VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Coupe Pickup Bed

Stumbled across this Coupe Pickup Bed, wondering if anyone can help me identify what year it might be ? Not sure how to attach pictures but I have some downloaded to my Photo Bucket Page. I believe it's from a 1939 because Chevrolet is writen in Script Letters, but I have never seen another one or know anyone who has.

http://s419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/DonkeyBoyzToyz/1939%20Chevy%20Coupe%20Pickup%20Box/

Any Help is Appreciated. Thanks

There was a '39 coupe pickup at the Flint Anniversary Meet last year.

You can see a picture of it in the December 2011 issue of the G&D. But it was taken from the front - not the rear.

I'm not sure that that issue is still available.
http://vcca.org/50th_anniversary_store.htm

http://vcca.org/wow/2011/newstorelinks.jpg

(Note: VCCA members have online access to all past issues since Aug 2011.)

Just to correct a couple of points at the top of your photobucket page. The coupe pickup was built from '36 to '42. The bed was not removable in 1936. The removable beds from 1937 to 1942 were not options on a coupe, but sold only as part of a coupe pickup. It was it's own separate model.

Thanks for the feedback. I was told the beds were an accessory you could buy, didn't know that's how they came from the Factory that way. Pretty Cool. I have read / heard they have wood beds. This one has a steel plate in it, looks factory built. There is also a wood bed assembly that looks like the bed in my '39 Chevy Pickup. Does this just sit inside on the steel plate ? Appreciate your info. Now, I'll need to figure out what I am going to do with it. I am building a '40 Chevy Sedan and this doesn't fit my trunk lines since it was built for a Coupe.

I have a coupe pick-up box that I'm currently restoring for my 1938 coupe. My box is very straight and mostly complete (I need to find or fabricate the piece that goes on the top front of the box (which fits in the trunk space from the top of the trunk opening inward).

The bed, indeed, should be made of wood, with metal bed strips (just like the regular pickup box, but shorter, of course). The constructed bed rides on several crosspieces (approximately 1 1/2" x 1 1/4"), a couple of which have long bolts through them and the bed to attach to the original trunk deck.

When the bed is inserted into the trunk space (after the lid has been removed, of course), the space between the bed and the bottom edge of the trunk opening (i.e., where the spare tire is stored) is open, and there is a panel that attaches over that space, closed by two T-handles (which can lock). While the coupe pickup box is apparently extremely rare, this piece, as you might imagine, is almost impossible to find (they would have been easily removed and laid aside or discarded). Luckily I have a perfectly straight one.

The owner of the 39 coupe pick up in G&D is Lloyd Henige, a distinguished member of the VCCA, a former GM engineer, who owns several award winning Chevys. Lloyd is a first-class guy and has been very kind and helpful in assisting me in this restoration. I hope to have the pickup box completed by sometime next summer (I'm currently working on the wooden bed).

As I said above, I need to find or fabricate that top panel that attaches by small bolts to the top front of the box. If you are interested in selling or parting out the box, please let me know.

If I can be of further help or information, let me know (I have dimensions for bed wood, etc., thanks to Lloyd's kindness).

Jim

Jim,
From what I have read, the '39 box is shorter than the '37 or '38 box. Tiny sent me a Link above where it says this as well. "The big change for 1939 is that the bed was even shorter and had Chevrolet script on the Tailgate. The Club (or 5 passenger) coupe was introduced in 1939 and the business coupe had a luggage compartment inside where the long trunk of 1937 - 38 was located." I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my box yet, just found it last week while I was looking for parts to build a '37 Chevy Pickup. I am going to disassemble it for easy storage for now. Is the entire top piece missing on yours or is it beyond repair ?

It's just ONE photo, but at least from the rear. Harold Heaton's '39 Coupe pick-up from Forest Grove (Ore) Concours, July, 2011. I've had the good fortune of touring Harold's collection in Klamath Falls, OR. He's restored some terrific Chevrolets.

'39 Coupe Pick-up Photo

Scroll down five lines....see picture in left column. Click on the picture for slightly larger view.

Enjoy the view....

Bill.

Thanks Bill F. Here's your photo again.

1939 Coupe PU


1936 Coupe PU

Yep...the Junkyard Dogs have been there....twice. Harold has an awesome car collection.

Thanks for the pictures, I can clearly see the lower panel on Harold Heaton's 1939.

14U,

The 1937 Sales Handbook for Commercial Cars and Trucks includes schematics on the Coupe Pickup. The measurements given there for the bed are 66 1/8" long X 38 7/8" wide; this would be the same for the 1938 (my box has these dimensions). Not sure what your box would measure.

I notice one other difference between yours and mine: the side front end of your box looks to be a perfectly straight 90-degree angle. The front end of my side panels are 90-degrees from the bottom up, for a distance of 9"; then the side takes a 45-degree angle (toward the back of the box) up to the top.

Yes, I need the whole front top piece. This will be tricky to fabricate because it must follow the contour of the lid channel on the coupe, then extend down and toward the front of the box. I'm not sure if the 39 lid channel is the same as the 38 (i.e., are the tops of the 38 and 39 deck lids the same dimension and shape). If so, as I said, I'd be interested in that part if you're intending to sell or part out.

Thanks,

Jim

One for you - two for me,

Glad the picture helped. To be honest about it, I wasn't really sure what you were asking about; but hoped you could see it in the picture of Harold's car. B T W, that really is a gorgeous rig. Every bit as good in real life as in the photo. Maybe even better.....

Thnx to Bill B for posting picture from the link. Much easier to see.

Bill.