1959 Apache

[dagnabbitt]

This is my 1959 Apache on the day I bought it, Father's Day 2013. A friend of mine and I flew to Regina, Saskatchewan and drove it back to Edmonton, Alberta.

Canada, btw.

The fuel pump died in Saskatoon, leading to a extended holiday of sorts. American readers might want to check google maps to confirm that I am not making those place names up. Maybe I stopped in Moose Jaw or Medicine Hat, who knows? I still remember that rainstorm where I belatedly remembered that I had no wipers. I know it was Father's Day because the hotel we stayed at in 'Sktoon served an excellent brunch that morning. The way it was built, you'd think that the owner wanted everyone to know how clever he was, though. I've never been that way, I'll try to explain below. Or not etc.



This is the same truck an hour later after a polish.



Despite being on this forum for 10 years I have never written about it. My friend's nephew knew I liked stepside shortboxes and also had suspicioned that I had an affection for this green color. The fact that I wanted a 67 was immaterial to him, this checked most of the boxes, he figured. He sent me some pictures and told me he was brokering the deal. I gave him 10%, he was a good negotiator and it was worth it.

Take this story with a grain of salt: the truck was a one-owner-from-new sort of deal: and it belonged to a family who owned an autobody shop. It was a dark blue 3/4 ton LWB that grampa bought for the farm in 1959. One day in 1998... a 1997 Tahoe was brought in to the autobody shop. It was a light rollover with very low miles, and it sat there for a long time while the insurance company decided what to do. After some deliberation it was written off and the folks from the autobody shop waited for the tow truck to get it, but they never did. After several months the son asked if maybe it was not too crazy, can we put Gramps's truck on this Tahoe?

I think it took about a thousand hours, but they worked at it in their spare time. What they did is they cut around the "tub" of the Tahoe, essentially leaving the floorboards and the firewall, but leaving the wiring harness completely intact - as the guy said, they "did not cut a single wire". They then grafted grampa's truck's cab on to that. You honestly cannot tell. I bought it from the son, he didn't want to part with it, I won't tell the story here since he was kind of upset during the transaction and likely not in his right mind.

Anyway... in the end there was an Apache with a modern drivetrain, 4x4, air conditioning, and even ABS. And it fit perfectly, 'cause it was trimmed to do that. A stepside box is shortened very easily of course.

You (you!) should have seen people's faces on the way home when I passed them at 100 mph. The truck remained a daily driver for two or three years, 60 miles every day.

I didn't have that much money though... so I couldn't continue any sort of a resto on the truck. And being in Canada it was strictly a summer ride and if I couldn't keep my winter ride on the road, well, that was it, I had no job. I had to choose. The truck was so darn reliable that ironically it got put on the back burner as I collected other junk. That is probably some sort of Law of Economics.

All I did to it was have custom corvette ralley wheels made for it - they don't usually make them six bolt with this kind of offset - and put a stock bumper on the back.



Since about 2015 it has been registered and insured and driven about 30 miles a year. I am hoping by starting this thread I might make some progress on it. The below pics are when it was was polished up and beautiful, I am sorry to say that it does not look nearly as good now. A bit rotten in the corners and bubbly in the paint. But I am a pretty stubborn guy and it is going to get finished.

[dagnabbitt]

All in all - is that an expression? - it's been a great truck, probably one of my most reliable vehicles. Look forward to maybe making it look nice, too.

It gets lots of looks.

So many people wax nostalgic when they see it.

I love it too.

Today it is covered in dust, but I can fix that.

[dsraven]

thats a great story and a nice looking truck. if you plan to redo the body i suggest to start collecting bottles and when you get enough to do the whole thing then start. body supplies are far from cheap, and it still looks pretty good, so keep driving it till you can afford to fix it. oh yeah, stop collecting other stuff that requires a budget to get back to life, haha. (my wife says that, if you quit working on everything else your old truck would be done).
nice to see another Albertan on here, I'm in Calgary, you know, where they have chinooks. haha.

[dagnabbitt]

Originally Posted by dsraven

thats a great story and a nice looking truck. if you plan to redo the body i suggest to start collecting bottles and when you get enough to do the whole thing then start. body supplies are far from cheap, and it still looks pretty good, so keep driving it till you can afford to fix it. oh yeah, stop collecting other stuff that requires a budget to get back to life, haha. (my wife says that, if you quit working on everything else your old truck would be done).
nice to see another Albertan on here, I'm in Calgary, you know, where they have chinooks. haha.

I've been following your build with great interest, of course! Too bad about both of our hockey teams.

[_Ogre]

Dagnabbitt, have you done anything to this truck recently? Through a twist of fate, I've recently become a summer Edmontononian and winter Texan.

[dsraven]

Are you getting smoked out in Edmonton?

[dagnabbitt]

I have not done too much to it, I start it up once in a while. I have taken a friend's advice and chosen to work on one project at a time, and that is currently my 68. I am making some progress on that one, I hope to have it in one piece (fairly) soon.

I have picked up a couple parts for the Apache, though, including a cab vent delete cowl, and an original dash.

The wheels are going to get sand blasted and power-coated soon: I love them but I opted for that cheap chrome when I had them made (looked great for one year), I want to switch to an ivory or antique white. When I do that, I will likely do the grill and bumpers the same.

When I do that, I may as well get new tires, too. These ones are ten years old and have a bit of fine cracking on the sidewalls. That normally wouldn't bother me at all on another vehicle, but I put a little more caution into things like that with a truck without seatbelts.

The space I have my trucks in has switched ownership so I am trying to keep things in mostly one piece in case I have to pick up and leave. Probably a good habit to be in.

[dagnabbitt]

Originally Posted by dsraven

Are you getting smoked out in Edmonton?

Not yet, we had a couple hazy days but we've been lucky this year.

[dsraven]

curious if you have checked the inner cowl areas of the apache. they have a drain hole at the bottom of the cowl on each side and that tends to get plugged up. a quick roll underneath with a light and a screwdriver would be a quick tell on that, simply poke the screwdriver up into the drain hole and see if it is clear or not. when the hole plugs water builds up inside the cowl and drains out onto the floor through the foot vents. this is why a lot of these trucks have rotten floors, step well, door hing epillars and front cab mounts. good plan to block the vent intake if you live near trees that shed but then you will lose that air flow for the vent and possibly the heater if you have the style of heater that has the fresh air intake.

[dagnabbitt]

I will look for that drain hole and see, I am sure it is plugged. The bottom of my pillars have rust, of course.

[dagnabbitt]

I decided to pull the wheels off to be sandblasted an powdercoated. When I had these rims made for the truck I opted for chrome, not realizing that modern-day chrome and Canada don't mix. I tried my best to maintain them and they looked great for a few years, but time makes fools of us all.

I'd like to get them back in an antique or ivory white color. The goal is to have the wheels, grill, and headlight bezels all the same shade. If I can achieve this I will probably change the bumpers too.

[dsraven]

should look sweet all color coordinated
post up pics when done

[dagnabbitt]

Most of my attention is being paid to the 68 C20 in my signature, but sometimes it is nice to take a break from one project and do something small on another.

I have had a pair of circa 1990 GM extended cab bucket seats sitting in the shop gathering dust, and worse, being used as stepping stools, so I thought I would install them in the Apache. They came as a package, along with a 1970's red console that I actually wanted when I went to make the purchase. The seller of course thought these buckets were the big ticket item and basically threw the console in. I have considered selling these seats, and even offered them to someone who could use them, but for now I just wanted them put to use.

Being that the floor and mounting positions of the Apache are that of a 1997 Tahoe, they went in without too much fuss at all. And the driver's side is powered! Up down, back forth etc.

I don't know if this will be permanent - I had a different plan and might still go in that direction - but it beats the busted bench seat I have had in it for the last several years. I might look into having them recovered into vinyl or leather if such a kit exists.

[dagnabbitt]

There was a fire at the shop where I keep my stuff - mostly smoke, little damage - and so I need to make the truck ambulatory. I got rid of the stock Yukon wheels that came with this truck when I got it - I am sorry for anyone that loves those wheels but I think that they are just the worst ones that GM ever put on a truck - and those rallies are still at the sandblaster.

So I have been slowly putting together a set of steel wheels for the truck for the meantime. I had collected three already, so I had those on the truck, along with one jackstand.

Yesterday I popped by my local junkyard to get a fourth wheel.

[3757chevy]

Nice truck , I'm glad the truck survived . My stepdad had a tan '59 when I was young and my older Brother and Sister both learned to drive his truck . It was a 235 with a three speed and white grille, bumpers and hubcaps. He wasn't around when I started driving but when I got out of Highschool I found a '58 that looked almost exactly like it other than mine had all the Chrome the factory could put on it ; front bumper, grille, hubcaps, Westcoast mirrors, and trim around the cab. Mine had a 283 with three speed. I've always missed that truck.

[dagnabbitt]

Well, I got my wheels back, I am pretty happy with them. After blasting the chrome and rust off, I had a local company coat them with a shade called "Furniture White" which is off-white and creamy enough that I think they will look good on this vintage of truck. In person, wiped down with a chamois, its like staring into a bowl of whole milk.




Of of the interesting benefits of living and working near one of the largest business parks in the world is that there are a lot of businesses that service heavy industry: like blasting and coating shops, rad shops and whatnot. They will take on little jobs when things are slow. This place is not even the largest coating shop within a mile of me, and it is an impressive facility.




Anyway, my plan is to switch from chrome to painted bumpers, and to match those - along with the grill and headlight bezels - to this shade of white. I am on the fence about whether I will use paint or powercoat those, too. I ultimately think that powdercoat for those items would be foolish... but I just like the finish so much, and as you can see: I know a guy. Maybe if I get them covered in 3M protective film before I install?

I am going about this project so backwards, worried about what color my bumpers are when the truck needs so much work. But hey, it's fun.

[6DoF]

having good services near by is huge. save time, same money, make things more exactly like you want.

[dagnabbitt]

I managed to get the old girl home today, it has been getting hit by hail in a parking lot for the last month or two. Doesn't look too bad, I am hoping to get a little work done on it.

[dagnabbitt]

I don't think I am ready to put my beautiful powder-coated 17" rims back on the truck, I would prefer to do it last. For one thing, I gave away the tires that were on them.

In keeping with my tradition of making everything really difficult on myself, I have instead collected a set of four 16" Tahoe spare wheels. Yup, I have collected them from four different junkyard Tahoes.

They have served the purpose of allowing me to roll the truck around - more than that, I drove about 40 miles on them today - but now I am thinking I will clean them up, get some new lug nuts that accept the pictured cap, and get a set of those caps. Below is a junkyard centre cap that I found, it is not attached, it is just hanging there for the photo.

And since all four tires are different sizes and they are all cracked and leaking and 25 years old, I will look for a set of rubber for these rims, too. Just making it all easy on myself: inexpensive, too!

[dagnabbitt]

I guess I am following through on this: I have a set of them, now. I'll try to make them look noice.

I am going to try this off-white, "Ivory Bisque" color, and I will probably use it on the rest of the truck, too. The white parts, that is.

[dagnabbitt]

Added the dual thread lugs for centre caps, and installed the caps. Not period correct but I think it looks good. I am not a trim ring guy, but I did eventually install them on my 81 and did not regret it. I will have to think on it.

Those are brand-new discontinued Coopers, I bought a pair on discount, so now I will run around the city looking for another two, I guess. Everyone needs a hobby for their hobby.

[dagnabbitt]

I was starting to have my doubts about this shade of white, but I have decided it is pretty good. I sanded down the headlight bezels (you can tell they are a bit surface-rusty in post 18) put a rust convertor on them; then rust primer; then a couple coats of the Ivory Bisque; then a coat of matte clear. Compared to the grill (which is next on my list), it looks pretty OK so far as a color match goes.

The plan is to clean up some of the more objectionable bits of this truck so I am inspired to drive it and do more work on it. Got a fender and a tailgate that really need changing, I will have to get some paint for that.

[dagnabbitt]

A while back I added these headlight half moons, I liked them for awhile, but the Cheap Chinese Chrome - and several Canadian winters - really ended up making it look bad, so I removed them tonight.

Luckily I have a sort of rat rod, my 72 GMC, that these might actually look good on.

While I was at it I replaced one of my hi-beams, it had a rock through it. Had to go to a couple shops before I lucked out and found one. It's weird living in the future.

And of course, the rock that went through the hi beam couldn't have bounced off of one of these, could it. The box the headlight came in was covered in dust, I think they had been trying to sell it for awhile.

[dagnabbitt]

Well I finished with the four wheels I collected, and I bought a full set of Coopers for them. They were on sale, and they are a nice looking tire.

I actually ended up with seven or eight of these rims, but these are the best four. I ordered some stainless trim rings for them from Summit, hope they fit.

Seeing as these are my temporary, driving-the-truck-around-while-I-work-on-it wheels, I have certainly gone overboard as usual. They will fit on a future project too, I think.

It's interesting how our tastes change over time. When I acquired the truck I was all about chrome and West Coast mirrors and white lettering, now I am going in the opposite direction with it.

The paint is awfully oxidized, I might try to polish it up a bit.

I picked up some mirrors that I think will not look too bad on the truck, maybe someone can tell me if they are correct for the year. I think I will paint them the body color of the truck.

[dsraven]

there is a reinforecement panel inside the door with holes for the original mirrors. maybe a good idea to yake the door panel off and locate it.