1947 Chevy 3100 Thriftmaster Pickup - Project Shop Truck

The MAR-K bed's now fastened to the chassis and we're ready to start installing the bed wood kit.

Short bed GM Stepside trucks from 1947-1951 used a nine-board bed design with four pairs of varying width boards converging on a widest, center board.

The outer bed boards are inserted first, under the angle strips on the side of the bed...

...followed by the remaining oak boards, each spaced 1/2 inch apart for the bed strip hardware.

The MAR-K aluminum bed strips hide the fasteners underneath the strip using special bolts that slide in a groove machined on the underside of the strip.

This also allows the bolt to adjust to any hole location.

Once installed, the bed floor is completely devoid of any unsightly hardware, save for the bed side angle strips.

The next step is to install the tailgate. One tailgate hinge is attached to either bed stake pocket. The tailgate is then slid into place onto the installed hinge, while another hinge is slid onto the opposite side of the tailgate. Raising the tailgate, the hinge is then attached to the other bed stake pocket.

Our MAR-K bedsides were designed for their full smooth tailgate that replaces the stock tailgate chains with two-piece hinged check straps and latches.

The MAR-K tailgate also incorporates a handle that is on the inside of the tailgate that releases the latch mechanism.

Here's the smooth tailgate installed.

The last thing to do in getting our bed to the preliminary stage is to install the fuel filler concealment kit.

The Legen's kit consists of a pair of polished aluminum hinges and an electric actuator that will raise the bed board to reveal the fuel filler neck.

The first step is to cut the board that's going to act as the door at a 25-degree angle where the board meets the strip. This angle will allow the board to raise and lower without interfering with the bed strips at either side.

The entire length of board is cut via a table saw with the blade adjusted to the proper angle.

The aluminum hinges mount off the bed board adjacent to the board that will open while the actuator mounts off two adjacent boards to that. The hinges should be mounted roughly 1/3 inch from either end of the bed board to provide proper support.

While the Legen's kit is designed to conceal the fuel filler for an under the bed fuel tank, we thought another good idea would be to mount the battery in a drop-down-style box and use the concealment kit to allow access to the terminals to attach a trickle charger or other device.