Hot Rod Forum banner

55 to 59 chevy truck owners

935K views 3K replies 212 participants last post by  DOUBLEDICK 
#1 · (Edited)
My name is Richard Johnson and I am building my second Apache truck.I drive this truck every day and am doing everything I can to make it a pleasure to drive and still be a good work truck.I like modern drive trains and stock body and interiors.I am looking for other guys that have and drive these trucks to talk to and share Ideas and designs for custom made parts with.I have sent private messages to a few people on this board and only one person responded.At his request I sent him pictures of my custom sway bar mounts so he could make some for his truck.Without sway-bars these trucks are no fun to drive.I am curious to see what others have done and share ideas.
 

Attachments

See less See more
5
#3 ·
55-59 Chevy trucks

I have a 58 1 ton with a 348 cubic inch V-8. It's pretty much orginal and in pretty good shape, but I want to make it a custom truck I can use for towing a and heavy duty work once in a while as well.

Plans are to locate a 3/4 or 1-ton chassis from late 80's or early 90's truck in order to get power steering and disc brakes. I need to do more research to see how the chassis would fit the body.

Nice looking truck you have there.

Steve
 
#4 ·
I've got a '55 1/2 Big-window cab truck that was given to me-with no title :pain:

The truck is somewhat un-molested, except for the fleetside bed.
It has a running 235ci V-8 w/ 4speed trans.

Once I get the title situation handled, I'm gonna rebuild the braking system,rewire the electrical and swap the tired 235 for a rebuilt 350.

Future mods include a IFS & 4-Link rear suspension.
 

Attachments

#11 ·
Why

DOUBLEDICK said:
58 Apache why do you want to change over to a different chassis?
I want to be able to tow with my 58 and that will REQUIRE the best brakes I can get in order to do it as safe as reasonably possible. That means converting to disc brakes.

I also want a smaller steering wheel and a tilt column. That requires power steering.

If I put the body on a newer chassis, that will solve both of those issues at once, easily (I hope?) cheaply, and with easier to get parts.

The only issue is if the frame will be too wide for the body. I need to research that yet. I have heard of some guys welding on just the front section of the frame.

Steve
 
#12 ·
I have a 59 Apache that I have had for about 12 years and am just now starting to work on. I have already started the process of grafting on a Camero front clip. I also purchased the Camero rear and will replace the stock rear. I plan on running a 350 engine and turbo 350 trans once I reach that point.

It's a learning experience for sure.

Randy D.
 
#13 ·
Camaro front end

Yep! a Camaro front MAY work, not sure, but if you do go that way and get it to work, there are a couple hundred 69 Camaros that came out with 12 inch rotors from the factory. The code is 1LE for these 12 inch discs. That's what I'd use if I were you. I put some on my Chevelle and got them over the counter brand spanking new!

Since I will have a 3/4 or one ton frame, and use it for heavy duty stuff, I have to stick with what the big boys used out of the factory. That means 6 or 8 lug.

Steve
 
#22 ·
There was a '58/59 truck at the recent Rebel Run in Lima, Oh this past weekend with a subframe under the front. Looked like a Camaro or possibly Monte piece? I think the asking price around $7,000, no engine, no transmission, no interior.

Say does a '57 Sedan Delivery count as a truck since Deliveries were advertised in the truck line back then?
 
#23 ·
Wow.I was beginning to think not many guys bothered with these trucks.Thanks for all the responses.As for the name doubledick The guys at work gave me that name as a form of harassment for being a butt all the time.They have called me that for so long now some of the guys at work don't even remember my real name.58 Apache I pull a trailer with my truck all the time.I used a 68 hidden hitch receiver from brothers trucks so I can hide it behind the plate.The 87 rearend I installed has the big 11 inch drums and uses the wide brake shoes.I run a power-trax locker with 4.56 gears and 31x10.5 tires.My truck is a work truck.I split the leaf spring pack and added a heavy overload leaf on top of the straight overloads and bolted it together with a new bolt.Now if the rear squats more than an inch it is on the overload leaf.The front and rear anti-sway bars and the traction control bars keep the trailer from pushing me around.I run coil-over Edelbrock sensatrack shocks on the back and coil over shocks on the front so it wont ride like a buckboard when it is empty.I do have the front disk conversion from brothers with the vacuum booster and have no problems stopping even when I had 2700lbs of sand in my trailer.Rear disks are nice but there is a reason semi's use drum style brakes.My truck is just a 58 Chevy 3100 but it weighs 6000lbs empty so a heavy trailer is not a problem,I just have to have a balanced trailer with very little tongue weight.You shouldn't have any trouble with a 1 ton suspension stock or modern.Your options are unlimited.A tape measure and a trip to the wrecking yard will help you find what you are looking for.Good hunting my friend.
 

Attachments

#24 ·
:thumbup: RJ 57 a sedan delivery is as much a truck as an Elcamino is. :thumbup: My engine is a 78 454 block that is balanced and blueprinted as a 427 with the rectangle port heads and the old tarantula single plane manifold and a edelbrock 750 carb.I don't know the specs on the cam but at idle you can tell it is lumpy :D Camarofiend73 I like the fleetside box it has more room inside and you can install a roll top bed cover to keep your stuff out of sight so it stays your stuff.A roll pan real finishes of the bed.I threw up a picture of mine so you could see it.Qwantus do you plan to run the stock leafs and traction bars like me or go with a 4 link like Kim 57?Tmeyer I have checked out your board before but it wont let me log in as doubledick so I am not a member yet.Gator412 I will check out your journal when I finish typing this.I haven't figured out how to start a journal yet I am more at home in the shop than in front of this computer.I just figured out(a friend showed me)how to resize pictures and attach them.But I will have a journal eventually.I did post a bunch of pictures on the club website at classicsandrods if you want to check them out.feel free to email me anytime I check my email daily when I am home.I am taking my truck to the Super Run in Henderson tomorrow.I plan to be in the roaring engine contest the slow drags and the burnout contest.It should be allot of fun.I got a 2nd place trophy in the roaring engines contest at the 2004 show.I am taking a set of 31x10.5 tires to burn till they explode.should not be a problem with over 500 ft lbs of torque and 4.56 gears and a power trax locker:mwink: I put in a line lock on the front disk brakes just for burn out contests
 

Attachments

#25 ·
Wills36 that is quite the journal. :thumbup: Gator412 I was checking out your journal and noticed you don't have a sway bar on the front.The one from brothers trucks works great.You just have to make better mounts. the angle iron under oneside of the U-bolt was sad to say the least. I posted some pictures of the ones I made.I made them out of 1/2 inch plate steel and counter sunk the holes both sides with a 3/4 inch drill bit for the lip on the rubber parts to set down into so they stay centered..I also put in shorter bolts and cut down the spacer to level off the sway-bar.I used brother trucks rear sway bar and traction bars too.I made heavy duty front mounts for the traction bars as I broke the one that came with the kit.Mine are made of 1/4 inch plate for the mount welded onto a 3/8 plate steel backing.I also made front shock mounts out of 1/2 plate steel because the coil-over shocks were too much for the stock mounts.I just drilled out the rivets to remove the stock mounts and traced them onto 1/2 inch plate drilled the holes then cut them out with a metal cutting blade and my skill saw.
 

Attachments

#26 · (Edited)
Actually DD I have front and rear sway bars. Like you said it makes a world of difference on the old trucks. (I might have to make the mounts like yours now!) I have front disk on the straight axle along with the brake booster. I also installed power steering with a tilt column. As soon as I get my new shop finished I will be moving the truck in there for a complete tear down to the frame. I am not going to make a show truck...just make a daily driver out of it. I am thinking about cutting the frame to make a shortbed out of it. I posted the question here. http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/shorting-1955-truck-frame-should-i-98468.html

I was hoping for more input, but i guess not many people have done it. I will get with Willys36...he seems to have alot of knowledge in these areas. I also would like to have a gasser look to it so Willys36 seems to be the gasser king..I will ask for his input when the time comes. (Willys has been a great help along with a bunch of other guys to help me with my problems..I love this site. So Willys36..any comments on the frame shorting?)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top