No power tools for the kid? What a slave driver Dad!
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
Someone find this man a set of M1009 wheels for this thing.
Martin
Martin
I like having rear panels. I think it makes the back feel like the interior of the vehicle, not just the bed of a truck.
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
It'd probably be cheaper to make them yourself and have them covered.
Steve-O,
Does your truck have the upper trim panel retainers (chrome strips with a "U" shaped groove) along the inside of the bedrails?
It's hard to get a nice look with the panels without those.... pretty hard to find, but not impossible. You should start looking now... those, and the carpet hold down strips (middle and rear) are the some of the hardest parts to find these days.
-G
I made my own. The shape is fairly simple to cut out. I used 1/4" mdf panel, glued thin foam to the face to give it a padded look, then covered it with vinyl that matched my seats. I think it turned out pretty decent, and it was cheap enough that if one gets damaged, it's easily replaced.
Are you talking about the chrome strips that lay over the top of the inside of the hard top that get bolted down with the top? Yes, I have those but would take them off with the install of a soft top.
Nope.
Along the inside vertical edge of the bedrail there is a 4 foot long u-shaped trim strip that the side panels tuck up into and acts as a retainer so they don't flap around.
I may have a photo somewhere... but my guess is that yours are gone. You should at least be able to see the small holes drilled along that bedrail where the tiny screws held it on. Probably a hole every 12" or so...
-G
I have mine. If you want a pic I can post one this afternoon.
Here's a pic....
I put a set of rear trim panels in when I was doing the cagework to make sure I could still fit the chrome strips without rubbing. If you zoom in, you should be able to see the small chrome strip at the top of the interior panels. That's the part that is screwed to the bedrail that the panels tuck up into for installation.
-G
No, I don't have those but do have all the screw holes there. I was thinking something like thin sheet metal or diamond plate, something that can handle the elements.Here's a pic....
I put a set of rear trim panels in when I was doing the cagework to make sure I could still fit the chrome strips without rubbing. If you zoom in, you should be able to see the small chrome strip at the top of the interior panels. That's the part that is screwed to the bedrail that the panels tuck up into for installation.
-G
Nothing says redneck like a whole lotta polished aluminum diamond plate, make sure to get naked trucker chicks cut out of it..(FYI I'm redneck so I can say stuff like this)
I've used 1/4" MDF for the side panels before. It's OK, but it's actually a bit too thick to fit into the groove of those OEM trim strips we were talking about.... so you end up having to bevel the top edge to make it thinner. The second problem is of course that MDF is a sponge for water, so even if you coat it with a waterproofing sealer... it's a losing battle and eventually they end up just as saggy and sad-looking as the factory cardboard ones do.
The best solution is probably either a sheet aluminum, or maybe even a thin sheet of ABS plastic. That way you are 100% waterproof, and you can stull put upholstery on top of it if you wanted to so that the finished product is not quite so "industrial" looking.
-G
No, nothing shiny!
Yeah, I don't want anything that will get soggy, these things with a soft top are not exactly water tight, something like a thin sheet of ABS plastic might work, have to look into that thanks.
I got some "Lexan" for a side by side windshield from a plastics molding place in Grand Junction. I bet a place like that would be able to get you something. Mine was called AR(abrasion resistant) polycarbonate. It's made to not crack or break like the cheaper plexiglass. Prob kinda pricey to build panels but something similar that wouldn't crack would work good maybe 1/8" thick or so. Obviously you don't need clear either.
HDPE (high density polyethylene) is pretty cheap. I got a 4x8x1/8" sheet for less than $40 at Home Depot or menards. I can get you a stock number when I get home tonight if you want?
