1950 F-1 Pickup Bed

Brewsterbuff

Brewsterbuff

Senior Member
I am near paint time on my bed reconstruction. I am installing a new metal bed floor. I need to know if the ORIGINAL metal floor was painted body color? If not, what was it? My truck is Meadow Green, and I believe it is original paint. The bed floor doesn't show any sign of green paint. But, no signs of black and maybe a slight sign of silver. It does have a lot of wear but I doubt that it was NEVER painted. I would like an answer based on facts rather than preferences! THANKS. Don
 

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My 48 had a metal bed floor. It was not painted the color of the truck, but was kinda silver colored. Was it aluminum? N My memory isn't too good about that. I don't remember any rust. I'm sure someone could tell you more. Underneath the metal floor was wood. Terry
 
I have not seen any original spec information for the Bonus Built truck paint. Good on you for installing an original style metal bed.

I can only offer conjecture. If the metal beds were welded to the bed sides, that would have to be prior to factory paint. While possible, masking didn't seem to be a practice of that time. So, in my view, either the bed floors were completely painted or only covered with overspray.

FWIW, the metal bed floor on my 49 also didn't show any sign of paint. Time had also taken its toll.

The sales brochures of the period that I could find don't typically show the bed floor, so no help with the question.

I'll keep poking around and report any findings.
 
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I worked at a gas station in the mid 60's and our service truck was a 1955 F100 that the owners had purchased new. On that truck the inside and floor of the bed were painted the same color as the body, red.
 
I'm curious also, JMO but I don't think Ford wasted any money on bed floors. Grandfathers 78 still had painted box boards.
 
52flthed said:
I thought all 48-50 F1's were seasoned hardwood beds painted body color?
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Nope, the Bonus Built F1s (48-50 models) had metal beds. The change to wood happened for most with the 51 models. There is a sense that the conversion may have found its way onto some number of late 50 models as well.

The F2/F3 beds were wood, I understand.
 
Assembly protocol was to completely assemble the bed (minus fenders), then paint the entire assembly. This is true for stake and platforms as well. So your tin floor covering should be body color. In mid 50 and continuing through at least 52 the boards would have been sprayed body color. There are some factory photos of the early 1948 trucks taken from an elevated perspective that clearly show the floor.

Keep in mind the same basic bed was used from 38 to mid 50 with running changes to align with styling updates. There are some really nice factory photos from 1940 showing not only the bed interior but also eyelet hooks installed in the bed mounting holes for assembly line handling of the bed assembly.
 
Picture I lifted from Mack Hils book Ford Pickups 1932-1952 is attached. Pictured is proto 1948. Hope this helps.


BR


JimD
 

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I bought my new metal floor from Mac's and it was stamped and shipped from Mack Hils. It is GREAT, perfect fit and should install without any problems, (except for a lot of spot welding). I asked them about the finish and painting but they didn't seem to have any information about that. It surprises me that they have a book on the Ford Pickups 1932-1952. Maybe I can find a copy of that book? I just finished the paint work on a 1931 Model A Wide Bed Pickup which still has the original metal floor in it. My customer wanted it painted body color.



In the November/December 1997 issue of the Early V-8 Club Times there is a reply to a letter that states that the 1948 through the early 1950 trucks with the "Indented side panels & curved stake pockets had the METAL FLOORS". The "late 1950 to 1952 and on, with the smooth side panels, plain front panel, straight stake hole covers had the WOOD FLOOR". Looking through the judging information in the V-8 Club I found no mention of metal bed finish color. My original steel floor has no signs of any finish at all, just worn off rust!
 
my '49 may not have been original, but it had remnants of a wood bed, covered by a metal cover, also rusting out.
 
r_reed said:
my '49 may not have been original, but it had remnants of a wood bed, covered by a metal cover, also rusting out.
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That is correct, I don't think the metal beds would be strong enough to carry heavy loads with the widely spaced crossmembers. The wood provides the strength, the metal a durable surface.
 
The 1948 to mid 1950 beds were painted body colour.
In mid 1950 the boxes changed to flat sides and wooden beds.
The wooden beds were also painted body colour.

So yes, all those pretty wooden beds with the nice wood finish are all technically incorrect.


Kirk
 
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