1958 Apache Big Window Loooooong Bed "Lucky"

[daveshilling]

To prepare for the maiden voyage around the block, I needed to get these doors on. They still need paint matching on the bottom, but that's future Dave's problem, and they are better stored in this door-shaped hole in the cab (=

I got the passenger side gap pretty nice!! The drivers side.... well it closes nice, at least! I went through my parts bin and got the best door lock bits I had.

I got fresh seals from Seth Doulton/Quality Classic Parts and the doors close easily, no struggle at all..even without any glass (the door is much lighter) they will latch from a 6 inch push.

[daveshilling]

I ordered new vent window seals as well, and got deluxe chrome vent window assemblies. One of the seals was so old it turned to stone, and I had to use a blowtorch to re-soften the rubber enough to remove it from the channel.

The riveting process to reattach the seals would have been simple had the rivets not been too long...I figured it out but some of the rivets aren't too pretty. They wont be seen much.

How about that patina chrome though, eh? I don't care that this cab wasn't deluxe, it's going to get some goodies!

[daveshilling]

Doors and windows are places where you get either a satisfying interaction, or a disappointing one... When a door closes nicely, or a window/door latch works well, it improves the experience for me. Slamming doors and using muscle to roll up a window....not good.

My interior door handle assemblies had issues.. the first being the broken springs. Nobody sells these springs, and I'm not buying a new assembly and tossing good steel in the trash, so I took these out (both sides had the issue) and welded the springs back. They don't have too much travel, so they should survive the heat and stress.

I also noticed how loose the post is, causing the door handle to wiggle in the hand when in use. If I were designing a replacement, I'd improve the tolerance here.... so I found a way.

Using a regular nut, I drilled out the center until it just fit over the post. Then I countersunk one side so it would sit flush against the housing. Welding that together created a more robust channel for the post to turn in, and has eliminated the wiggle/slop that was there before. This was a great $0 modification that I will notice every time I drive the truck!

[daveshilling]

I got the front clip installed, shimmed, and bolted down, and that meant time for some radiator hoses.

I used this site to find the hoses, and it was a HUGE help!

You can search for the sizing and look at pictures to find the part numbers that will most likely fit your application. I ordered a bunch of options from Amazon, and will return what I don't need.

I went to the local Salvage Yard and got some correct GM hose clamps for early 2000's LS engines instead of using the typical screw drive versions. These expand with the hose and they work for GM so they work for me.

[daveshilling]

To protect the expensive 4L60e-to-4L65e Rebuild/upgrade that I had done at a local shop, I installed a Tru Cool 40k Transmission cooler. Since I dont have A/C, I have room for this beast and it should keep my trans fluid nice and cool even if I switch to a 6.0L some day.

They ship it with universal brackets, and I bent those up to get the fins away from the mounting surface. I used the cross-bracing as a mounting point, and used the cardboard the cooler came with as a mock-up piece to find the bracket locations.

[daveshilling]

It was a little too visible for my taste when test-fitting, so I painted it black and now it disappears behind the grille, and also hides my aluminum radiator.

Unfortunately, I mounted it a bit too high and the hood latch interfered... then I noticed that the hood latch handle was bent and cracking at a weak point, so modification was just meant to be!

A piece of scrap and some trial and error later, and I have a new latch setup that looks pretty cool actually, and works great.

[daveshilling]

Got the transmission back from the rebuild with an upgrade from 4L60e to 4L65e to handle more torque later in its life, and painted it with a silver hammer finish even though nobody will be looking at it.

Installed and filled and I have a functional truck!

[daveshilling]

First Drive around the block, then back to bed so I can finish all the little things that make it a drivable truck.

That short trip around the block took me 5 years to achieve!!

[Stepside Jim]

Thanks for all the pics, I enjoy good ole hand fabrication.

[Rickysnickers]

Wow, that's great!! Well done and hope you enjoy it

[Kevin_C]

Congrats. that's a big milestone! I don't have far to go on mine to fire but haven't had much time to touch the truck lately.

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by Stepside Jim

Thanks for all the pics, I enjoy good ole hand fabrication.

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers

Wow, that's great!! Well done and hope you enjoy it

Originally Posted by Kevin_C

Congrats. that's a big milestone! I don't have far to go on mine to fire but haven't had much time to touch the truck lately.

Thanks, Gents! I'm pretty excited about it. I still have plenty to do and updates to make, but who needs door glass for an October in California, amiright??

[daveshilling]

A couple more photos, this time with a hood, lights, bumpers, and steps.

[daveshilling]

Bumpers are on and I took my daughter around the block for a shakedown cruise...heard some new noises and discovered a nearly empty rear diff! I expected old fluid, not NO fluid!

The rarely-seen passenger side:

[G&R's57GMC]

Congratulations ������ Lucky Trucky has made it to the streets .... finally, yea !

Now for all the little bits to make it road worthy and you’ll be out there cruising .
But you’ll be going eeny meeny minny moe which truck do I drive today ?

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by G&R's57GMC

Congratulations ������ Lucky Trucky has made it to the streets .... finally, yea !

Now for all the little bits to make it road worthy and you’ll be out there cruising .
But you’ll be going eeny meeny minny moe which truck do I drive today ?

Thanks, Glenn! You know I'll end up with a third truck

There are definitely PLENTY of things still to do with this truck... this is a bare-minimum cruise on a fair-weather day... I'm going to pick up some window glass, today and should have windows in soon.

[daveshilling]

Not a big update, but I'm stoked on the repurposing of factory GM junkyard bits.

I got the steam port connected finally, and used a factory clamp but ALSO saw this little hose joiner on an LS truck in the yard, and just let it do what it does here, too. Free and useful.

[daveshilling]

After inspecting the truck post-neighborhood cruises, I found that I missed a huge, glaring issue when I altered the mounting points and lowered the coilovers... the rear toe bars are touching the frame when the truck is just sitting.

Fortunately, Flat Out Engineering sells a kit to address this exact issue, so I've got that on order. I considered trying to find a DIY solution to this to save money, but sometimes you just need to pay the person who already found an elegant solution to your problem.

[dsraven]

ouch, good catch. its only mioney, right.

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by dsraven

ouch, good catch. its only money, right.

Yeah, if it's not money, it's time. And I can always get more money, but I can't replace those pre-winter cruises I might sneak in since I'm in California....

Plus since I have one of these awful patina trucks I've saved so much money in paint and body already!! Might as well re-invest it here and there (=

[Tempest67]

Congrats on the truck,

Thanks for sharing your work,

Enjoy

[dsraven]

when I looked at the situation in the pics I thought about how you could use existing tie rod ends, cut apart and modified, to make something like that set up. like you said, why engineer something that somebody else already figured out, lol.
post up a pic when you get it installed and road tested. I'm sure others with your type set up would appreciate it.

[Russell Ashley]

Originally Posted by daveshilling

Bumpers are on and I took my daughter around the block for a shakedown cruise...heard some new noises and discovered a nearly empty rear diff! I expected old fluid, not NO fluid!

The rarely-seen passenger side:

Nice. when you got that truck didn't think it would ever look that good. Natural patina looks good and the whitewalls add to the look.

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by dsraven

when I looked at the situation in the pics I thought about how you could use existing tie rod ends, cut apart and modified, to make something like that set up. like you said, why engineer something that somebody else already figured out, lol.
post up a pic when you get it installed and road tested. I'm sure others with your type set up would appreciate it.

I'm STILL tempted to try and solve it in the garage, though, just for the sake of it. I think the real, true solution is to completely re-engineer the frame section above this axle with some box tubing, but that's a someday-not-today task I can enjoy in the future.

Once this is all covered by a flip up bed, we'll see how motivated I am to take it all apart

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by Russell Ashley

Nice. when you got that truck didn't think it would ever look that good. Natural patina looks good and the whitewalls add to the look.

That's a fair assessment, and that's because it DIDNT look this good... I replaced the entire front clip when I got insanely lucky to find a patina red 59 clip with way less issues.

I love the 59 badging so much...it really makes a difference.

I think cohesive look with the white parts and white roof and white walls also help. I might try a chrome front when I can find a good chrome bumper and see how I like it.