My 57 GMC is the result of a rebuild project over the past several years. It
has a 1958 Pontiac 336 engine and an old but rebuilt Carter AFB carb.
Apparently, this truck rolled off the assembly line late in the production
year and 58 engines were utilized. (Or, the dealer replaced it the following
year.) It is painted very dark green with a side stake assembly. Perhaps
I'll contribute my photo to Wayne's site for anyone who continues to be
interested in side stake ideas. The side stake assembly is approximately 14"
high from the top of the bedside.
The process of this rebuild took all summer of 98 and most of 99. I use this
truck infrequently for light trips around town and it is not for showing but
is fairly close to original with few modifications. After 3 years I'm almost
finished with this rebuild, (or perhaps one is really never finished.) My
intention is to keep this vehicle in mostly original condition but I must
say that adding these side stakes does add some continuity from the finished
oak bed and separates it from most other trucks. Seems a shame to travel
around the city where no one can see the great finish of the bed thus the
"continuity" mentioned above. My truck has an "old-fashioned" feel and thus
from a design perspective is probably not fitting for a custom truck with a
chopped top, custom flame paint and a lowered frame. I keep waiting for my
local IGA to ask if it can be used as a circa 1950's delivery vehicle.
The design process was the only creative part of the stake assembly. I used
dimension cut red oak in 2", 4" and 6 " widths. Nearly all the lumber was
purchased at a local Kansas City lumber store specializing in tight and
unique grain stock. My design has the 6" width running parallel with the
bedsides, from front to back, and curve-cut at the end to give it a finished
look. The 2" width was next and shorter in length than the 6" piece. (This
is mostly a function of esthetics and you can decide for yourself the level
of gradient differences between the 3 different lengths.) Finally the 4"
piece is on top and shorter still. From bottom to top then the length
becomes shorter but still long enough for side bracing. The 3 vertical
side-bracing elements that fit into the stake pockets however were not exact
fit with dimension cut lumber. I had to purchase 8/4 ("eight
quarters"---lumber guys speak in a foreign language sometimes) X 3" in a ten
foot length and cut it down to make for a friction fit into the 6
rectangular stake pockets. In my situation I took the lumber to someone who
used a professional grade band saw to make the cuts. I sanded the side
stakes to loosely fit the stake pockets, anticipating some "growth" in the
stakes from 4 coats of spar varnish. You can also add wood screws to firmly
attach the vertical braces to the stake pockets.
Some side stake assemblies I've seen do not have a front bed element that
ties the 2 sides together. Mine does and it's simply a matter of preference.
It is less expensive for "side only" stakes and requires a little less time.
The problem is in calculating the angle joints at the front. Most beds are
set in such a way that the clearance and tolerance for a conventional corner
isn't sufficient with the back of the cab. I adjusted this by building an
inverse corner joint. (That's my "wood-working pig-Latin" for a joint that
places the sideboards on the outside of the corner and the 3 front pieces on
the inside of the corner.) Thus I have a front section with enough clearance
that it clears the back of the cab under the rear glass. This requires some
notching of the side pocket vertical pieces to custom fit the pieces
together. Of course, you can avoid all of this by simply omitting the front
section altogether.
Refinishing occurred with all wood parts unassembled. I used a light
application of Watco dark maple stain. Remember that with tight grain lumber
like oak the stain doesn't deeply "color" the original stock. I simply chose
to wipe excess amounts off with a clean rag immediately after application.
Four coats of satin finish spar (exterior grade) varnish were applied with
intermittent light scuffing with steel wool to knock off the burs. The 4
coats also further darkened the side rails to match the shade of the bed
oak. (Note: Most parts dealers use white oak for bed wood. Only a trained
eye could notice the difference between red and white oak especially after
stain and 4 coats of varnish.)
The actual assembly process was kind of like an erector set. I placed the
finished side stakes in the 6 stake pockets until they hit the bottom (3"-6"
depending on middle, back, or front.) Once the stakes were secure I mounted
the 6" width first and shimmed the side rail from the bedside using a 1/2"
shim. Three-eighths inch holes were drilled and lag bolts used to assemble
the planks to the stakes. The 4" and 6" widths required 2 bolts per vertical
stake and the 2" piece only required 1. The same process was repeated for
the 2" width and the 4" width. Curve-cutting the ends (before the
application of stain and varnish) with a basic jigsaw finished the ends of
all 3 widths.
That's about it. Again, I'll try to upload a picture to Wayne so you can see
the detail. Best regards, Bob Browell
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
|