Managed to do some cleanup, removed more chrome junk and think I have most of the gremlins out of the tail light wiring. Going to try and go to the local car wash soon to spray off the red dirt underneath so I can see and finish installing all of the bed bolts.

The color wasn't what it looked like in the craigslist ad, but still managed to get a good deal out of it all. My paint code PRV was only available in 02-03, so the likelihood of finding a match was slip to none to begin with.

If any of you have photoshop skills, please feel free to try and come up with a good looking transition that will help me avoid painting the entire bed, cab or whole truck!

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps04b81afa.jpg
http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...psd8b2cf89.jpg
http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps0bd75fab.jpg
http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...pse105bc5f.jpg
http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps605624d6.jpg

I have a pretty good idea for the transition. It might still be cheaper to paint the bed, but we will see.

be interested in seeing your idea...although cheap is my priority right now. Thinking of bedlining inside the bed and over the rails then trying something to tie the colors together or just paint the bed to match the cab.

honestly for the price of the half gallon it will take to color match the bed you can get a gallon of black and do the whole truck.

paint is not that easy ... you'd also have to jam 4 doors and engine bay as well for it to look right plus black obviously is the hardest color to prep and paint ... it's not as simple as buying a gallon of paint and walla you have a black truck it's alot easier to screw up a paintjob then make it look good ... if it was me i would try to find another bed or paint it to match

you dont have to explain to me how hard it is, ive worked in a body shop since i was 15. i've prepped and painted trucks. you'd be amazed how expensive red is. he's already got the bed why hunt for another one just because its a shade off?

bc selling a bed and buying a new one that's the right color is quite a bit cheaper than painting and blending his current bed and much easier .. that is if he can track one down ...

thats a big if considering this is a one year only color. he's been pulling the chrome trim off of this truck maybe a it would wear a flat black well. its an option, he did say he was open to options and opinions

without some sort of design breaking up the 2 colors it doesn't matter what color you paint the bed it won't look good and if you're going to paint it flat black why not just paint it to match.. since you do work in a body shop you know how hard a matte finish is to get perfect since you can't sand and buff out imperfections

I'd have the bed painted to match and the cab blended in. That's a good looking color.