...The part that scares me are lining up the six thousand nuts and bolts so the thing fits right...

[trukcrazy]

I believe the wood floor was all that came in the flareside. That's really the only kind that looks good in those beds.

[willowbilly3]

I am not sure, seems like all were wood but at some point there were metal floors as a couple 48's around here have metal that is stock. It looks kind of like the wood floor with reinforcing ribs similiar to the metal strips a wood floor would have at about the same spacing.
If you are going to use oak plywood why not just cheat and leave the sheet whole. Just router a recess for the strips.

[1968flareside]

I like this one the best... http://catalog.mar-k.com/mar-k/mk-catal ... 1000440589

Thanks for the replies!!

[fordman]

i know you can get the steel panels to replace the floor in the regular beds. and i have seen a step side bed with the steel panels in it.

[1968flareside]

Thanks. I was looking for the original options. I've seen the different types of floors available now. I am definitely doing the wood floor.

[Joe Kriston]

If you are going to use oak plywood why not just cheat and leave the sheet whole. Just router a recess for the strips.

Willowbilly,...you're a freakin' genius...Now that I think about it,I coulda bought a sheet of T-1 11...