47-59 59 Chevy Viking 40 Rebuild “Stamford”

[70C10Ginger]

I got this guy in 2020, and have been trying to get the parts I need to get it out of its current resting space. I think I’ve sourced tires to let me get it running and driving. The end goal is to have it be a work truck for my tree company, that only I drove, and have it be a 4x4 rig during, after that time. Anyone have a bench seat haha

[_Ogre]

Very cool! I'd like to see your Viking get back to work!

[70C10Ginger]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

Very cool! I'd like to see your Viking get back to work!

You and me both 🤣 it’s just looking pretty as of right now

[mr48chev]

That one looks pretty solid compared to a lot of them.

[dsraven]

are you planning a 4x4 dually or single rear wheel?
there are a few ways to get to the 4x4 version, some include a frame swap to a newer chassis that is already a 4x4. it can be some work and may put the truck out of commission for a long time. it depends on your drive to get it done, personal life committments, a place to do the work and store lots of big parts, your skill level and tools available. oh yeah, then there is the budget. I always recommend talking with someone who is knowledgeable about doing this sort of thing. prefferably someone who has actually done it. ask about what it takes, budget wise and parts wise before you commit to tearing down your truck. download a copy of the factory assembly manual (trifive site has it. 55-59 chevrolet truck factory assembly manual). do some plans and drawings on paper with actual dimensions etc. do all that waaaay before you start chopping things up, thats how these things get to be a project for sale or a bunch of parts taking up space where you should be parking.
your truck looks to be amazing shape. great find.

[70C10Ginger]

Originally Posted by dsraven

are you planning a 4x4 dually or single rear wheel?
there are a few ways to get to the 4x4 version, some include a frame swap to a newer chassis that is already a 4x4. it can be some work and may put the truck out of commission for a long time. it depends on your drive to get it done, personal life committments, a place to do the work and store lots of big parts, your skill level and tools available. oh yeah, then there is the budget. I always recommend talking with someone who is knowledgeable about doing this sort of thing. prefferably someone who has actually done it. ask about what it takes, budget wise and parts wise before you commit to tearing down your truck. download a copy of the factory assembly manual (trifive site has it. 55-59 chevrolet truck factory assembly manual). do some plans and drawings on paper with actual dimensions etc. do all that waaaay before you start chopping things up, thats how these things get to be a project for sale or a bunch of parts taking up space where you should be parking.
your truck looks to be amazing shape. great find.

I’m a purist, and I refuse to put beautiful old steel on 500 pounds of wired, hot garbage haha.

I’m going to be looking for an ambulance rear end, dually, then look for a Dana 80 for the front end. Im an arborist, so I’m going to redo the wooden bed with some lumber I have. I need it to carry a 4,000lb machine on the bed, and a 10,000lb trailer regularly. I have an NP205 that SHOULD (hopefully) by nutty enough for the Cummins swap I want to do also 😅 it has a 6 speed rhat I have no idea what it is, and the old 2 piece rims.

[70C10Ginger]

Heater still works, and it runs. The tires are TOAST, so that’s what I’ve been stuck on for almost two years 😭 It has a 1975 350 in it now, with a little single barrel carb. It only has one butterfly. I have a double barrel Rochester on the 70 gmc I have, and it looks smaller than that was haha

[dsraven]

when you get ready, before you spend a bunch on parts, i recommend to thoroughly check the frame from front to rear for straight, square and sag. look for loose rivets, heavy rust around bracket mounts etc. you will be asking a lot from it when you get it like you want it. a corner to corner dimension should be within 1/8" I believe. check the assembly manual for how to check frame

[dsraven]

be very carefull with those split rims, they have hurt and killed a few over the years. the ring tends to blow off and take a piece of whatever is in it's path.

[70C10Ginger]

Originally Posted by dsraven

be very carefull with those split rims, they have hurt and killed a few over the years. the ring tends to blow off and take a piece of whatever is in it's path.

That’s what I’ve been fighting. I would have preferred to be able to do the axle swaps first, but I am tired of using my 70 2500 for work all the time 😵*💫

I was going to run these for a year or two until I get all the parts lined up for the 4x4 swap

[Hcb3200]

I totally agree with the guys on this one.
You know what you want it to do and what it needs to be capable of.
Like they all said start with the ground up ( you have already addressing tires)
Since its going to be a true work truck doing work stuff.
Good tires, (not splits) better than stock brakes, and a good frame to start.
Then work your weight items, springs, shocks etc.
Then drivetrain etc.
Last thing you want is this to "start" to be a work truck then have massive downtime having to work on something that cannot be bolted on later.
Example that seat might actually be last (lol)
Make a really good plan on parts, order of need and what you actually plan on doing. Then execute in order. Planned correctly it could be a working truck just without a few things that can be added easily later when funds are ready.
And down times can be short when adding something on.

but always enjoy your ride.

[70C10Ginger]

Originally Posted by Hcb3200

I totally agree with the guys on this one.
You know what you want it to do and what it needs to be capable of.
Like they all said start with the ground up ( you have already addressing tires)
Since its going to be a true work truck doing work stuff.
Good tires, (not splits) better than stock brakes, and a good frame to start.
Then work your weight items, springs, shocks etc.
Then drivetrain etc.
Last thing you want is this to "start" to be a work truck then have massive downtime having to work on something that cannot be bolted on later.
Example that seat might actually be last (lol)
Make a really good plan on parts, order of need and what you actually plan on doing. Then execute in order. Planned correctly it could be a working truck just without a few things that can be added easily later when funds are ready.
And down times can be short when adding something on.

but always enjoy your ride.

I’m excited, and it seems like I’m going down the right path. That’s what I did with my 70. Had a couple small down times, but if I have a backup truck, it’s not as big of a deal. I know I want to lift it 2-3 inches when I do the axle swap, I need hydro boost brakes on both trucks cause of the way people drive anymore, and then I’ll worry about the pretty stuff. I still have the original seat, no heater or anything in the truck I use now. The Viking at least has a working defroster 🤣

[70C10Ginger]

I do want to see if I can box the frame, or have a new one built to a diesels specs. The worst thing I could imagine for my company, and pride, is to have a vehicle that’s supposed to be amazing, crumble due to bad craftsmanship.

[dsraven]

you can download a free copy of the assembly manual. i think it has frame drawings for all models. these trucks have a pretty flat frame so building a new frame from rectangular steel with a good thick wall thickness may work out for you. it would take some time to draw it up considering you want 4x4 and a diesel. start with heavy duty components that will handle the weight, 4x4 components AND the diesel torque. use nice big brakes too. maybe start with an insurance write off which has the driveline you want and section the front of that frame to a newly built rear section.

[leegreen]

Cummins, 4x4 and "carry a 4,000lb machine on the bed, and a 10,000lb trailer regularly."

That sounds like a 20k+ CGVW.
You have big truck front fenders with the larger opening.

I think buying a running, driving cummins powered 4x4 dually chassis and putting the body on it might be the way to go here. with large tires you will probably have some stick out, which is a popular look for big 4x4 anyway.

Pictures of cummins in '58, '59 shows a large firewall bump is needed and the engine bay is tight. I think I might consider how extensive the body work would be if you center the fenders over wheels, put grill in front of rad location and put cab behind the cummins.

Was there a long nose version of this front sheet metal from the factory?

you have probably seen this. More tire than I'd want but cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZd-U5eZ97c

[dsraven]

stretching the fenders and hood, front to rear, to fit a long engine will be a challenge and will make interior room quite small I think. you could tretch the can with a bigger door opening I suppose. again, a challenge though.
I have seen a few diesel swaps online as well and to me they usually have too much tire and also look too short since the ones I seen also use the truck bed and not a flat deck.
do the math on the track width front and rear and compare to to the task force you have. possibly a single rear wheel donor truck and them swap in a dually axle would be better. the track width up front would be more inline with what you need.the track width out back would be covered by the deck so not as noticeable and wouldn't look like a cobbled together thing.

[leegreen]

I'd consider the sheet metal work in order to keep the cab intact. Not sure how long nose would look on the 59. on the long nose version of 60s medium duty front sheet metal It looks like an added filler piece between cowl and hood AIR

The problem with the swap any way you go about it is the engine length and the problem with full frame swap is that the radiator and engine sit further forward relative to the front wheels. Getting a differential and driveshaft under there as well on older trucks with small engine bay often seems to require a jacked up look like in the video link I shared.

A lot depends what look you want.

[dsraven]

possibly the 6500 front end is bigger? dunno. check the assembly manual drawings possibly. that may give you more room for driveline.
whatever you do, dont load it up with more than the brakes (especially) and axles can handle. when building know the capacity of the axles/brakes and how much the truck will weigh empty. then add the expected load and see how that jives with the axle's rated capacity. I remember when dodge first put their diesel 4x4 on the market, their front axle was over weight capacity when guys would add a camper in the box. cops would make them remove the camper or tow the truck/camper. wouldn't allow further driving as a unit.
also, check local laws etc for when you change the truck from old style to 4x4 with different weight capacity etc. you may need some sort of inspection and then something for insurance as well because it wont be the same truck anymore.
best to do homework first

[70C10Ginger]

Originally Posted by leegreen

Cummins, 4x4 and "carry a 4,000lb machine on the bed, and a 10,000lb trailer regularly."

That sounds like a 20k+ CGVW.
You have big truck front fenders with the larger opening.

I think buying a running, driving cummins powered 4x4 dually chassis and putting the body on it might be the way to go here. with large tires you will probably have some stick out, which is a popular look for big 4x4 anyway.

Pictures of cummins in '58, '59 shows a large firewall bump is needed and the engine bay is tight. I think I might consider how extensive the body work would be if you center the fenders over wheels, put grill in front of rad location and put cab behind the cummins.

Was there a long nose version of this front sheet metal from the factory?

you have probably seen this. More tire than I'd want but cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZd-U5eZ97c

Very much a “have my cake and eat it too” situation. I’ll have to have a safety inspection done, but that’s it.

This is the reason for the split rim tires. My assumptions are that it should fit easily. But, I don’t have easy access the the truck, it’s currently 4.5 hours away, looking pretty in my friends lawn. I just need the thing here, then I can find out all its flaws.

I’m doing a new frame anyway, cause the thing is close to 70 years old. I’ll keep this thread active and keep posting pics for y’alll 🧡

[70C10Ginger]

I need to take more/better pics of the engine bay. I’m REALLY not worried about getting the 6bt, original 6speed tranny, np205, and the 3 speed brownie I found stuffed into the frame specs and cab. Imma be putting bucket seats in it, and custom build a middle console out of wood I mill out for my tree company. Preferably, this will be a patina build also

[dsraven]

A few years back there was a fella on here that did something like that. He used the floor and firewall from the donor. Dont remember seeing a finished version.
It's a huge job to accomplish what you want there. What about a smaller diesel, like the Cummins 4 banger. Quite a bit shorter. Less cab room gone maybe.
If it were me I would do a long flat deck instead of a truck box. The lifted diesel 4x4 duallys look like a kids tonka truck in full size. I'm past that. Lol.
The look you want is up to you but do some serious planning and pricing before you turn a nut and bolt on the actual truck. Lots of guys get in over their head. Dont wanna admit it. Can't afford to farm it out, so it sits in pieces and finally gets sold for cheap.
Maybe once you get it home and can see how actual solid (or not solid) it is you can make a plan and talk to a few guys, and shops who do this kinda work, and get some ideas, do and don'ts.

[70C10Ginger]

Originally Posted by dsraven

A few years back there was a fella on here that did something like that. He used the floor and firewall from the donor. Dont remember seeing a finished version.
It's a huge job to accomplish what you want there. What about a smaller diesel, like the Cummins 4 banger. Quite a bit shorter. Less cab room gone maybe.
If it were me I would do a long flat deck instead of a truck box. The lifted diesel 4x4 duallys look like a kids tonka truck in full size. I'm past that. Lol.
The look you want is up to you but do some serious planning and pricing before you turn a nut and bolt on the actual truck. Lots of guys get in over their head. Dont wanna admit it. Can't afford to farm it out, so it sits in pieces and finally gets sold for cheap.
Maybe once you get it home and can see how actual solid (or not solid) it is you can make a plan and talk to a few guys, and shops who do this kinda work, and get some ideas, do and don'ts.

I’ve got a structural welder that is the foreman for the ski lifts out here helping me, a machine shop helping me find and build the 6bt, and I can do the geometry for the 4x4 conversion.

[leegreen]

Somebody wired that poor thing with their feet. I'd hate to see under the dash!

[dsraven]

good to have a plan. check some posts on here about seat choice, firewall reworks etc. buckets with headrests may move the seat further forward than you want or leave the seat at an uncomfortable angle due to the limited space behind the seat for the tall seat.
if you get to the drawing stage maybe figure out how much the firewall will need to go back and then mock that up with cardboard, see what kind of interior space you have left
the best would be to draw out a stock scenario and then draw out you rendition of the modified scenario. then overlay them and see how it all fits.
yeah, I know, I can't draw either. lo.

[leegreen]

post #83 here is painful
https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...=825785&page=4


but it gives some idea of the difficulty of fitting front sheetmetal around the radiator location of a modern frame. Radiator and engine both have to go back to get the fenders over the wheels.
With a flat deck you get some options about putting the radiator behind the cab to buy some length in the engine bay.