I posted this up in the newb hello forums but I know from years past that i hardly checked those threads. This will be my first frame off resto. As soon as she is parked in the garage ill be doing a build thread as well. Wanted to say hello and introduce myself, along with give a short bio. I just bought a 59 gmc wildside (yes i have pics). I recently was awarded full custody of my son after a 8 year horrible divorce and move. I spent every day of my life with my son till he was 4 and I moved to a different state to start over my life. a few years ago I was injured on the job (teamster). Right after the injury my exwife was arrested for a bunch of differnt felonies and put in prison. I spent all my savings getting a lawyer and fighting for custody and trying to survive on work-comp. In 2010 I was awarded full custody of Drake (my son). Back in highschool i built my first vehicle (1976 chevy truck). I always saw the old chevy trucks as beautiful works of art. I figured why not try to find a truck to build with my boy and build our relationship. I grew up without a father and always missed those fun times. Anyways enough about me I am sure you all would rather hear about the truck! So a few weeks ago I was searching around and found a guy in my area with a 59 for sale. I went to take a look at it and got to chatting with his wife and him. His wife was raised where I grew up. Needless to say all three of us hit it off real well. Wound up talking about the truck. it lived in Canada for most of its life. however the PO, started the restore on it then lost interest and its just taking up space in his garage. It has all the original parts 2 spare windows (p***enger/driver). The truck still has the original motor and trans (4 on the floor). So the PO is going to be getting the ***le moved over to colorado and then we will be putting it in my name. I have started to research a lot of different aspects of what i want to do with the truck. I know some may cringe but i plan on taking out the original motor and trans and putting in a LSx in it with a 4l60e. However to keep it somewhat original i am going to keep the solid front suspension. I thought about doing a front clip but alas i just cant chop out 50 years of history just for ride quality. And before you ask why even take out the original motor, this is due to living at 6000 feet and in a bowl. there are 2 p***es north and south of me to go out of town and I plan on driving this truck not just letting it sit in the garage and fetching groceries. I want to have something that i can drive back home to california if i felt the need. Plus in a few years Drake will be getting his licence and i would love for him to be able to take his prom date to prom in it. or out with the boys every now and then. WOW this post got long! So without further a due. here are the pictures. all comments, questions, concerns, opinions are welcome! and the last one was taken right before the PO parked it and started working on the front end Thanks for looking Curtis
Looks like a neat truck, should keep you busy for a while You might be surprised to learn that the old Six will actually power the truck up a hill....but the stock rearend gear ratio of around 3.9 is probably not going to be too fun on long trips. If the engine is in decent condition, not smoking or knocking, you might want to consider swapping the rearend, and see how it drives. Not that I have anything against those ugly modern engines with their evil computers.....
you know i keep getting told "dont do it" lol. I have been on the fence about it. however With this project going to be used for everything under the sun including road trips, towing a small trailer, runs to home depot, trips to bandimere, shows, and my sons "I got an A" can i take the truck out tonight. End result is throw what i know at it but retain some originality. The motor does run but the truck needs a lot of work. I have been involved in a few LSx swaps already. My previous ride was a 2006 cobalt SS supercharged 4 banger, so I do know the computer controlled vehicles really well. I have done a lot of research and really have thrown a lot of thought into what the end result should be. This project really is going to be about father and son time. True to the rule it probably will change a dozen times before its done. So im not setting anything in stone just yet. Heck i can it all tore down and decide to build up the i6.
I bet the modern engine thing would go over pretty well on the LS forum, but this place is about traditional, and if you look at a few GMC threads you might find folks suggesting guys put a Pontiac V8 in it....like GMC used back then. A friend is building up a GMC six for his old Chevy roadster. This is not the normal world here on the HAMB
Yeah i was calling a fleetside but was corrected on a different forum about the PROPER info on my truck. anytime I would post and there was an ERROR in something about the truck i was quickly corrected. It seems more people are upset about the fact i want to put a LSx in the truck and using wrong model information, then actually interested in the resurrection of a old truck. To each their own. Ill find a home somewhere!
Actually GMC called them Widesides, not Wildsides (although that is pretty funny!). Fleetside was strictly a Chevy term. Here's what I'm running in my '58 Jimmy: I'd really like to run an old Pontiac motor but that's not in the budget right now.
I've heard Wide-Side, but never Wildside. Big difference between wide and wild. I refers to the interior of the bed as Wide-Side in the brochure for '59. . I wonder what forum that was, when I still had mine I was on all the old truck forums and never heard it. Oh well. I much prefer the fleetside bed sides, wether Fleetside, Wide-Side, or Cameo, to the stepside beds. The terms are usually pretty generic to the kind of bed side, especially when looking for parts.
My father in law has a 59 with the 270,we want to restore it to original cond one day. I would leave the original motor in there or look for a 302 I hear they are good engines,I know they look *****ing. I am planning to run a 270 in my 51 f1 from an old bus,Hopefully my buddies dad can sell it. good luck with your project,Hopefully they will let you stay here with your off topic motor.
Taking a ride on the Wildside? You wouldn't happen to be a fan of Lou Reed, would you? Be an oddball, keep the 270 six. Later, *****6
Look into doing an injection setup on the original six. High/Low-al***ude drivability, instant starting, the works. Maybe consider an NV4500 manual trans, too, and keep the 3.90 gear. Take a walk on the wild side.
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