Legacy 59
 

Last summer I was asked by my nephew if I thought I would be interested in having my brother Matt's 59 pickup as a project. I knew something of it's history and issue it had, but I said yes anyway! He had give it to Ray many years previously but it was still here on the property next door and Matt had moved to
Tillamook, Oregon. Ray lives in the San Diego area and has too many projects and not enough room. Familiar line, isn't it? I retired in 2015 and moved here to Montana after our Mom passed away. Matt passed away suddenly in 2019. Since there is a possibility the property next door may not remain in our family, Ray asked me about the truck. So now I have the biggest project I ever had and I have spent the last year figuring out what to do and where to start. I joined the H.A.M.B. and found out they do old school Hot Rods and customs only now. I think it was there that I found out about this site. So I joined as soon as I could and I'm starting slowly on the truck. I'm going to post some "before " pictures and get the ball rolling!
Tom

Re: Hand me down 59
 

I have also posted on Stovebolt and will try to keep up there too. Yesterday I cut out the poorly designed home made motor mounts that caused the truck to be parked in the first place. I'm not sure if the frame should be repaired and used, replaced, or cut of and a front clip welded on. So many options.

Re: Hand me down 59
 

Cut, cut, cut, grind, grind and move to the other side. Removing the botched motor mounts. The 455 engine that was in it dropped down and rubbed on the front crossmember. Then at some point, I need to decide if I can repair the short cracks running parallel with the rails and safely use this frame. It's starting to feel like my truck now. I'm going to have to name it at some point. Hand me down sounds like I don't want it.

Re: Hand me down 59
 

I omitted all the pictures that clearly show me using a cut off wheel with NO Safety guard!

Re: Hand me down 59
 

I think a more proper title would be" Legacy 59 " if I can edit the title. That captures the spirit of the build a lot better.

Re: Hand me down 59
 

Looks like a good project truck to start with. Already a short bed frame, so that is a plus. A few rust repair panels and you’ll be in great shape. Lots of bed options now with the 58/59 wide bedsides now available brand new.

Re: Hand me down 59
 

I'm still picking out specifics but I would prefer to use a mainstream engine instead of the Pontiac 455. Parts are way more spendy. It seems to have had a manual trans and 6 cylinder originally. Matt removed the 327 that had been in it. I think it had failed. He had access to a 455 and turbo 400, so in it went. When that went south, it sat and waited. A late 70s Camaro subframe was procured. That is as far as it got. I want to have an IFS, a V8, and be able to drive it anywhere. It will not be a work truck, show truck, and it will not be too low to get up my gravel driveway. I want to be able to use the pickup bed IF I want to. Those are my larger goals for this project. Comments?

Re: Hand me down 59
 

i like it! gotta have something to do with all that retirement time! sorry to hear about the passing, glad to hear you're bringing this back out.

plans? patina vs paint, engine choice, race vs cruise vs show?

grind a nice weld prep in that crack on both sides, hammer it flat, burn it on both sides, grind it smooth, and never have to think about it again.

Re: Hand me down 59
 

I don't think that crack in the frame is a dealer breaker. My bet is you can weld it, fish plate it and if need be, put a small boxing plate on the inside of the rail.

Re: Legacy 59
 

Oh, and now your title has been changed as you requested :)

Re: Legacy 59
 

Thank You! I like the sound of it much better. I put the wheels back on and rolled it back into the garage. We're having a yard sale and It's the kind of thing that inspires people to look in places they don't need to go. Garage doors down cures that. I had 2 other people here advise me to go ahead and use this frame with repairs. Paint or patina are choices I will make later in the process. At first I was thinking resto-mod. I haven't put many bucks aside yet, so right now I have plenty to do without spending a lot.

Re: Hand me down 59
 

Yes, I needed a retirement project to keep me out of trouble! Can't mow or cut firewood all the time. I'm leaning toward a SB Chevy, LS, or Vortec engine. More cruise or local car show type build. It really is a clean slate. No seat, engine and trans removed, bed off. I have a covered place to park it with a dirt floor, but the bats roost there in summer and poop all over anything I store in there. I do also have a nice garage with a lift, but I need that to change oil and for winter parking. I'm really over rolling around on the floor at my age. Standing up to work on vehicles is what keeps me going.
Tom



hange oil and

Re: Legacy 59
 

sounds like the bats should poop on the winter driver while the project is up in the air!

also sounds like you'll probably be keeping the leaf springs, i wish more people would. rear axle looks newer, so that's nice.

Re: Legacy 59
 

Leaf springs in the back, yes. I'm leaning strongly to Scott's , TCI, Heidt's , or No Limit IFS in the front. The bolt-in option is very appealing. Coming up with the bucks to do that may take more time than I would like. Although if I leave the front untouched for a while, I could roll it back and forth between garages to work on it. Hmmm.

Re: Legacy 59
 

If you have a Camaro front clip already, and you don't have tons of $ to throw at the project, that may be the lowest cost option to get you driving and enjoying. If you have $3000, then the options you mentioned are all good ones!

Depending on what else you have with that clip, it may give you power steering with a nice turning radius and disc brakes inexpensively as well, and has been done 1000x with online guidance so you can accomplish it in a weekend.

It will switch you to 5 lug, so that's wheels, tires, and a new rear end though... in that way there are some hidden costs to the camaro clip.

Re: Legacy 59
 

The power steering box and disc brakes are there, but the whole thing does need going through. It's been sitting in the weather for a few years now and the brakes were locked up by rust when I dragged it up here early in the summer. It does have a 10 bolt GM rear end under it already with the 5 lug bolt pattern. I think it may have been in the truck when he got it. My budget for this project may be shrinking, so I will have to seriously consider the lower buck options I have available. I better order that DVD from No Limit and study up on Camaro swaps some more. I needed something to do besides plowing this winter anyway!

Re: Legacy 59
 

nice looking start, sorry to hear the reason for the aquisition.
before you do much with the truck you may want to check the frame for square, straightness and sag. block it up, do a corner to corner dimension, both ways, then compare the results. that will give the squareness check. for straightness what I usually do is mark each cross memebr at it's midway point from side to side, then run a stringline or a laser from front to rear and see how many of those markes line up. a stringline can also be used for checking the sag, use some wood blocks to space the string off the frame at the front and rear then use a same sized block to check along the frame to ensure the space is the same on the straight parts.
there is a free download for an assembly manual on the tri5 site. just google

55-59 chevy truck factory assembly manual

and pick the tri5 site. maybe download it to your computer or onto a thumb drive so you have it, you never know how long these things stay on the net. this will have frame drawings and drawings of how the factory put the truck together, where spot welds are located, etc etc
if doing a front clip one thing to know before you start is that the ride height desired needs to be firgured out before you cut the frame and set the front axle position. this is because the front fenders on these trucks have a tapered wheel opening, on the rear of the opening, and as the truck is lowered down over the wheels (like most guys want-a little lower than the stock height. some like a lot lower...) it makes the tires look like they are being stuffed into the rear of the wheel opening. the more drop you build in, the more the axle centerline needs to be moved forward to make it look right
one thing I would suggest is to figure out what you want in the end and then do everything you do towards that end. try not to change your mind midstream because it takes you down a rabbit trail that usually means you need to redo something already done, it will be something that is gonna really challenge you abilities so it may stall the build, or it is gonna cost a bunch more money to finish. it's one reason why builds get sold part way through after sitting in the shop for a long while untouched.
start with building a good strong foundation that will handle the intended use. then worry about the bodywork, stereo systems and other peripherals. I have seen a lot of guys who have thousands of dollars in wheels, tires, steroes, seats, exhaust parts,etc etc, just sitting there in the way and the frame isn't even done yet.
figure out what you have to work with mechanically, rear axle, springs, frame,etc etc, figure out what you have to work with body wise, cab mounts, cab eyebrow rust, cab corners, hinge pillars, floor panels, fender patches, headlight patches,etc etc. write it down so you don't have to go sliding back under it, take pics of stuff as you go so you can just look it up when you need to know a detail, then dedide what you want to do for suspension, what you want to do for an engine and trans, steering column, etc. sometimes you can be money ahead by buying a wreck from the insurance write off lot. it will have the engine/trans combo. wiring and computer, seats, steering column etc etc. you can sell off body parts from it to help pay for it etc. you gotta have a place to put it though.
I like your idea of a driver that will get you around without dragging bottom ort worry about potholes etc. you need that if you don't live in a city with pavement everywhere. also, being able to use the box to put something in when you want.
post up some pics as you go. we all like to see what others are working on. you will also get lots of suggestions and help if you post pics. sometimes you don't realize you may have a problem but somebody else will see a pic and point out a potential issue.
welcome to the club

Re: Legacy 59
 

the one you have posted with the front end still on shows the gap between the door and front fender is not even but spread apart at the bottom. sometimes this is because the front cab mounts have rusted and allowed the weight of the cab to sag the cab closer to the frame. maybe do a quick check under the cab and see if it is structurally sound. these trucks have a cowl air inlet for the kick panel vents. over time the drains for these vents get plugged and don't allow drainage. water can build up inside the cowl untill it spills out onto the truck floor through the vents. this rusts out the floor, hinge pillars, front cab mounts, steps and rockers etc. its a good idea to check all these spots, the rear cab mount area, the eyebrow area above the windshield, the area just above the rain gutter all the way around. these are the common rust areas for the cab.

Re: Legacy 59
 

leave it as a roller until you get the front end stuff all figured out, camaro clip, new bolt in or whatever. then when you are ready the frame can be rolled to the work area and the new stuff installed in a short ime so it is a roller again quickly. its never good to have a unit that is dead in the water and basically stuck in place for an extended period of time.

Re: Legacy 59
 

Thanks for the tips! I agree completely with having a solid plan and a punch list of known problems before jumping in with both feet! In the picture with the front fenders on, it was just sitting on there haphazardly with one bolt in it. One fender is rusted out at the bottom and it couldn't be mounted properly. It has a few rust areas, but all in all is pretty decent shape. I sold 2 enduro/ dual purpose bikes at our yard sale yesterday . Wife says that is my starting money for this project and I agree! Not enough for an aftermarket IFS . I also agree that keeping it a roller for now is best. I have a 2 post lift but I can't tie it up for months at a time. I've been studying a lot of build threads and I am amazed at the level of fabrication skills displayed there. It's humbling.

Re: Legacy 59
 

I recommend starting at the front bumper and working your way to the rear bumper. Make a list of everything you need to do and/or repair/replace. I have made the mistake of buying a bunch of stuff because the shipping may be cheaper as a group. Then parts sit around collecting dust and possibly getting damaged. Make a plan, buy stuff as you need it.

Re: Legacy 59
 

More pictures. Lights and power are not so handy where it's parked in the "batcave". The outdoor pics are better. I don't know if I can check the frame all that well with the cab on. Got a few more small jobs to do before rain and snow sets in.

Re: Legacy 59
 

Little bit of rust in cab, no holes. Small rust in step area. Crack on drivers side of frame doesn't stick out like the other side. That one protrudes about 1/4". Once I have a oxy/acetylene torch set up, I will see about straightening it out and welding up the cracks. I have more pics if anybody wants to see...

Re: Legacy 59
 

at this point the cab and steering box are one piece so if you wanna do that get the steering wheel and shift lever and linkage off, then the pitman arm off, then unbolt the box from the frame and the boot around the colummn at the floor and pull it out from the firewall side. personally I highly recommend a frame check before doing much more. you don't wanna spend time and money on something and find out it is not really quite right. taking the cab off will also allow you to really see how the cab is structurally.

Re: Legacy 59
 

I agree. Working by myself creates a whole bunch of complications. I did run a small fleet auto shop by myself for 23 years before I retired. The difference is that there were other people in the maintenance division that I could tap to help move heavy items around and there were loaders and backhoes too. It's one of those things I do need to figure out before comittment to one path or the other.
Tom

Re: Legacy 59
 

I know what you mean. I work alone as well. I have a garage with a concrete floor and an engine lift. You can easily make a cab lift tool to fit an engine lift. It fits on the engine lift and lifts the cab from the door openings. I'll post a pic of mine this evening hopefully.

Re: Legacy 59
 

here is a pic of my cab lifter. disregard the other stuff, it started life as a 57 but has had a few mods done. if you need to place the cab on the ground or a low surface you may want to make the part from the engine lift arm to the cross beams a little taller so it doesn't bottom out on the lift arm when you get power. install a couple of stopper parts on each side so the cab can't slip off one of the ends. works great and doesn't take much room to store. one man operation. if you also make a square wooden frame for the cab to sit on, with wheels under it, that will make moving the cab around really easy.

Re: Legacy 59
 

That looks slick! I have a 2 post lift. I could probably figure out how to make it work. I am going to need an engine hoist later though and that would be much easier to move it around. Time to buy more tools! I'm also going to check your build thread out. I know I looked at some stuff when I first came to this site about a year ago. You used Envoy powertrain as I recall.

Re: Legacy 59
 

yup, 2004 envoy XUV, its longer than the others. I started out with modifying the original 57 frame with MII front end and ford 8.8 out back. home built rear 4 link with air bags front and rear. then while doing work on my nephews envoy I got out the tape measure and figured it would be a good donor. bought a wreck at the insurance auction and used the floor and part of the firewall from the envoy under the 57 cab. I extended the cab first (part of the original process so I could use bucket seats with integral seat belts and not be forced so close to the dash) then lowered it down over the envoy floor sitting on the frame.
no build thread. sorry. meant to but never got to it.

Re: Legacy 59
 

Just a quick update. I have acquired a Fatman Fabrications Mustang 2 Kit for my truck! It is in CA at my Nephew Ray's house. I will be travelling out there to pick it up along with other goodies that were included sometime in April. No hurry, because there is still too much snow here to start on such a project. Thank You, Dan in Pasadena! If I hadn't been looking at someone else's build thread and seen his comment, I likely never would have lucked into this deal. He bought it for his 55 from someone on Craigslist and decided to go another direction with his build. I am jazzed to have a starting point for my project and hope to make some significant progress this year! Once I do that, I will have a Camaro clip to pass along. And maybe some other stuff too.

Re: Legacy 59
 

just so you know, 55 was the transition year from the AD to the Tf trucks. if it was for a first gen 55 it is actually for an AD truck. not trying to rain on the parade, just a heads up.
fatman has a really good tech articles section in their catalogue online, there is a section on understanding indepenent front suspension that is a shoer read but very informative I recommend to read that even if you have mechanical background. also, since the front fender wheel openings are not symetrical, it really makes a difference on how the front tires loo in thw wheel openings when you lower the truck down over the wheels. its always good to have the correct size tire for mock up and also set the truck at ride height and rake angle when you are doing a mock up.
keep posting up pics, we all like to see your progress and sometimes can steer you in the right direction.

Re: Legacy 59
 

He said he bought it from Dan, so I'm thinking he was...steered... in the right direction already ;)

Re: Legacy 59
 

It did come from Craigslist, so there is always that chance that something isn't what it was represented to be. Not on Dan's part. I believe him to be honest and a straight shooter from what I have seen. I figure that even if I can't use all the parts, I will easily be able to use most of them. Or I can find someone who can. If it all works out, I could have a rolling chassis this year. lots of work and a lot of measuring ahead!

Re: Legacy 59
 

when I installed the TCI MII on a 57 frame I set the frame up on a modified jack stands. I removed the sliding part of the stands and tacked on a new top part with a 3/4" hole in it and a 3/4" nut tacked on top of that. then I used 3/4" threaded rod screwed into that top adapter to go up to the frame. on top of the threaded rod I had welded a 3/8" bolt that would fit into a hole in the frame of the truck and be secured loosely with a nut and flat washers that would be tightened down once the frame was levelled and set at the correct rake angle desired. when done there was also a jam nut on the lower end of the 3/4 rod so nothing moved accidentally. I found this worked really well and allowed work to be done on the frame, the frame to be checked for square-corner to corner, sag, and straightness before any new stuff was added. I set the frame level side to side using a long level with a shorter digital torpedo level sitting on top of that. the long level acted as a straight edge and the short level gave the digital readout. i thought the long bubble level was usually pretty accurate but when compared to the digital level sitting on top it was easy to be out a few degreees depending on the angle that you viewed the bubble at. the digital level tells the same number no matter what angle you are looking at the screen. I highly recommend the digital method over the bubble level. the torpedo level is also easier to use for levelling the lower control arms so they can be set at the neutral position (ride height position). when levelling the cross member in the frame I recommend to install the long lower control arm bolts into their holes and leave them protruding on the front side far enough so a long level can be placed on top of the protruding part side to side. that way you get a true reading on the side to side levelling of the crossmember as the steel of the crossmember isn't necessarily true with the lower control arm pivot holes and may also not be totally flat and true. then, for a fore to aft levelling, the pivot bolts can be pulled further out of their holes and the level can be placed on that-fore to aft- to get the lower control arm pivot bolt level. this method will level the crossmember side to side and fore to aft with the frame set at the rake angle you want. the crossmember tabs that but up against the underside of the frame can be trimmed to fit tightly at this point so a good weld can be done on the front and rear side of the crossmember. you wll see what I mean when the time comes.
this is just how I did it, there are lots of ways to arrive at the same finish result. some are more accurate than others, but remember when the front end alignment guy is doing his thing it is in tenths of a degree, not eyeballing a bubble level.

Re: Legacy 59
 

Hey Tom, I finally found you! I'm not on this forum as much as I once was but just noticed this thread and will try to check in periodically.

The Fatman's Fabrication IFS kit I sold you was in Orange Country here when I bought it. The guy that had it said it came with an aborted project '58 pickup he'd bought. He planned to put a blown big block in it and wanted a kit he left was better for a heavier, high torque engine than he thought the kit was for. I fully planned to use it myself until the builder I used on my truck suggested I'd like the FlatOut kit better.

At the time I was more flush with cash than I thought I would be and I thought that since he does these mods daily/weekly I should follow his advice so that later he couldn't say, "Well I told you..."

In 20/20 hindsight I wish I'd kept the 283 that was in my truck. It had at least one dead cylinder but also had "camel hump" (fuelie) heads on it with the bigger valves. I know rebuilding a 283 properly can be more expensive than an out-of-the-box 350 short block. I ended up spending way too much money on my truck to make it what I'd always dreamed of. Not that I truly regret it, I love my truck. But I wish I'd built something more daily driver friendly.

I ran into a website last night that had a VERY nice '58 short step side truck in it. It looks like a very high dollar build but the guy kept the 265 V8 in it and it just reminded me how nice my truck could have been without spending as much as I did on the engine. If I find it again I'll post the link here for you to check it out.

EDIT:

Here's a link to the truck I mention above: https://fuelcurve.com/levi-green-58-apache/

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The color combo is nice and it features a bunch of stuff I sometimes don't care for buy really like on this truck. I'm also impressed with the flipper rear bumper and the nice integration of exhaust tips in the spaces next to the license plates. I still plan to put motorcycle signal lights with white lenses in them on my truck to take up those spaces. Though now that I've acquire '51 era plates there may not be space. Anyway, just rambling now. Enjoy!

Re: Legacy 59
 

thats a nice looking truck for sure. it may be the pic angle, but it does look a little like the box and the cab are at different angles. by the quality look of the build I gotta say it is likely a pic angle playing with my eyes.

autowrench, if you want that pdf file on the heidts "understanding independent front suspension" I can send it to you in an email, too big for this site to download. just pm me.
this is a pic of my modded jack stands to level the frame and hold it well when doing the MII crossmember. this is a 58 frame with a 57 truck on top of it, so the frame horns look too long out front (because they are too long, haha)

Re: Legacy 59
 

Dan, That is a nice truck! Lots of nice features. Too low for me to have where I live, but a lot of good ideas. Love the color! I'm still undecided on engine choice. I'm leaning toward the Vortec 6.0. But if the right deal came along on a SB or BB Chevy I could easily be persuaded.
Tom

Re: Legacy 59
 

dsraven, I PM'd you! I was going to get a set of trailer leveling jacks, but I think I like your solution better. Because they are attached to the frame and not just resting there. I will need to contact Fatman and find out the specifics of the kit components. There is a possibility I may Get a Chassis Engineering bolt in crossmember and use the parts from this kit to finish it out. We will see how that plays out.
Tom

Re: Legacy 59
 

I'll get that info to you tomorrow.
if looking to power up your ride i suggest to look for a donor vehicle that has the stuff you need. like an insurance write off lot or a deal from the classifieds locally. a donor gets you the engine, trans as a unit. starter, alt, computer, all the wiring, rad, steering column, seats, etc etc. if the body isn't too bad some of it can be sold to recover some costs. i recommend an LS engine just because it is the new small block and also because it ia fuel injected right outta the chute. yes, carbed engines are retro and cool etc, but the fuel injected engines start easy, have computers that are already set up for the peripherals, like engine fans, fuel pump turn on/off, trans shift points etc. lots of guys will tune it for you but they can also be ran in the stock format and will have lots of juice to run a light truck. if you can find a camaro it will already have the oil pan and exhaust manifolds you know will fit. trucks are cheaper but the oil pans are too low so a bit of money needs to be spent on some upgrades.
anyway, your truck do what you like. it might be good to start a list of doing a repower a few different ways.weigh the costs and time to finish. lots of guys are using the small block chevy because the TF trucks came with the sbc so engine mounts are easy. thats good if you don't plan on doing a different trans or if you can come up with the correct bellhousing to support the rear of the engine on the stock cross member, otherwise it is a new style of trans cross member.

Re: Legacy 59
 

Thanks for the information! I will be reading it in detail pretty soon. Yes, lots of plusses to the LS style powertrain. I'm not afraid of the computer controlled engines. I started working with them in the 80s when I got hired as an automotive mechanic. A few classes at a local junior college set me up to start understanding the newer cars and trucks. I see a lot of positive things in the newer engines.
Tom