1959 Chevrolet Apache pick up

[Renee]

Hello there:

I am writing a story about a girl whose only inheritance is a mechanical bull. I spent some time with the guys in another forum asking questions about trucks. I've narrowed my choice down the 1959 Apache pickup for the truck in my story.

In the story, the truck originally would belong to her father, passed down from is father. Any suggestions on what type of things might have been done over the years to keep it up, beside the care of the body? What tires would be needed to haul an enclosed trailer carrying a 1500 mechanical bull?

Also, the spear emblems on the sides - what did the numbers mean? And in 1959, I'm assuming it was a stick shift, correct? Or did they build automatic transmissions for trucks at that time? The story takes place in 1994.

Thanks for any assistance you can give me.

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/1212c...vrolet-apache/

[Speedbumpauto]

A "step bumper" with a trailer ball would have been the common addition for towing a small to medium size trailer, along with a plug style connector for the lights to be connected/disconnected. Also, some type of "overload springs" might have been added to help with heavier loads. Another common addition was "west coast" towing mirrors in chrome or stainless steel. Since it was a working truck, it would have probably had the common 7.00x15 truck tires on it although 16" wheels and tires were also used. For research you might search J.C. WHITNEY company. They had the most popular mailed catalog of every type of add on part a truck/car guy might want to make the vehicle more "heavy duty" or "faster" or "better gas mileage" or "personalized." I say personalized because if the truck was part of a traveling entertainment show going from cowboy bar to cowboy bar(speculation on my part) there were hundreds of "things" a person could add for that kind of purpose. Whitney's was the poor boy, back yard mechanics best friend. Good luck.

[Renee]

Thank you so much. Do you know what the numbers on the "spear" emblems on the sides meant?

[Speedbumpauto]

Also could have been an automatic but MOST were manual and a truck for that type of use would have probably been a 4 speed with a "granny" 1st gear.
The numbers designated the load carrying capacity of the truck. A 3100 was a 1/2 ton and a 3200 was a 3/4 ton and considered heavy duty and had longer bed, 8 ft. I think. I'm not positive about all the numbers but others may chime in.

[Renee]

Thank you! I have a scene in the story where the trailer fishtails and goes backward down a slope, pulling the truck with it. I know from the other forum that most trailers wouldn't be able to pull the truck, that's why I'm going with an older model (and because I love the look of the turquoise Apache.) It is also going to windy and rainy in the scene to help make the scenario more believable.

It's an enclosed trailer and all the mechanical bull gear weighs about 1000 pounds, plus the weight of the trailer itself. So it would probably be better to use the half ton model, would you say?

[Speedbumpauto]

Most average people bought a 1/2 ton 3100 and abused the hell out of it so I think you're spot on.

[Speedbumpauto]

The old drum brakes were not too good on those trucks and even worse when it was wet+ almost none of us ever spent the money for trailer brakes, especially on a smaller trailer. For context, you can make it believable.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by Renee

Thank you so much. Do you know what the numbers on the "spear" emblems on the sides meant?

On the 1959 it would have been a 31 or 32 or 36 or 38
not 3100 ect.

31 was a half ton short bed 32 was half to long bed

[Renee]

Thank you. That is so helpful. I found the pic of the turquoise Apache doing a google search. I am trying to find the owner who lives in Tennessee so I perhaps might be able to see it in person. The truck will definitely be a star in the story.

[Renee]

Thank you, that is very helpful. So I will probably use the 32.

[OrrieG]

The back bumper would have been a Barden or similar. The stock truck weighs about 3700 pounds, most towing recommendations are to not have a trailer weight of more than 60 percent of vehicle weight. A 1.5 K bull in a 1.7K trailer would be pushing that, but on dry ground I do not think it could pull the truck backward, but could pull or push it off the side if it got squirelly. In the rain very possible.

The transmission will be a sm420 four speed, or three speed if your goal is to show the truck owner as overloading the lowest base model truck. The four speed truck would have probably had 16" wheels with 7.50 tires, three speed 15" with 6.50 tires. If the story is in current time frame and Dad kept the truck inside and maintained it, and it is located in southwestern dry climate it could be in good shape, faded paint. Lets assume he kept the brake rebuilt and motor in good shape, those old sixes will go for ever if maintained. If it is set in the rust belt, eastern coastal areas, and saw salted roads in winter it would be rusting out, but still driveable.

I grew up with these trucks, have always owned one and have always been amazed at how much you could load them up with and they would just still keep going. Don't know where the story goes, but if you do go off the road or roll one there is lots of real metal to protect you, assuming Dad added seat belts along the way. If not lots of solid metal to bounce off of!

Good luck with the story. The link in my signature takes you to a technical manual on these trucks if you want more details information.

[Renee]

OrrieG, thank you so much! In the story, my character's Dad received it from HIS dad, and it has been kept up immaculately over the years, with revisions as needed. So it looks amazing and gets a lot of attention whenever she drives it. It's almost a character itself. I might work in that she was conceived in the truck, too.

I will check out the manual, thank you.

[Renee]

Also, the weight calculation is very helpful as well.

[OrrieG]

I once had a 41 Chevrolet Master Deluxe 4 door sedan, bone stock. My kids and their friends loved it, the back seat was like sitting on a nice couch and could stack 3-4 of them back there. After I drove it for a while as my daily driver I became convinced that a large majority of the babies conceived after WWII were in those old Chevies. I had old timers coming up to me all the time in grocery store parking lots telling me that a similar model was their first car after the war and, well you get the picture.

[Renee]

Ha! Yes, I get the picture, thank you!