Thank you for the comments. I thought that same thing would be the case for me if I were to find a used one I could afford. We wanted a tailgate that matched our restoration and, to beat one into submission would possibly end up consuming as much time as what I have in this one. Plus, I considered i...

The very last step of the fabrication was to clean up the make-shift rivets. I used my angle grinder to cut them to length. The carriage bolt was long enough so that when I cut the nut to length, I also cut the carriage bolt. I used carbide burrs and sanding drums and wheels on the Dremel tool to sh...

With all of the welding and trimming done, I started the much needed bodywork on the unit. I had it bead blasted then sprayed epoxy primer before using body filler. Once it was ready, I sprayed it and installed it. The filler was necessary for the distortion caused by welding, slight misalignment of...

Thanks for the comments. It was lots of work including outsourced labor someone would have to factor into the build. Next up were the upper corner bracket pieces that the chain loops through. I don't know what you'd call them but I bought a 3/16" thick flat bar drop, if I recall correctly and f...

Thank you!! After my brother finished welding the corners onto each insert, I buffed the welds and continue to fit each piece into its place. My original intention was to use the upper section I had cut off previously, to fit perfectly into the cut-outs between the bottom stampings but either I calc...

After more hours of making corner blanks, cutting them out, trimming them to fit, and making more flat sections, I got my brother, a professional tig welder to weld the corners onto the small sections so that I could blend them all before he would weld them onto the tailgate blank. Corner Testing 4....

Hours and hours of cutting, trimming, and testing...

After adjusting the dimensions of the die, I created a new test piece to verify the height of the stamp to ensure that it was equal to the height of the step-die press brake bends in the main body of the tailgate. I also 3D printed some test corners to be used for fitment tests to come later. The su...

About a year earlier, I had asked my cousin who works at a machine shop to make me a die that I had modeled in SolidWorks. He was nice enough to make it and, after a few adjustments, it seemed like a viable solution for pressing the corners. Test Corner Blank.jpg This is a first pass at a test blank...

I don't mind sharing some of the models I created but not sure of the best way to transfer them. With the round bar (lower hinge) and the upper cap already made, I got the sheet metal back from my friend with the brake. The upper section, which I intended to cut off, is too wide but would work for m...

For the radius section at the bottom of the tailgate, I didn't want to tool up with some sort of press brake die so, instead of bending sheet metal, I modeled a section based on round tubing. I have a second cousin who works at a local machine shop who machined a solid steel rod with 1.32-inch diame...

I met a guy who is fairly local with a tailgate who was nice enough to allow me to take measurements. With my tape measure, calipers, and laptop in hand, I created a solid model of his tailgate with as much accuracy as I thought I needed. Later, I would find myself taking more measurements and scali...

Hello Everyone, I found my M37 in a barn in South Louisiana in 2012. My son and I started the restoration in 2015 and got it on the road in June, 2020, one month before he left for Ft. Leonard Wood for BCT and MP AIT. During that span of time our restoration received significant support from histori...

My tailgate was a one-time thing mainly due to the real cost in producing them. I designed it in SolidWorks based on measurements from factory units. That was fairly easy. I had to ask lots of favors to actually produce it and includes lots of what I consider standard sheet metal bends that any job ...

M-37bruce,

Thanks for the comment on our tailgate. I’ve been a member for years here. I did have to fabricate a tailgate due to lack of availability. I think it came out great and was lots of work. Used, damaged ones are as well and are extremely hard to find in good condition.