'59 Chevy pickup - long chassis

[8literbeater]

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/pts/4955407720.html

Bell housing - $40 (Gilbert AZ)

1967-1972 Chevy truck bell housing for 40$

Jim 480-398-0338

 

[8literbeater]

This would be sweet in there too. https://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/pts/4974232228.html

I've had both the factory 283 V8, and 235 six cylinder, and have since run the original 3 speed, a Saginaw 4 speed similar to the one in the above ad, the SM420 4 speed transmissions from the 50s and 60s, and now an NV4500 5 speed.

I pulled a factory V8 out of one, and put it in mine with all the factory mounts, and then later changed everything out for the big block.
Torchie is right about the original mounts. Easy peasy.
BUT The original mounts on the front were matched by bell housing mounts in the back. I don't think it would work with only the front mounts, and the trans mount all the way in the back. There would be no anti-torque abilities, and that's a lot of weight to be only supported on the ends. The front mounts were just little pedestal mounts that would flop all over if it weren't for the bell housing mounts.
The automatics have that rear mount that's supposed to work with the side engine mounts, where a lot of the weight is balanced out in the front.

 

[AZRodDave]

Yeah, that would be awesome if I had the money, but ...

Someone makes a front mount plate that I saw online yesterday. I have a birthday next month, maybe do something like that. Also saw some "helper" mounts that bolt to the front of the trans or back of the engine. Either way, it'll get put in there as best I can, even if it is free parts from the yard. My back yard, that is.

 

[Skip]

Good to see this back on track. [cl Small steps are still progress.

 

[AZRodDave]

Thanks, Skip! Just for S&Gs I rolled the dually rear end up to the back, and it looks freakin' awesome! Spring mounts are the same width, so should be an easy swap. (How many times have we heard that?) Good to have some progress and hopefully actually complete the thing and drive it one of these days?! THAT would be a momentous occasion!

Also found some front engine mounts at Eckler's Truck parts for $29. I have rubber pieces and through bolts. Hope to order them later today...

Meanwhile, I set the engine on a wood block and lowered it onto the ground. BIG rake, but when I swap the rear end, I'll take a the overload springs off, which should drop the rear. A little rake is fine, but this is just a bit much!

 

[AZRodDave]

Too much???

^^^ Whaddaya think, too crazy? I kinda like it myself.

Here's the side view. Rake is pretty serious, made to look like even more because the awning is slanted, and perhaps a little less because the photo isn't exactly level, but you get the idea...

Maybe I should do a double dually old school tractor trailer sort of thing? LOL

 

[Skip]

I kinda' like it both ways.

That said, I would suggest focusing on getting what is there making noise and moving on its own. Then an upgrade to the dualie setup will be as easy as changing out the rear spring system, getting a new drive shaft, and putting it all together.

Not that I want to tell a fellow ratroder how to build a truck.

PS: the Semi tractor tendem axles are connected by a drive shaft between them. Yours isn't designed for that. You will need to go a bit bigger to pull that off. Would it be cool? Yea...

 

[AZRodDave]

Haha, no worries Skip. Idea day since I am waiting on parts (motor mounts).

 

[Bamamav]

Back in my pulpwooding days, we would take a 1 ton truck and put another 1 ton rear behind the first as a dead axle. We usually mounted it so that it would be off the ground unless the truck was loaded, then the suspension would drop enough so that it helped carry the weight. If you put it so that the weight was equal on both axles when it was not loaded, you go though a dip or pot hole and you'd be stuck with a drive tire off the ground. Would be much easier to set up now days with air bags on the rear axle so you could take weight off of it at will. Back then, we didn't know what an air bag suspension was....

 

[sgtpontiac]

Ah.....you can never Do TOO much....

^^^ Whaddaya think, too crazy? I kinda like it myself.

Here's the side view. Rake is pretty serious, made to look like even more because the awning is slanted, and perhaps a little less because the photo isn't exactly level, but you get the idea...

Maybe I should do a double dually old school tractor trailer sort of thing? LOL

I kind of dig the dual wheel thing....but I'm sure that dually has a pretty steep gear....like 410 or so....might not be the most driver friendly one....JMHO....

 

[AZRodDave]

I kind of dig the dual wheel thing....but I'm sure that dually has a pretty steep gear....like 410 or so....might not be the most driver friendly one....JMHO....

Hadn't thought of that. I think the stock rear end is a 3.90 and the dually is from an '81 crew cab, so maybe not so different? The difference would be that the original has new tires on it; the dually has corded old tires.

 

[AZRodDave]

Sold the White Whale today ('90 GMC Suburban gas hog), so have a little seed money. I kept the big wheels and tires off it for my '78 3/4 ton, so I call that profit! Also remembered that the transmission in this truck has overdrive, so rear end gear may not be as critical? Still wanna go dually and maybe that tow rig setup on the back. That's not set in stone either, as I reserve the right to change my mind at the drop of a hat! But that's the thought of the day ... After all, it's not going to be a daily driver, it's a toy!

 

[sgtpontiac]

You Sold Moby Dick???

Ok Capt. Ahab....Good deal....a little extra mad money.......Wasn't sure what you were planning to do with the truck, so thought if it's going to be driven every day, you might want to go a bit higher ratio...(lower numerically) gear set...But if it makes you Happy...go for the dual wheel axle...spin all four of those tires.....

 

[AZRodDave]

Hahaha!!!

Ok Capt. Ahab....Good deal....a little extra mad money.......Wasn't sure what you were planning to do with the truck, so thought if it's going to be driven every day, you might want to go a bit higher ratio...(lower numerically) gear set...But if it makes you Happy...go for the dual wheel axle...spin all four of those tires.....

Yeah, I would have kept the 'Burban for backup, but at 9 mpg it became disposable. Got back what I paid for it AND kept the nice BIG wheels and tires that were on it for my pickup ('78 Chevy 3/4T). AND got rid of the crappy old cracked tires on that pickup, that went on the Suburban! Win win all around, I would say. [cl

As for this one, it'll just be a toy/cruiser. Something to bop around in. It has a good windshield, but no other glass. Will have doors, seats, and running gear and that's about it, or about all I can afford. I keep seeing these nice restored and resto-mod trucks around, and yeah, that would be cool, but costs money. Would be nice, but ...

Oh, and on the progress side of things, I took the old rusty shocks off via the old rusty bolts, fiddled with engine placement and angle a bit (no mounts yet), and dreamed a great dream...

 

[Torchie]

Dreaming is a BIG part of it. But as with all things it takes more than dreams to make it come true.
Keep at it. You are gaining.......[cl
Torchie

 

[earthman]

The wind is in the sails now Cpt. Ahab.

 

[AZRodDave]

Dreaming is a BIG part of it. But as with all things it takes more than dreams to make it come true.
Keep at it. You are gaining.......[cl
Torchie

Yup, lotsa fussin' and figurin', fabbin' and fixin'.

The wind is in the sails now Cpt. Ahab.

Shiver me timbers!

 

[jfg455]

Avaast ye land lubbers! Me thinks yer all cracked for there be no water in that ther Arii - zona place ye be sailing from lads![cl[cl

 

[AZRodDave]

We have imported water!

Avaast ye land lubbers! Me thinks yer all cracked for there be no water in that ther Arii - zona place ye be sailing from lads![cl[cl

... stolen from the Colorado river, just like Californee and Nevada. Some of the ritzier developments have lakes instead of golf courses for paddle and party boats, so yes, there are some boats around. Then there are the REAL lakes... It's actually quite surprising how many trailered boats one sees headed somewhere or another.

Progress report: started making my own engine mounts. 1/4 inch steel uprights are now bolted to the front of the engine. Cross member to follow, as well as one for the trans mount at the rear, and a plan for side mounts as well! I "shopped" and saw a lot of cool parts I can't really afford. Saving my dockets for front fenders... if I could ever find any. None local, so might have to import from far northern Michigan??? Or, ... just mount the hood and make some kind of front grille and do bucket lights. Saw an AD like that and it looks neat!

 

[Skip]

Go fenderless until you find fenders. No point in waiting. What hood do you have? I like the indentation in the 58/59 hoods. But I like the 55 to 57 hoods for their "acreage".

Then there is the differences in the fenders...

I have 58 & 59 front sheet metal in my storage about 5 hours away from me. I know. Big help!

Keep up the good work.