They're STILL Out There Guys (& Dolls)

[Dan in Pasadena]

It was a good day today - I got off early and was heading east on the Santa Monica Fwy (10) - one of THE busiest freeways in country for you non-Californians - at about 1 in the afternoon. What do I see gaining on me in the mirror?:




Oh yeah, a '58-'59 survivor. No "fauxtina" here just good old, "been on the road 50+ years and running strong" kind of patina. Big window, short fleetside goodness. No rust-through I could see (at speed). I rolled down my window and it sounded like a 6 cylinder. It wasn't wound up tight, just cruising nicely at 60mph. The chrome hubcaps looked like they hadn't been washed, much less polished in all 54 years. I thought this was pretty cool.

But wait! 15 minutes later and I'm on the Pomona Fwy (60) maybe 15 miles away and I see.......this:


I'm not an AD guy but I know this had push button door handles and it was earlier than a '54. It was jacked up in the rear with blocks I could see as I passed. Not nearly as undisturbed as the TF but still out there at 60 mph and moving good.


I try to take photos of truck I think are true survivors when I see them. Thought you guys in the rust belt would get a kick outta seeing these still driving the highways in good shape.

[crossfire84]

Thought you guys in the rust belt would get a kick outta seeing these still driving the highways in good shape.

thanks, want some salt to rub it in!

[thump16]

Pics upside down
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[hopped up]

Thats how it is everyday in la. See several old cars and trucks on the road daily. Including my 64
Posted via Mobile Device

[_Ogre]

untouched survivors? cruising at 60 mph ???

untouched bodys, new drive trains
i don't remember any of my truck ever getting past 50 wound tight at that

[Dan in Pasadena]

They MIGHT have had new rear ratios, but I drove all around, front, both sides, and rear and there was no sign of new drivetrains. These AREN'T Delmo's kinda of truck.

My '55 didn't look a whole lot different than these when I bought it and it made freeway speed just fine. Granted, it had/has an older 10 bolt in it.

Regardless, I think they're a tribute to how special a LOT of people felt about these trucks. There's not nearly so many Cadillacs, Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Packards or DeSotos of this era still out there on the roads. In fact I can't think of the last time I saw one of those in unrestored condition driving the freeways. And they were a lot more "special" when new than these run-of-the-mill work vehicles that got treated like hell.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by thump16

Pics upside down
Posted via Mobile Device

Nope, just on your phone. For whatever reason a lot of photos show as upside down on my iPhone too. But they're right side up on a regular computer.

On second thought? The AD is probably jacked up in the rear to clear a wider rearend someone shoe-horned in there somewhere along the line.

[rcrahn]

Love that Apache fleetside big back window. That's S. Cali metal guys....You could of done a Danny from Counts Kustoms and chased the guy down.....

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by rcrahn

Love that Apache fleetside big back window. That's S. Cali metal guys....You could of done a Danny from Counts Kustoms and chased the guy down.....

He took the ramp to the Pasadena Fwy north - where I USUALLY go. But I was off early to day to go change out a water heater at my girlfriend's triplex - ugh

The A.D. guy took the 605 Fwy north, the way I would be going in another two hours. DOH!

Oh well. I'd have really liked to follow the Fleetside. The driver was a younger guy so chances are he's into these trucks like we are. I noticed it had regular mirrors on it but had the holes for the old style camper mirrors these trucks ALL seemed to have had back in the day. So maybe he (or someone else) is working on it.

[Truck Guy99]

Originally Posted by rcrahn

Love that Apache fleetside big back window. That's S. Cali metal guys....You could of done a Danny from Counts Kustoms and chased the guy down.....

Dang you rcahn, I was gonna say the same! Dang you!
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[1project2many]

Awesome pics.

The TF truck could have easily cruised at 70 if it were V8 equipped. 3.90 gears and 31" tires puts 70 mph rpm just under 3k. It would seem high by today's standards but it's an rpm where a short stroke smallblock would be happy all day.

The AD truck would have come with a numerically high gear ratio that would have wound the engine into orbit at highway speed. It really appears to have a truck 12 bolt rear axle. Quick clues include the non-round bolt on cover, ring gear on LH side of pinion, and sharp defining lines where the axle tubes are pressed into the cast steel differential. Pics for comparison: Red diff is also truck 12 bolt, while two axles together are early and later AD stock rear.

Regardless, it's still awesome to see them on the road in true "work truck" status rather than sporting the current trend of "I spent too much time and money to make my old truck look old."

FWIW, those big old mirrors are only called camper mirrors in California. The rest of the country knows them as California mirrors.

[OrrieG]

AD is probably a scrap hauler. Still lots of those around here, especially when you get out of town.

[beanyard]

Originally Posted by 1project2many

Awesome pics.

The TF truck could have easily cruised at 70 if it were V8 equipped. 3.90 gears and 31" tires puts 70 mph rpm just under 3k. It would seem high by today's standards but it's an rpm where a short stroke smallblock would be happy all day.

The AD truck would have come with a numerically high gear ratio that would have wound the engine into orbit at highway speed. It really appears to have a truck 12 bolt rear axle. Quick clues include the non-round bolt on cover, ring gear on LH side of pinion, and sharp defining lines where the axle tubes are pressed into the cast steel differential. Pics for comparison: Red diff is also truck 12 bolt, while two axles together are early and later AD stock rear.

Regardless, it's still awesome to see them on the road in true "work truck" status rather than sporting the current trend of "I spent too much time and money to make my old truck look old."

FWIW, those big old mirrors are only called camper mirrors in California. The rest of the country knows them as California mirrors.

You are correct. My truck '59 has a v8 and 3:90s and does fine on the interstate. I have the factory 3 speed w OD which drops the RPMs to 2200 at 75
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[Dan in Pasadena]

My Dad's '59 long Fleetside came with a 6 cylinder. I "helped" him put a 283 in it (I was 9 or 10, so about 1964 or 1965) and later a 348 W engine in it. All with the stock rearend, BUT he put the 3 speed overdrive that came in his '55 Belair into it. We had a large camper on it every summer and he never had any problems climbing or making freeway speeds.
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[Dan in Pasadena]

Off Topic, but another example:



It's not a truck and its an older restoration but it was out there idling in heavy traffic on Pico Blvd yesterday morning. I assume the license means the owner was 11 when it was new. What year is it? I'm thinking '58-'60 but I'm no Corvette guy

[rcrahn]

Originally Posted by Truck Guy99

Dang you rcahn, I was gonna say the same! Dang you!
Posted via Mobile Device

Sorry dude....I guess great minds think alike
So let me ask ya, what numbers do you have in mind for Powerball this week?
Although it's real cool to see these I must say it must take some real guts to cruise around the LA freeways. I've driven in traffic there many times and gotta say things do happen very quick. Overall speed is fast (70-75) and cars are tighly packed. There's very little margin for error and not sure I'd want to be in an older vehicle.

[Truck Guy99]

Sounds like lubbock to me......
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[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by rcrahn

Overall speed is fast (70-75) and cars are tighly packed. There's very little margin for error and not sure I'd want to be in an older vehicle.

Not during rush hours it's not 70-75. In the middle of the day, yes you can make 75 SOME places. But there's less & less "middle of the day" anymore.

With drum brakes you just gotta leave lots of space and keep an eye out for the idiots that have NO CLUE that older vehicles aren't capable of the same things their new Toyotas are.

[Root2812]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

What year is it? I'm thinking '58-'60 but I'm no Corvette guy

Its either 59' or 60'. 58 had chrome strips on the trunk. The only difference between the 59 and 60 is the stitching on the seat so we can't tell.

[sweet70beast]

Originally Posted by 1project2many

Awesome pics.


The AD truck would have come with a numerically high gear ratio that would have wound the engine into orbit at highway speed. It really appears to have a truck 12 bolt rear axle. Quick clues include the non-round bolt on cover, ring gear on LH side of pinion, and sharp defining lines where the axle tubes are pressed into the cast steel differential. Pics for comparison: Red diff is also truck 12 bolt, while two axles together are early and later AD stock rear.

I agree. plus the stock axle sits on top of the springs and that one appears to be sitting under the springs. I heard several years ago that a 12 bolt out of a 60-70 truck would fit under an AD.

[1project2many]

With drum brakes you just gotta leave lots of space and keep an eye out for the idiots that have NO CLUE that older vehicles aren't capable of the same things their new Toyotas are.

You mean there are idiots on the left coast, too? Folks here drive 100-200 miles on Friday to spend the weekend at the NH or ME "summer house" and you'd better watch out if you get between them and the start of their weekend. Leave lots of room in front and watch for the people that get so interested in looking at the truck that they start steering into it.

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by Root2812

Its either 59' or 60'. 58 had chrome strips on the trunk. The only difference between the 59 and 60 is the stitching on the seat so we can't tell.

And the colors in the package tray