'59 Apache Camaro IFS project

[nikwho]

It was the '59 that I was getting ready to drive. The goat is about a year out. after paint. I took it around the block. figured out a few problems that I am addressing and it'll be on the road next week.

[nikwho]

Here is one of the running boards after I welded it up.

[Kim57]

Looking good .
Kim

[Rods57]

Good work, love to use parts I have and save the cash for other stuff.

[drivea55]

Originally Posted by Rods57

Good work, love to use parts I have and save the cash for other stuff.

I think that statement goes for the most of us on here....

Brian

[nikwho]

Yeah, I try to use what I can. It came out pretty good. I still have to weld and finish up the other side. Then, patch in the hole for the stock fuel fill and the hole in the floor board from the original shifter. Then I can move on with my body work.

[nikwho]

Well, I know that there is a long road ahead of me with body work and finishing the interior and a hardwood bed. However, it felt SO good to take the truck out on its maiden voyage today!!! It drove well and only sprung a little power steering fluid leak but a quarter turn of a wrench fixed that! Thanks to everyone that helped out with all of my questions along the way working on mechanical things(lots of my questions went into their own threads, as opposed to asking them here)! But everyone on here has been wonderful about helping out. This Sunday will be its first little cruise with the car club. Doing the annual Rt. 66 Car Club Picnic at Ft. Tuthill Fairgrounds. I'll have to take pics. Some of the guys in the club have some AMAZING cars! A few really nice trucks, too!

[Kim57]

It must feel good to be able to drive it, congrats.
Kim

[Rods57]

that's a good day for sure. excellent to hear.

[hammerdog57]

Looking good. What did you use for the gas tank? How did the truck ride with the camaro front and leaf spring rear combination?

[nikwho]

Thanks guys! It felt great! I used a '69 Mustang fuel tank. It worked great!!! I had to trim the inside of the frame rails about 1/4" on each side to get it to fit. The truck rides really good. I'm thinking that I am going to run air bags, at least on the front. The rear as of right now, I am running 6 leafs and its pretty stiff. I am going to pull two more and see how it rides.

[nikwho]

Took the truck out again today. It started out running pretty well going through the neighborhood, then started running very poorly after getting it out on a higher speed road. Started cutting out and seemed all choked up. It would pop and backfire when I got into the throttle and then would start running decent again when I let off. Got worse and worse until it kind of limped home cutting out with hardly any more throttle than an idle. Took the air cleaner off and everything seemed wet and oily on the inside of the air cleaner. Weird. Any thoughts?

[Wheelie]

Making good progress! I would check the carbs i.e. pump shot, also make sure you timing is right and make sure your vacuum advance is working. I had a equation for ya. I am at the point of doing the motor mounts myself and I was going to bring up the motor to about your height. Could you give me the measurement between the bottom front portion of the oil pan and the middle of the subframe below the pan so I have an estimate on how high to bring mine up? I think they look way better raised up off the factory mounting location on the trucks. I dig it!!

[nikwho]

I had initially fabricated my own engine mounts that set the engine up a little higher than stock. I ended up cutting those out and using the factory engine mounts for the camaro sub frame. I figured that the lower the center of gravity, the better. With the factory engine mounts, the front of the oil pan sits about 2" above the sub frame.

[nikwho]

I had a couple of compounding issues with this thing! First off, my fuel tank was not vented!! So that is why it was running well at first and then cutting out like it was loosing fuel. It was creating enough of a vaccume that eventually the fuel pump could no longer pull fuel out. I never thought about it. Then, I didn't have the fuel fill rubber hose clamps tight enough and when it rained, water leaked down into the tank, creating quite a headache! I have not been working on the truck too much since it's been so cold and I have been working pretty hard on the Pontiac. I will report back when I get some more progress made.

[nikwho]

Going to swap in the Eibach front springs this week, as well as do the c-notch so the axle has more room. Also have everything to fab up a new rear shock mount. Installing three new seatbelts also.

[71'tahoe]

Very cool project! I have a 58' and its cool to see guys doing there own work!

[usmc_butler]

Looks great!!! Looks like the gas hose is stretched a little tight at the pump!

[1959Chev]

Nick,
When you set your subframe in, what reference point did you use to get the subframe level before welding it in? I'm at this point now with the truck frame level and the subframe ready to go in after I spread the horns of the truck frame. Also what did you use to spread the truck fram out?

[55Cameo]

Great truck, always a good feeling to drive around after all the hard work

[blue 72 gmc 4x4]

Nice truck man! Can't wait until mine is on the road again.

[nikwho]

Originally Posted by 1959Chev

Nick,
When you set your subframe in, what reference point did you use to get the subframe level before welding it in? I'm at this point now with the truck frame level and the subframe ready to go in after I spread the horns of the truck frame. Also what did you use to spread the truck fram out?

So, bringing this thread back from the dead, but I felt bad for never answering your questions. the way I remember it, there was no good spot to "level" or parallel the subframe to the truck frame. But, if i am not mistaken, right where the upper arms mounted there was a flat spot that was angled. I'd have to look at all of my notes but I want to say that anything between 7-9 degrees of "anti-dive angle" was acceptable from the factory. I set it right at 8 degrees. With the frame leveled with shims on top of jack stands, I used a magnetic protractor to set that flat surface to being tilted back 8 degrees from being level. also, to answer your question about spreading the frame rails apart, I used a torch with a rosebud tip to heat up the frame right in front of the braces that I welded on one side at a time. I used a hi lift jack to spread it apart

[nikwho]

So, I thought that I'd get this thread going again. Once I got the truck driving and all mechanically sound, I sent it away with my dad so he could drive it and enjoy it for a bit. He was also gonna start stripping it and getting ready for paint. After not really agreeing on the look/direction we each wanted to take this project, my dad bought me out, so the truck would be just his. Well, the truck has sat in his shop in Missouri for the past almost 6 years! My dad told me that he wanted to sell it a few weeks ago because it has just sat and is in the same condition that it was when it left my house some 5 or 6 years ago. Except for the fact that the flush mount fuel cap wasnt secured well and the fuel system had taken on some water and being parked for almost 6 years, a rat/mouse chewed up some of the wiring in the engine compartment! I was bummed, as right before it left I bought a new wiring harness from Rebel Wire and spent many hours rewiring it. Anyhow, I scraped together enough cash for my dad and bought the truck back from him. And for the first time probably ever, with the full support of my wife! So, now ive gotta get this thing shpiped from MO to AZ so I can get back into it. Need to buckle down and finish installing my 427 into my '68 GMC, so I can focus on getting this one back on the road!

Can't wait to get back into it!

Nik

[nikwho]

This '59 Apache has been the longest project of my life! Still plugging away on it. Making more progress on it, and I wanted to update the thread a little bit.

Here's a photo of when I picked the truck up. I met my dad in Amarillo, TX. He was kind enough to meet me half way, since having it shipped was pretty cost prohibitive. I picked it up in Oct. 2017.

[nikwho]

From Oct. through the end of the year in 2017, I wrenched on the truck a bunch. Straightened out the fuel system, got the brakes bled and was able to take the truck down to Tucson, AZ for the Roadkill Zip Tie Drags. Got to run the truck down the 1/8th mile strip a few times and had a blast! Both of my rear drum brake cylinders were seeping. I wasn't sure how strict their tech inspection would be, so I ran to the parts store and tried to buy two reman cylinders. They only had one, plus a rebuild kit in stock. This was the night before the event, and we had a 4+ hour drive to get down there. I replaced the wheel cylinder that was leaking the most and got the brakes bled. As I loaded the truck onto the trailer, the other brake cylinder failed, and blew a bunch of brake fluid on the trailer. I took my tools and rebuild kit with me, to rebuild the other brake cylinder down there, which is what the first picture is of.

We rolled into the Tucson Dragway around 9pm, if I remember correctly. My truck was slightly less than "race ready" condition, and I knew that I didn't want to go through tech inspection with Brite eyed fresh inspectors in the morning, so I quickly rolled the truck off of the trailer and rolled into tech inspection MINUTES before they shut down for the evening, which was 10pm, I believe. I managed to creep my truck in, and coast to a stop without hitting the brake pedal, as I didn't want to push a bunch of brake fluid out onto the ground right in front of them. The inspectors were very ready to get out of there, and I managed to get through tech. After getting some sleep at the hotel, I returned to the race track at the Crack of dawn the next morning and managed to get my brake cylinder rebuilt and the brakes bled before the event started! Actually, I bolted my lap belts in that morning, too, as I just had them tucked into the seat for tech inspection! Thankfully the inspectors didn't tug on them!