Eisenhower '59 Apache Build On A S-10 Frame

[Task Force Era]

So it all started with my uncle owning this truck since the late 70's. He used it as a work truck commuting back and fourth to job sites. After the 283 he had in it locked up he parked it in front of his house where it sat for a good 20 years. Then my cousins moved the truck back in a field on their land for the past 10 years or so..... So seeing the truck back there I had to have it. I asked him about it for a couple years but he always just blew me off and said that ol truck aint no good. So a couple months ago after a night of texas hold em and cold beers and taking everybodys money I asked em what he wanted for it. He told me hell if I wanted it to just go back there and get it. So I say hells yeah and that's just what I did!! Gave em $100 bucks for the title...

How I found it. Had to kick over a 6 foot pine tree that had grown thru the bumper, lol...



And how I got it out of the holes it dug itself in to with all 4 tires off the rims..



Dropped off at the house. She ain't a prize but it was all there. For some reason I named her Mable

[Task Force Era]

Few pics of of the wear and tear over the years..

[chev3600]

It ain't no good. Park it at my house! Good score, how's the underside?
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[Task Force Era]

Originally Posted by chev3600

It ain't no good. Park it at my house! Good score, how's the underside?
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Hahaha! That's what my uncle always said.... It's not to bad. Just your usual "sitting in a field rust".

[Task Force Era]

I figured the floor was gonna be shot to hell sitting all these years with the driver side glass knocked out of it. But surprisingly it wasn't to horrible...



Did some parts hunting and ended up getting lucky finding these locally around the house. It had been hit on the driver side at some point and caved the door and fender in. It was pretty rugid. So replacing them was way easier

[Task Force Era]

To make life so much easier with replacing just about every part of the 59 suspension I bought a 92 ext.cab S-10 off of craigslist that had been wrecked in the front a little for $500 bucks. Everything is there even a 4.3 V6 that fired right up! So with the S-10 frame I have updated brakes, steering and suspension. Many problems solved with this purchase...

Hated stripping it down. Coulda been a good little beater truck. But sacrifices must be made, haha



I'm no fabricator by no means and have no shop to work in so a good friend of mine (Nathaniel) is handling all the welding and technical ****...

Chopped down the frame 7 inches to get the wheelbase lined up and have the front wheels more centered and new cab mounts built. Just a rough pic, not finished

[tetfemal]

Originally Posted by Task Force Era

To make life so much easier with replacing just about every part of the 59 suspension I bought a 92 ext.cab S-10 off of craigslist that had been wrecked in the front a little for $500 bucks. Everything is there even a 4.3 V6 that fired right up! So with the S-10 frame I have updated brakes, steering and suspension. Many problems solved with this purchase...

Hated stripping it down. Coulda been a good little beater truck. But sacrifices must be made, haha



I'm no fabricator by no means and have no shop to work in so a good friend of mine (Nathaniel) is handling all the welding and technical ****...

Chopped down the frame 7 inches to get the wheelbase lined up and have the front wheels more centered and new cab mounts built. Just a rough pic, not finished

Thinking about buying an Apache. Should a single cab long bed s10 be used instead of the extended cab?

[Task Force Era]

On the way to Nates shop pulled by his bagged and door laying 68 GMC



Cool ass pick I made using editing apps on my iPhone

[Task Force Era]

Got down to striping the Apache down....



May not be the safest way to take a cab off but it worked!!



We literally had to take the bed apart to get it off since my uncle had the diamond plate bedfloor welded to the support braces, lol



It did turn into a cool looking flatbed though, ha!

[Task Force Era]

Some 15x8" Cragar Delux 69's for rolling attire for my recent birthday from my ol lady. Just ordered my bullet caps and bullet lug nuts to spice em up a bit...

Next up is some type of affordable white walls



Scored my bags, air tank and engine driven compressor thru a trade. Just need my valves, fittings and hose now...

[Task Force Era]

Got the cab temporarily mounted to fit everything.





Had to slide the motor back 5 inches to fit a radiator and other clearance issues.



The Cragars are gonna eat up the wheel well clearance from the S-10 frame swap pretty nice!!

[Task Force Era]

So that's where we're at right now. Next up on the agenda is getting the steering hooked up. Brake booster mounted and hooked up. Get the pedals hooked up, radiator in and fire it up hopefully....Then taking the cab back off. Painting the frame then throwing the air bags on

[Kim57]

Very nice project. I like your avatar pic.
Kim

[apache200]

Man your truck is going to be nice!! what app did you use to make that pic, it looks sweet!!

[Task Force Era]

Originally Posted by apache200

Man your truck is going to be nice!! what app did you use to make that pic, it looks sweet!!

Thanks man! Your's is looking pretty sweet also. I'm totally jealous of your big window!... Where you from in N.C??

I used the iCamera HDR and Lenslight app I got off of iTunes for my iPhone. They're a couple of bucks but you can do all kinds of crazy stuff with them!

[Denee007]

I'm amazed how these old trucks keep getting found! Looking good, I'm following your thread; )
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[Task Force Era]

Originally Posted by Denee007

I'm amazed how these old trucks keep getting found! Looking good, I'm following your thread; )
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Thanks Denee! Your project is turning out super nice!! Loving it so far!

[dubie]

I'll be following this thread as well. You don't see very many people using an S-10 chassis under the task force bodies because of the narrow track width. We have a 58 GMC short fleetside and I also have the same S-10 that you are using as my parts truck. I bought it for the 700R4 tranny but was always interested in using the chassis as a donor.

Any information you can share regarding the work that has to go into the frame and body mounts will be very valuable

[Task Force Era]

Originally Posted by dubie

I'll be following this thread as well. You don't see very many people using an S-10 chassis under the task force bodies because of the narrow track width. We have a 58 GMC short fleetside and I also have the same S-10 that you are using as my parts truck. I bought it for the 700R4 tranny but was always interested in using the chassis as a donor.

Any information you can share regarding the work that has to go into the frame and body mounts will be very valuable

Yeah I hadn't seen many done either. But the price of the truck with a good running low miles V6 I couldn't pass it up. It's not very hot rod-ish but it'll do for now, haha....

Far as the swap goes, it went fairly smooth. For the extended cab frame we had to shorten it at the factory joint 7 inches. After tons of measuring we used the S-10 body mounts that actually fit pretty good under the Apache floor. They fit right under the steps where the cab bolts are. My fabricator just cut them and moved them forward to line up the front wheels dead center in the wheel wells. So pretty much everything under the truck is S-10. He did cut the front frame horns off of the Apache and welded to the front of the S-10 frame to be able to bolt the core support down and bolt the front bumper on. All in all it's really not a hard swap to do. I think he did it in like 2 or 3 days. Hardest part was getting that heavy cab set on it and lined up. Wish I had more pictures of the actual work to share but I don't. Just the one of the shorten section and front cab mount. When we take the cab back off to paint the frame I'll get some more pics of the back mounts and all.... With the S-10 wheels bolted on it is pretty narrow so I got a set of 15x8's with a pretty good backspace to widen it out some more. Gonna put some 235/75/15s on it to widen it even more. So it'll look pretty good when it's layed out!!

[tpimuncie]

Great project!! if you dont want the fleetside emblems mail em to me lol

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by tpimuncie

Great project!! if you dont want the fleetside emblems mail em to me lol

As long as we are dividing up his stuff, I'll take the hood emblem! Great starting point.

[Task Force Era]

Originally Posted by tpimuncie

Great project!! if you dont want the fleetside emblems mail em to me lol

Lol at you and OrrieG hawking my parts, hahaha. Hell my other Fleetside emblem had the botton of the F missing and its broke in half, so it says Cleetside, lol

[apache200]

Aftermath I'm up near charlotte. I actually bought my 55 from a guy down near Raleigh. Is there many junk yards down that way with old stuff in them?

[Task Force Era]

Originally Posted by apache200

Aftermath I'm up near charlotte. I actually bought my 55 from a guy down near Raleigh. Is there many junk yards down that way with old stuff in them?

Man there is actually a guy that lives outside of Middlesex that has a yard full of vintage tin. And his specialty is 1959 year model cars and trucks. I guess the guy was born in '59 so he just started collecting '59 model cars and trucks over the years. I got my d/s fender and both h/l bezels from em for $275

But just walking back there I was absolutely amazed!!

[meter swinger]

That thing is lookin good quick. Are you going to need spacers on the front? Either way youll have gobs of room in those wheel wells for tires.
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