Hot Rods Official 1959 Chevy Apache Build Thread

My carb is doing alright, I havent had really any problems with it.

Last night I rewired the alternator and will need to install a diode so I can start it up and shut it off when I want to. I also worked on fixing a couple of the leaks (power steering and coolant) I installed the inner fender again, hood hinge and a couple other things. Today I will weld up one tiny area that I missed, grind it down and install the drivers side fender. Once that is done then the hood goes on and I will deal with a couple other things (like the front main seal) when everything is on. Busy day!

 

Well the power steering pump is still leaking. I am going to take back the third one and get my money back. I need to install my diode and get that over with. I rewired a couple things on this alternator too. I will need to replace the front main seal too AGAIN. I have installed a ton of these and this is the first time it has ever leaked.

Anyway, I got the fender installed and put the hood on it. I will bolt it down tomorrow. I love the way it looks with the hood on (thank you Shannon!). Here are some pictures

 

so I crawled under this thing and found that the oil leak may not be an oil leak after all... Coolant was dripping down the rear of the water pump.... which is kind of crappy, so I am going to see where it is coming from. Hopefully the heater hose plug/fitting. If it is I can fix that pretty easily, if it is the back half of the water pump and its gasket I am going to have to tear this whole thing down again.... boo. I removed the power steering pump (no easy feat), just pulled the pulley and everything else off and will be swapping it out today... this is pump number 3.... If it fails again I am getting my money back and going elsewhere. I have been working with the headlight bezels and a couple other things so I can try to get them to fit.. I am really close, so it will take me a little longer... oh and I ordered my wood bed, its on its way as we speak. I will post an update soon, hopefully when I know that the whole damned thing stops leaking.

 

Well I got some of my toys today in the mail. I couldn't resist mocking it up on the floor. Man I cant wait to get this in the truck.

Less talk more pictures!

 

Looks good. That's gonna take your truck up another notch or two! Let me know when it's in.

 

Thanks Dave!

I just got around to finally installing the third water pump on this truck and what do you know... it's not leaking... Keep your fingers crossed. I will install the rest of the components tomorrow and with any luck, get it fired up and running I am kind of wanting to drive it around the block some more.... stupid weather!

 

That bed floor is going to look great. I'm having water pump issues of my own. No chevy mill here, so mine has to go to Oregon to be rebuilt, lol.

 

Yeah I am really excited about it. I just need to put everything together on the front end and I can start working on the bed. Yeah that sounds like it sucks with your pump, at least it will be a one and done kind of thing though, I am 1 for 3 lol.

 

well thanks to a friend of mine Phil, who just joined the HAMB and bought a '59 Apache, we got the drivers side door open (the fender was scooted back too far pinning the door shut) and I was able to fire up the truck again! Now I can get in and work on a couple other things and get like wipers installed, the brake pedal finished, and finally turn the truck around in the driveway and nose it in the garage to start on the wood bed!!

Thanks again Phil!

 

Np Scott. Just wished i could have stayed longer an done a little more. Man that engine sounded great. Can't wait to see it on the road.

 

Well I fired the truck up today and spun it around in the garage so I can start the install of my wood bed kit. Here are some pictures. I need to do a lot of panel alignment on this thing, but you get the idea.

 

Here is a video of it idling before sticking it in the garage. The fan is really loud for some reason... It has never been that loud before... a little strange, but I may go with an actual fan instead of the electric now.

 

sounds good! i cant wait until i can fire mine back up, but its currently in pieces

 

Looking & sounding great!!

 

Hey, looking good..

Alarm? you saw the ones that take a cell phone sim card and "gps" the vehicle's location back to you? You can shut it down, or trigger "things".. (like a Taser??) My old truck project is crawling along forward.. yours is running.

 

Well I have been busy lately with starting my new job. I decided to mock up the bed and install my windshield wiper parts. Here are some pictures. I have a lot of work to do for this bed in order to get it to fit right and I have to cut the hole for my gas tank

 

It's like I'm watching my own ride being built when I check into your build thread......I just did my bed and am working on rebuilding the doors now(got some pics in my album). With the wood out of the bed it is more than easy to put in the 2" long lowering shackles in the back. I noticed the hood body lines on your hood look like mine as well....I always have to push down on the back of the hood....after I close the hood....to get the hood to sit down where it should......and I agree.......that fan is loud......don't blame you for wanting to go to a mechanical.

 

Well what is stupid is that red1959 came over and listened to it start and it didn't make hardly a sound... and now all of a sudden it is making all kinds of racket. We have twin trucks... haha. Yours is looking good

 

Well I have been getting busy on this bed for the truck, but just haven't been posting progress.I had to figure out how to move the gas fill over about an inch or two with limited room. The mustang tank had a 2 1/4 inch fill tube and the nice looking fill that screws into the bed was only 1 1/2. So I bought two 3 inch sections of 1 1/2 inch exhaust tubing and part of a reducer pipe from 2 1/2 to 2 1/4 inch exhaust (only used the 2 1/4). I then cut and broke welds about a dozen times until I got something that kind of worked. Here is the progress

 

So I tweaked it some more and got something that I could actually use and it is actually pretty nice. It gives me plenty of expansion in the piping to basically stick the gas station pump hose in and just let it do its thing without having to start or stop in a hurry to avoid spilling it. Here are some more pictures

 

So now that I have the made I need to align the bed perfectly so I can get my measurements for cutting the hole for the gas fill. Once that is done I will tear that board off, cut install again to check then mark my sides and then take it all apart to drill my side holes and then to clear the wood.

 

Well 36dodgeram and I went down to the Louisville swapmeet on Saturday and he helped me find some stuff for the steering column. They claimed that this is the largest indoor show in the country... I believe it... but out of all of that not one part for a 1955-1959 Chevy truck or 1940 Plymouth was present... unbelievable...

So I installed most of my loot from the swap meet for the steering column (my Mooneyes tach has yet to be installed). Here are some pictures of the progress

 

Here are some more pictures of the install of the parts.

 

And I went ahead and tackled the wood bed by getting my hole drilled for the tank fill and the holes drilled for the angle strips for the bed sides. No turning back now

 

Here is what it looks like right now out in the garage.

Red1959 stopped by with his wife to see the progress (they are tuning up their 59 apache). Thanks for taking that door!

 

Do you plan on staining and clearing the bed wood?

 

Just clearing it, which will be my project this entire week every night I get home and hopefully by the weekend I will be done with it and moving on to something else.


That reminds me, does anyone know where I can get a painted/used rear bumper for this pickup? Anyone replacing theirs and not using it?

 

I've got one you can have. But they cost about $100 to ship, lol. I tried selling mine on craigslist for $25 with no takers. Maybe try your local craigslist?

 

no dice on local craigslisters, have been checking for months... I can't believe that. what would it be to ship from your place to 46158?

 

Too big for usps. Last time I shipped one ups, it was around $90. They are heavy, lol.