[wiggim]

hi, as this is my first project i hoping you guys could help me, im looking at starting on a 59 apache fleetside, and i want to make it my daily/work truck, i was wondering what the best way of redoin the truck is, i have heard of s-10 swaps to a ground up restore, any ideas whold be helpfull


thanks

Wiggim

[ogre]

wig
read all 2000 posts in this thread, lots of frame info here
i believe the best frame for your truck is the one that came with it
fleetsides are way cool, post some pics

[wiggim]

i will try to get pics up ASAP

[G&R's57GMC]

Hi Wig,

Look on pages 119 & 120 of this thread

[deadbodyman]

Originally Posted by G&R's57GMC

Hi Wig,

Look on pages 119 & 120 of this thread

DAM you do nice work ,G&R

[deadbodyman]

Originally Posted by 57halfton

DBM , I have air bags in the rear of my pickup along with a No Limit Engineering fat bar setup (4 bar). I don't have an on board compressor, I just air the bags to the ride height I want and leave it there.

I dont have a compressor yet either, but I did install tanks so I can raise and lower it a few times.

[deadbodyman]

Originally Posted by Yellow55

DBM do you mind taking a few more pictures. I like that system. I am wanting to see how you welded in the 4 link to the chassis and did you have to C notch the chassis.

Keep in mind I'm building this without buying any kits or brackets ,just the bags (oldschool) = (low budget) Its not real pretty but I might still have to cut stuff out or move something later on... other than a few spins around the block I havent driven the car much ,so I may have made a few mistakes but everything seems to work just right so far..
I didnt need to make a C
notch because I cut the old rotted floor out and dropped the body down abot 6 inches.(maybee to much) its a little low at ride hight.I went with ladder bars because I got a deal (free) from one of my drag racing buddies that I do a lot of work for.I dont think they'll work to well on the street because the rear doesn't twist from side to side much..
The back section of my frame was rotted so I built my own and used an 89 camero rear end.I found the center of the rear and the center of the frame ,lined them up ,set my pinion angle(ballpark) and welded the bars on.Then set the car at ride hight,made more brackets for the panhard bar set at level with the axel.. No big deal ,anyone with a welder and a tape measure can do it..

[NDtruck]

Originally Posted by ogre

the punkin just barely hits the bottom of the bed 'wood' (trex decking)

I've always been curious about using materials like that for the beds of these trucks. How'd that all work out for you? Any pics of the final look? Any issues as far as install, etc..?

details man details.

[ogre]

nd
just for you....
i went out and snapped these today


and for the details....
nothing fancy; just 1 1/4x1/8 angle for the side angles




cutting the boards. all cuts are done on a table saw


trex decking is 5.2''x.95'', i used 1 extra bed strip
because the stock bed boards would have a couple of 7 1/4'' boards in there.
i used 9 boards and 8 bed strips.
normal bed wood is 3/4'' thick and the bed strip are above the bedwood for a wear surface.
basically so your shovel didn't dig into the wood.
the trex is almost a full inch thick; this allowed me to recess the strips and angle slightly beneath the top of my bed 'wood'

[ericrcan]

I am not new to the forums, but I am new to this topic, so hi everyone .

I am 19, and have not gotten too deep in modifying cars, I guess you can say I just got my feet wet. I have rebuild my 70 monte carlo, my dads 65 impala ss, and are next project (besides from the other 5 in line) is a '56 3100. Right now its just the body, and the interior. We picked up a 327 and have that ready to go in, but now we are looking for a transmission to put it. It was a standard, and it still has the clutch and what not still in place, so we want to keep it a standard. My question is, what transmission is best with the LEAST amount of modification? I have read all 133 pages (took forever! haha), and it seems that everyone puts in an automatic.. I posted another topic before asking about a 5 speed camaro trans, but now im thinking maybe a T5 from a s10 will work better. Has anyone done this, and is this the best way to go for as much as an easy hook up as possible? Any help would be great!

Thanks to DD and ogre for the link to the topic

*edit*
I forgot to mention that It came with a chevy bellhousing mounted to the frame, i think thats what i need if I get an t5? Its raining right now and i cant take a picture of it, but this is what it looks like:

[NDtruck]

Originally Posted by ogre

nd
just for you....
i went out and snapped these today

Thank you sir, just the kind of info I was hoping for, that looks like a nice bed and should certainly last a good long time.

[ogre]

ericrcan
i can't help you out here but maybe able to give you some insight.

stock 6&8 cyl motors had rear bell housing mounts and front mounts that bolt dirrectly to the front of the motor. your 327 motor may or maynot have the holes for these motor mounts, but it will have the machined area to drill and tap these holes. newer motors use some of these holes for mounting accessories. maybe someone here can post a pic of the front stock motor mounts. if your trans will bolt up to the bell housing that has the side mounts on it; your good to go and that would be the 'least modification' way out. here is a link to the stock front mounts from brotherstrucks.com

if not: if your new trans needs to use a different bell housing, then you need to change to side motor mounts and a trans mount. these are typical of any motor in any car or truck manufactured since 1960. you will need to fab side motor mounts that use any typical gm motor mount and a trans x-member to support the trans. you will also need to cut out the existing bell housing x-member as it will be in the way of the new bell housing.

however this opens a new can of worms: the stock trans mount also braces and supports the front cab supports. if you don't add bracing to re-support these cab mounts, eventually the front of your cab will sag. these cab mounts also support the weight of the fenders. i have mid motor mounts with a trans x-member. this pic shows the front cab mount (w/ground clamp attached) and the bracing i have added off of the trans x-member



this is require when adding any auto trans as no newer automatics had bell housing mounts. this is not the 'least modification' way out.
your best 'least modification way out is to use a 3 speed trans and stock motor and trans mounts.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by NDtruck

Thank you sir, just the kind of info I was hoping for, that looks like a nice bed and should certainly last a good long time.

easy peasy

[NDtruck]

We used stock front motor mounts originally for my '58. they work just fine, but the engine sure seems like it vibrates a lot with them. Also with a stock set up, the engine/trans combo was mounted at the end of the trans and at the front of the Engine. Just seemed like too far a distance to me.

Ended up getting an aftermarket engine cross member and using newer side motor mounts. Brothers has them as well as classicparts.com. LOTS less vibrations now.

I think I've got an old pic of my engine using the stock front mounts. Will try to scrounge it up after work tonight.

[mkabwe]

NDtruck,

I'm rarely on this site, but I had the same issue in the front area my roof. I don't know if you fixed it yet, but I will post what I did anyway. You have two choices. First make a patch for it.





Or the second choice which was the best choice for me, buy the roof skin from Brothers Trucks (I think others vendors sell it also but I bought mine from brothers) I like new.lol




As you will notice I shaved my drip rails but you don't have to, they come on the new roof. I hope this helps. If you can find a another cab with this section that would be nice, but out here in Cali most of the cabs are in pretty good shape so cutting them up for this piece is really sad.lol