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I am in the middle of a restoration that is really special and will be well documented in a book I am writing for Cartech.com called Restoring a 1947- 1955 Chevy Pickup and I needed a complete Bed. The only thought in my mind was calling up Mar-K. I have heard for years these are the people you want to work with when it comes time for Bed parts. In writing the book, I took the opportunity to interview Kevin, the head Engineer at Mar-K while I was picking up a Bed for this really awesome project. I was not alone. Since I do not have a pickup that I would feel comfortable with driving 180 miles one way, I asked my great friend Mike Fahrbach to help me get the Bed back to my shop. He has the perfect ride for this trip and it was a wonderful day. Even with the worst rain storm I have seen recently, the day was a major success. Special Thanks to Mike!
I was particularly impressed with the staff at Mar-K. Audrey took my order and it was not an easy order to take! The bed is very special in that I wanted FLAT side rails rather than the 1950's style 45 degree side rails. This was important to me. But with a 1950 frame, the problem is surprisingly VERY difficult to get around. Mar-K has had a document out forever on how to make a 1954/55 bed work with a 1950 frame, but its a LOT of re-drilling, cutting and misery. UNTIL NOW! Thanks to another staffer at Mar-K, Kevin, the Head Engineer came up with a package that works right out of the box! You sacrifice 2 inches of depth but it fits the old frame perfectly. So be aware that if you are like me and want the flat side rails, they have the parts needed to do that and are happy to help. Call them and ask them for a catalog. They have lots of really cool stuff that is pretty new.
Keep in mind, MOST of our usual vendors order the Bed from Mar-K. That is because they are very adamant about using thicker steel, flatter and neater spot welds, and new and innovative solutions that they offer direct to the individual. Keep it made in America because we have the better track record of creating a much closer match to OUR original designs. I haven't put it together yet, but knowing that they are just a phone call away, and their engineering staff is second to none, I am not in the least bit worried. I will explain in detail in the book due out in mid to late 2019. Another amazing thing I have never seen is how they package the side rails for shipment. They actually make a wooden frame for each side rail to make sure it is not damaged in shipment. Top shelf indeed!
More on this in a few months when I am ready to address the bed! Full disclosure: I paid regular price for this bed kit.
I was particularly impressed with the staff at Mar-K. Audrey took my order and it was not an easy order to take! The bed is very special in that I wanted FLAT side rails rather than the 1950's style 45 degree side rails. This was important to me. But with a 1950 frame, the problem is surprisingly VERY difficult to get around. Mar-K has had a document out forever on how to make a 1954/55 bed work with a 1950 frame, but its a LOT of re-drilling, cutting and misery. UNTIL NOW! Thanks to another staffer at Mar-K, Kevin, the Head Engineer came up with a package that works right out of the box! You sacrifice 2 inches of depth but it fits the old frame perfectly. So be aware that if you are like me and want the flat side rails, they have the parts needed to do that and are happy to help. Call them and ask them for a catalog. They have lots of really cool stuff that is pretty new.
Keep in mind, MOST of our usual vendors order the Bed from Mar-K. That is because they are very adamant about using thicker steel, flatter and neater spot welds, and new and innovative solutions that they offer direct to the individual. Keep it made in America because we have the better track record of creating a much closer match to OUR original designs. I haven't put it together yet, but knowing that they are just a phone call away, and their engineering staff is second to none, I am not in the least bit worried. I will explain in detail in the book due out in mid to late 2019. Another amazing thing I have never seen is how they package the side rails for shipment. They actually make a wooden frame for each side rail to make sure it is not damaged in shipment. Top shelf indeed!
More on this in a few months when I am ready to address the bed! Full disclosure: I paid regular price for this bed kit.