6 replies to this topic

[Ranchwagon]

Have any resin casters done a Ford F100 styleside 117" wheelbase bed to use with the recent Model King 1979 F350? The 8' F100-250 bed would be nice to have, too! Thanks.

[mikemodeler]

Not that I have seen yet. I haven't started my MK '79 Ford PU kit yet so I am not sure what is required to make it into a shortbed version. There have been a few folks who have taken the kit bed and converted it to the standard wheelbase.

Best of luck on your conversion.

Mike Scheve

[Aaronw]

Couldn't you just use the bed from one of the 50's Fords? I thought I read that the bed really didn't change on the Fords.

[Ranchwagon]

Couldn't you just use the bed from one of the 50's Fords? I thought I read that the bed really didn't change on the Fords.

That's the flareside bed (stepside in GM terms). I would like to see the styleside which is the same as the kit but I'd like the short version for the 117" wheelbase. Without checking the brochure, I think the length was 6 3/4 ft.

[Aaronw]

That's the flareside bed (stepside in GM terms). I would like to see the styleside which is the same as the kit but I'd like the short version for the 117" wheelbase. Without checking the brochure, I think the length was 6 3/4 ft.

Nevermind I misunderstood what you were looking for, I get confused with the different names each company uses for with or without fenders. I think I read styleside, and in my mind thought stepside.

I know I've seen people lengthen the bed on the '84 GMC, using two kits. It doesn't look too hard and a short bed from a long bed shouldn't need two kits, but you would have to find out where to make the cuts. I am a little surprised no body seems to sell resin short / long beds for pickups, but I've never seen anyone who does.

[Rob Hall]

One idea I had for doing both a wide shortbed and wide, standard wheelbase longbed is to take the beds from the AMT '92-95 pickup kits (the bed width and wheelbases seem correct), remove the outer fenders from the '90s beds, and then shorten/rearrange the '79 outer rear fenders to fit on the '90s beds...with this approach, I don't have to rework the inside parts of the '79 bed.

The '79 cab also fits the '92 chassis, so I may use the the '92-95 chassis so I don't have to shorten '79 chassis for the right wheelbase.

Strange thoughts, but I think this approach will work for me...though it may be a long time before I finish them.

Edited by Rob Hall, 17 December 2007 - 03:09 PM.

[455 Rocket]

If I recall, the AMT kit is based off the F-350 bed. The wheels wells on these trucks were moved backwards so the truck could use the tow truck frame. The rear ends were narrower than the F-250's; that's why most of the time you see these trucks with wide steel wheels in the rear with 33x 12.50 tires.

Based on the fact that the rear weels are located more to the rear, maybe this is the same distance as the short bed. You'd only have to cut the front of the bed to make it look correctly.