I introduce you all to my dad's truck... This truck, more than any other possesion, is a member of the family. Regardless of my young age at the time, I remember the day my dad bought the thing and we drove it home. It went from working rig, to restoration project, back to working rig many times over the last couple decades. It had hauled home the family christmas trees, all manner of iron, and even been the centerpiece of family photos. But, when my dad was diagnosed with cancer a couple years back, unable to drive the thing anymore, it was put on the sidelines. When dad passed last fall, it became my charge to get the Apache back on the road. That's the plan. And that's how its going to be. She finally came to her new home today. There's paint under all that mildew... After the inital wash-down... The bed ain't too bad... The make-shift bed pulled out. The frame looks pretty good but is tweeked more than just a bit. Should be fixable at a frame shop though... The (mostly) all-original interior... Large-Journal 327. This motor has played musical-cars for a long long time. Originally out of a late-'60s Full-size Chevy, it came to us in a '59 Chevy Parts-Pile, then when into our '60 Chevy Station Wagon, and then found its way here. It doesn't look like much, but its got plenty of grunt, and just won't die. I do have the truck's original 283 though...
Plans for now include getting the thing running and then sourcing parts to do this truck right. Don't worry, it'll be HAMB friendly, think late-'50s/early-'60s hot-rod parts-chaser. After the required body work (the fenders and hinge areas are pretty bad, like all '55-59 Chevy Trucks), I'll probably dress-up the 327 that's in it with all the requisite stuff, like finned valve covers and such while I go through the original 283. If it is good, I'll probably build it up as a '58 Power-Pack motor and throw it back in there. Maybe a slight altitude adjustment, maybe not, but befinately blackwalls on either steelies or slots (if I can find 'em in 6-lug).
Cool story. You have a good start and should be a fun build. I can relate, my Dad's 34 Ford coupe came home after 40 years. Dad's like ours are what made Hot Rodding the way it is today. Enjoy and good luck.......
Very cool, I'm glad you were able to get it. Looks like a good start and the history alone makes it priceless. Have fun with it. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
Thanks all. Its a big relief to finally get it out from under that damn cedar tree, and down to my place. It'll probably be a slow build, since I'm up to my elbows in Model A, but if nothing else, I hope to have it running, with new plates and tabs so I can enjoy it and use it like it should. pasadenahotrod, with a name like that, you probably would lean towards craftman places, wouldn't you? The house in the picture is my neighbor's, its an early-'20s Bungalow. My place is a 1907 Arts & Crafts-ish house (that is yet another, big project). My whole neighborhood is victorians, tudors, and craftsmans; the newest place was built in 1941...
i feel ya man my 57 chevy truck was originally my grandpas then my dads then my brothers now mine. everytime i work on it i think back me and my brothers riding in the back coming from the drive in theater my sisters and mom dad up front. shit ton of memories in her.
Get her running and drive the tires off her, lotsa memories there!!!! Blessings on you and her future!
Very cool project. Can't wait to see it back on the road Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
Just jumped here from your Studebaker thread. I really dig Task Force trucks, so I'll be watching. Will you be running stock suspension and trans/motor mounts? Pretty cool you have a V8 truck, looks like a long bed too.
Yep, factory suspension and drivetrain. No sense in changing what has worked this long. And a long bed too. Haven't done much on this one, but it is the next in line after the Studebaker. Although, it is gonna be a much more involved restored than I thought. After pulling the bed 'floor' we found that there isn't much holding it to the frame. It will probably be cheaper to source a whole new bed than to fix it. And the frame has a pretty good twist in it too... Posted using my Lil' Orphan Annie Secret Society Decoder Pin
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