1948 Ford F1 Metal Bed Question

G

gtdohn

Senior Member
Does anyone know where the rivets are located in a 1948 F1 bed that came with metal over wood. Supposedly there are a lot of them that need to be ground off before the metal top plate can be removed. I need to know if they are on the flat surface of the edge or the 1" lip that surrounds it.
Also, can this be removed and simply replace the wood with new wood and keep it that way without the plate on top?
 
Over time, many Bonus Built era metal beds have been replaced with wood strips, so it is possible. As for rivets, the only place for them would be around the perimeter under the bed sides. There are flat head, single slot fasteners in slight recesses in the bed that attach to the cross members.

Mine were sufficiently fused that I changed a plan to remove the bed during a resto. Since the heads sit in the recesses, I couldn't see a way to remove them that didn't muck up the bed, the cross members, or both.
 
My metal-over-wood bed was pretty much non-existent when I did my bed so I cant help with rivets, but I believe there are a few places that make a kit to replace with wood. I'm fairly certain 48-early 50 beds need some kind of spacer to bring the wood height up. You can't just use Late 50 and up bed wood as a bolt in.
 
48-49-early 50, beds had a different side configuration than the later beds. they has a raised panel in the middle of the bed and the fenders fit that raised portion so only those early fender fit the early bed
 
Here are some photos of my 48 F1 when I had it. It did have the original metal bed in it. I did replace the wood under the metal bed though. In the photo with the finished paint you can see that is where the bed is secured to the frame but other then that I pretty sure the metal bed was just attached to the bed sides.
 

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Found 'em.
They are about every two inches down both sides and across the front. They are up on the 1 inch bend that goes up the side.
Now to get those screws out that go across the braces.
By the way, the rivets came out with a sharp chisel and a whole lot of pounding.
 
They're not rivets, they're spot welds that hold the floor pan in place. There are rivets in the corner of the box holding the sides and headwall together.
The wood underneath is like soft pine and odd shaped pieces. I've heard Henry was frugal and the wood subfloor proves it.
I replaced my metal floor with oak and metal strips.
 
mtflat said:
They're not rivets, they're spot welds that hold the floor pan in place. There are rivets in the corner of the box holding the sides and headwall together.
The wood underneath is like soft pine and odd shaped pieces. I've heard Henry was frugal and the wood subfloor proves it.
I replaced my metal floor with oak and metal strips.
Click to expand...

Is there a special kit for replacing the metal bed with wood. I hear it needs spacers to raise the level of the floor. Is there a company that makes such a thing?
 
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