1962 International Harvester c120 truck box project

[Bob Riefer]

Hello,
A friend of a friend has asked me to build him a "vintage truck box" for his "new" truck. He has purchased a 1962 International Harvester c120 and my understanding is that he plans to have it professionally restored and painted/lettered to advertise his business.

He plans to keep it well-protected during the winter months, but thinks he'll have it out quite a bit the rest of the year... taking it to certain customer quoting events, trade shows etc. And I think he'll drive it "for fun" too. So, it will see some weather.

I have attached some pics of the truck from when he was purchasing a few towns over, and he also sent me two initial "truck box inspiration" pics.

I want to build him something functional, appropriate for this model/year of vehicle, that uses materials and finishes that are both practical and beautiful.

As I am not a "car guy" really, I'm seeking any and all tips/pointers I can get in order to do this really nicely for him. Anything ranging from style of construction, material choice, features to try to include, watch outs... I'll gladly take all advice.


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[Frank Pratt]

That's going to be a cool project. If he wants it to be a bit of a show piece, don't do it like the first box pic. That would be more of an embarrassment than something to show off. The second is nice though.

[Andrew Seemann]

That's purdy. I always had a fondness for that model truck. The old man had a '64, and a friend of mine in college had a '65. Two tons of drum-braked metal with no seat belts, ABS, or collapsable steering wheel:)

[Jamie Buxton]

I'm a wood guy. I'd suggest metal for the truck. Wood outside just gets beat up. That's why they build vehicles from metal.

And if you have to make it from wood, make sure it sheds water. That third pic you posted is just dumb.

[Jamie Buxton]

What business is he in? That might drive the design.

[Bob Riefer]

Agreed his first inspiration pic ain’t that inspirational. :) He owns an electrical business with a fleet of vans etc. He doesn’t do much of the electrical work these days - manages the business etc.

[Bob Riefer]

I feel like white oak may be the most locally available weather tolerant wood. With the right water shedding design and appropriate finish it should hold up nicely considering it will
generally by a nice weather vehicle only.

[Jamie Buxton]

If you're determined to use wood, think ahead to the refinishing job. If you put a film finish on the oak, and put it out in the weather, the film finish will eventually need refinishing. You'll want to remove the old finish, sand wood where water got to it, and re-apply the film finish. Reflect that job into your design. Make the whole surface easy to sand. No indentations, and as few inside corners as you can manage.

[Alex Zeller]

The sun is going to be the killer. You could use a south American decking wood but if it spends much time outside it'll turn gray. They don't like to absorb finishes. However if it's going to be inside a garage most of the time then it should last a very long time. Zebra or tiger wood I think would look nice. Very durable but not insanely heavy like ipe. It would allow for the occasional use of the bed of the truck.

[Jim Becker]

I agree with Alex that Tigerwood is an interesting option for this kind of project.

I'm not sure I'd personally want to bugger that existing pickup bed, however...it looks to be in fine condition and therefore, the vehicle may be more valuable with it on there than replaced by a wooden construction. But I'm not the owner... ;)

[David Utterback]

It would be more functional if the box is accessible from the sides with 2 doors on the top, imho. I cannot imagine having to get into the bed to open doors facing the rear of the truck. If it is decorative only, the examples shown might work.

[Bob Riefer]

It would be more functional if the box is accessible from the sides with 2 doors on the top, imho. I cannot imagine having to get into the bed to open doors facing the rear of the truck. If it is decorative only, the examples shown might work.

I agree, I'll test this thought with him. The side rails would need to be adjusted to accommodate, but that could be viewed as an opportunity to have the box the the rails "match" perhaps.

(edit, and your signature is always my favorite because I can definitely relate)

[Bob Riefer]

I agree with Alex that Tigerwood is an interesting option for this kind of project.

I'm not sure I'd personally want to bugger that existing pickup bed, however...it looks to be in fine condition and therefore, the vehicle may be more valuable with it on there than replaced by a wooden construction. But I'm not the owner... ;)

The plan is that the truck box will be entirely removable to allow for instances where the full bed is needed, or if it needs to be set aside for any other reason.

[Bob Riefer]

Regarding material choice...

The neighbor pointed to his mahogany porch floor boards which see partial weather all year long and look good a decade after install. Thoughts on that?

Also... (and Jim, you might know of this place?) there's a composite material supplier near by (Jim.. norristown... I'll have to find the company name). The same material used for making outdoor porch furniture etc. I believe it's made of recycled milk jugs. If the right color combination is selected, it can look very nice... definitely not a wood clone, but perhaps worth the compromise for the weather tolerance?

[Jim Becker]

I think that supplier is in Plymouth Meeting/Norristown as you mention. Not sure if that stuff will provide the look the truck owner is looking for, however.

Mahogany is certainly weather resistant in general. The Tiger Wood I mentioned is often used for decks and is a bit harder, however. I got some scraps from my neighbor's former fiancé who is in the deck and outdoor home enhancement business and CNC cut small boxes with it. It finishes up really beautifully. No matter what wood you choose, it's going to feel the effects of the weather and sun at some point, even with a good UV resistant product on it. Nature of the beast...

[Jamie Buxton]

The plan is that the truck box will be entirely removable to allow for instances where the full bed is needed, or if it needs to be set aside for any other reason.

If the box is wood, it'd be very good if it doesn't sit directly on the bed, where there may be a puddle. Put it on spacers or feet which are not damaged by standing in water -- aluminum, plastic, stainless, or the like.

[Andrew Seemann]

If white oak is easily available, I'd go for that. It handles the outdoors well, and turns a nice silver grey. As noted above, you do want to keep it (and any wood for that matter) out of standing water.

[Rick Potter]

I would go classic, with Oak or Ash sideboards in the stake pockets to match the bed boards.

I would also use a smooth metal commercial cross box, powder coated to match the trucks paint scheme. It should hold up much better than wood, even for occasional use.

2 cents worth from a car guy.

[Tom Bender]

It's a very tempting project for a woodworker but...

Wood on metal will cause the metal to rust thru in short order

Wood will turn grey in the sun unless it is painted

Wood will be heavier than metal, maybe not an issue for an art car

Truck builders have figured this out and no manufacturer uses wood

Wish I could encourage you but in this case,no

Tom

[Bob Riefer]

We’re on the same page and I ended up turning down the project. The friend of a friend had extremely particular wishes (must be reclaimed lumber from his old falling down barn, must include vintage metal strapping, must be 100% perfectly waterproof for 7 months of outside time per year, must feature “treasure chest” top, and so on) and didn’t want to spend $$. I politely explained that this one was over my head and wished him luck.

[Jim Becker]

When folks are not willing to pay for the quality and features they expect, especially with very particular requirements...run, don't walk away! Sometimes you just have to "fire the customer". :)

[Bob Riefer]

Totally agree. Glad the more experienced crew here feels the same way. I only am able to take on about 10-12 projects per year since my actual job (and kids, life etc.) consume so much of my time, and my skill set is work in progress (so I'm slow on some tasks)... so I try to pick work that fits some criteria:

- Awesome personality fit with customer
- Customer alignment with my (slow) pace
- Comfort with my pricing methodology (basically, I give a nice break on projects where I need to learn)
- Within my skill set to deliver quality product
- Pushing me to learn something new, without pushing too far
- Interests me, something I'll be proud of


I'm sure in future years the list will evolve, but that's basically my list as it stands today. It's been allowing me to keep steadily busy in the shop while (somewhat) justifying/offsetting the cost of insurance (etc.) and shop upgrades. "Profit" ain't even in the equation, but I consider it therapy, education, meeting people, being creative etc.

[Bill Dufour]

I have to jump in and mention the 1924 Hispano Suza tulipwood body race car.
Bill D.

I had never heard of the 1939 Lagonda tulipwood car before today.
https://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z12699/lagonda-rapide-tulipwood-boattail-racer.aspx

[Bill Dufour]

Do Morgan cars still use wood for the frame? That Hizpano Suza body is under 200 pounds including all the brass rivets or nails.. I think it is built like a wood strip canoe.
Bill D

[Jim Becker]

Do Morgan cars still use wood for the frame? That Hizpano Suza body is under 200 pounds including all the brass rivets or nails.. I think it is built like a wood strip canoe.
Bill D
I believe that there's a restoration thread about one of these vehicles here at SMC somewhere. Morgan vehicles in existence would have the wood...they haven't been manufactured for "eons", AFAIK.

[Frank Pratt]

I believe that there's a restoration thread about one of these vehicles here at SMC somewhere. Morgan vehicles in existence would have the wood...they haven't been manufactured for "eons", AFAIK.

Morgan vehicles are still being manufactured & have much the same styling they always have. But I don't think the chassis is as extensively wood as they once were. Wood is still used in the body support structure though.

[Bill Dufour]

Turns out Morgan still makes about 800 cars a year with 240 employeees. Owned by some Italian company. The wood frame thing is because of British English automotive vocabulary. What the US calls a frame the British call a Chassis. That is metal in a Morgan, Aluminum these days. Some of the frame that supports the body is wood even today. Like the studs in a house are wood even if the outside is brick or stucco.
Bil lD.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/joncallas/5291921266/in/photostream/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_Motor_Company

[Jim Becker]

Morgan vehicles are still being manufactured & have much the same styling they always have. But I don't think the chassis is as extensively wood as they once were. Wood is still used in the body support structure though.


Turns out Morgan still makes about 800 cars a year with 240 employeees. Owned by some Italian company. The wood frame thing is because of British English automotive vocabulary. What the US calls a frame the British call a Chassis. That is metal in a Morgan, Aluminum these days. Some of the frame that supports the body is wood even today. Like the studs in a hose are wood even if the outside is brick or stucco.
Bil lD.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/joncallas/5291921266/in/photostream/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_Motor_Company


Thanks...I didn't know that! Who knew.... ;)

[Bill Dufour]

I assumed they were fiberglass these days with glassed in wood supports here and there like a boat.
Bill D