'59 Apache "Low and Mean" long term project

[1959Chev]

Hello all. I am new to this board and new to building trucks. I have built multiple cars but never anything this old. This will be an experience for me and I'm quite sure I will have a ton of questions. All suggestions will be more than welcome so feel free to suggest anything that will help me move this project along.

To start I have been searching for a '56 for a couple years now that I could get and restore. I had found 2 in a field and took a while trying to go get them. Before I could get up there to get them, the guy got rid of them to go to the scrap yard
So I continued my search and came across a '59 apache stepside. Score! Paid the guy $800 and he hauled it 45 min one way to bring it to me.
Everything on the truck was original for the most part. I even drove around the block a few times but the rings were gone so it smoked like hell.
After I figured out the rings were bad I pulled it in the shop and began tearing it down. I will get some pics tomorrow of when I got it and where I am on the tear down.

Plans for the truck:
camaro clip
c-notch with 9" out back
bags all around to set on frame
408 LS motor
either t56 or 4L80e
custom interior

[Rods57]

Welcome, this is one of the best forums I have been on and all of the people are really willing to help out. your plans sound great, love to see the pics so load um up...

[Kim57]

Welcome
We need to see pics of your truck.
Kim

[1959 Apache 3600]

Sounds like some pretty aggressive plans. I'll be watching this thread for sure! Looking forward to some pictures too.

[1959Chev]

This is pics of when I picked it up. I will take some this evening of progress on tear down.

[1959Chev]

Camera was not the best. Once I started teardown I did notice a few things. The part around the windshield and back glass seem to be solid. Most of the ones I've seen are rotted. I think I will end up needing a pair of doors and a pair of rear fenders. Other parts I need I will hit the aftermarket up(lmc, brothers, classic ind, etc). Any suggestions on aftermarket vendors? I will be doing most of the work myself. Only thing I plan to farm out is body and paint. I will let my buddy handle that. He's one of the best around. This will be exciting build!

If anyone has some fenders and doors laying around let me know. I don't mind the door bottoms being rusted as long as the seams and tops are good. Mine are rotted around the seams. I will take pics of that this eve. rear fenders are rotted around the lip and across the front bottom pretty bad.

Let me know what you all think.

[entourageguy]

Welcome to another 4 lighter. You will find this site and forum very helpful. Lots of great people. As a note you may want to become a paying member if you start posting parts wanted.

[1959Chev]

Thanks for the heads up. I was not aware of the premium membership to buy/sell. You can now call me a premium member. lol

[1959Chev]

Little help requested. The bolts that hold the hinge to the truck keeps turning.
Is there a way to get to the backside to hold the weld nut to thread the screws out?
How does the grille detach?
I think I may have a 60's bed on my truck.. How can I verify this? One of the cross sills don't line up to bolt down. Also the fenders have reverse lights on them.. I thought that was not started till 60's..

[Kim57]

You should be able to get behind the hinges in the kick panels.
Kim

[OrrieG]

Welcome. One of the cross sills is free floating, just attacked to the bed strips and sides but not the frame. Three others bolt to the frame along with the rear one that supports the wood and tailgate. Backup lights were an option, surface mounted round type on the step side and fleetside beds. There was a recent thread about the cross sills.

[1959Chev]

Took some pics but can't get them off my phone. I will post as soon as I can get them to my pc.

[Rude Dude]

You might want to get the Factory Assembly Manual real helpful I got mine on egay for twenty dollars used, I reference it all the time.

[1959Chev]

I was finally able to get the pics off my phone successfully. Here are pics from day 2 beginning of teardown.

[1959Chev]

Day 3 teardown















heads were rotted out on bottom fender so I just cut the fender above the bolt had to be patched anyway.

[Kim57]

The start of a new project is always exciting. Keep the pics coming.
Kim

[1959Chev]

Been a while since i posted progress. I have finished tearing it down. Will take some pics this evening and post up. Will be getting front subframed in the next couple months. Found a local guy that has done quite a few of them. He is very reasonable so I will be letting him take care of it instead of me doing the subframe. I have decided I will be going with the 55-56 front clip so I'm on the hunt for the fenders and front grille and core support. I will be selling the front clip from mine.

Question I have is will the hood work on the 55-56? is the core support the same?

Also would like to know from you guy's experience, what is a good static height to set the rockers?

[entourageguy]

Booo keep it a 59.
Lots of 55-57 around that have been changed from a 58-59. Hood hinges are mounted in different hole. There was a post on here on time with the measurements.

[1959Chev]

Here are the latest pics. Should go to get the front clip done in a few weeks.

Brian, I've always been fascinated by the 55-56 front.. The only thing I don't really like about the 59 front is the grille.. There are no aftermarket solutions for it either.. Just makes it look like a farm truck that much more..

[Kim57]

From the pics the cab looks to be in pretty good shape.
Kim

[1959Chev]

Cab is solid. Needs the cab corners and the front lower corners re done and steps/rockers. Other than that it is solid. front fenders and hood and all was pretty good shape as well. bed sids are solid and tailgate and crossbars for bed floor. rear fenders have to be replaced.

Needs:
two rear fenders
55-56 front clip( still conteplating this one... May keep original if I can figure something out with the grill)
two doors(don't mind bottoms needing repair. Mine were too far gone.)
If anyone has any of this laying around let me know.

[ChuckDriver]

Solid looking cab! I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with it!

[hotrodrookie]

sweet project my friend. My vote goes to keeping 4 headlights. I can understand where your coming from when you're talking about the grill. When I first started my truck it what the first thing I wanted to change, lol. I made a grill for mine in metal shop from square tube and 14 gauge crs. I originally wanted to do a grill similar to a custom 50's Merc with floating bumper gaurds, but I didn't have the money to do it. Although still not having put mine back together, the thought of an original chrome grill seems very nice, as I think a sparkely smile gives these trucks an amazing look.

[1959Chev]

I'm still thinking of leaving it a 4 eyed beast. I just don't know what to do with the grill. just doesn't say "I'm mean" lol. That's the look I'm after is Mean and aggressive..

[C.shows]

I'm going through the same thing.. Its hard because I have both front sheetmetal.
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