I may be buying skipped links old chassis out from under his 49 mud truck. If so I could pick up the alumnium bed he ran, and just swap my 78 cab onto it, or I could swap my 78's cab and bed, but the bed would have to be shortened about 10 inches. How hard is it to bob a bed and keep a stock look, with functioning everything. Tennessee doesn't do state inspections so I could even drive it to Wal Mart every now and then. lol So keep it looking 78 style or get the bed with the chassis and run that custom built aluminum bed. If you dont know the chassis I speak of, its a 4 linked front and rear with coil overs, centered dana 70's, custom chain drive transfer case,44" boggers, and a beefy c6 all on a 79 bronco frame. Let me know guys. Semper Fi Lcpl Duncan

My 02 says bob the stock bed. Mix/match trucks usually loof goofy to me. Stock bodied trucks look better, even (especially) when they're modded.
Two of us bobbed my M715 bed in about half a day, in the driveway, the day before an event. Not that hard.
My buddy helping me had a good trick. Don't cut the floor at the bob, cut it past your side cut the same amount as your bobbing. (ie. we bobbed 12" off my bed. We picked a good spot on the side to cut - flat area 1/2" before the stake pocket - then cut the bed 12" past this).
This way, your bed floor will still be one piece. Looks better (if you care), and you won't have to weld a splice the whole width of the floor.

Don't cut the floor at the bob, cut it past your side cut the same amount as your bobbing. (ie. we bobbed 12" off my bed. We picked a good spot on the side to cut - flat area 1/2" before the stake pocket - then cut the bed 12" past this).
This way, your bed floor will still be one piece. Looks better (if you care), and you won't have to weld a splice the whole width of the floor.
I think I understand this, but its been a long ass day. Can I see a pic?

Sorry. No in progress pics, and its buried under 2 feet of snow right now.
Think of it this way.
Lets say you've got an 8' bed, and you're bobbing off 12" behind wheel.
Cut your sides where you need to, and remove that section. Cut the floor at the 7' mark, and remove the last 12". You'll have to cut the sides of the floor from the side cut to the floor cut, then slide the whole rear section forward 12" and re-attach. A little more work, but it comes out much cleaner.