JalopyJake89
Member
Hello all, My name is Jake, 28, and I'm from south Arkansas.
I have moderately restored a few older vehicles(64 El Camino, 78 Camaro, 76 CJ5), but have gotten the itch for learning about performance and custom classics in the last couple years.
A couple months ago i found a 58' Chevy Apache Fleetside in the woods behind my grandfathers trusty shade tree mechanic's house. At the time i was just helping him out cuz he has always been great to us. After a quick inspection i was in love with it, and got it for $800. upon loading it i found that the front end was lock rusted in place, and the frame looked like swiss cheese, but that made no difference to me. it would be my new obsession
This truck had a Cali Title from 86', and according to the casting numbers a 4 speed granny low Muncie out of a 67, behind a 70-ish 292 straight 6, which had no compression once i broke the engine over with lube in cyls and a breaker bar. I was told the truck was used for racing and it would "blow the 8 cylinders of it's time off the track!", however i had no intention of rebuilding an old 6cyl, much less fooling with an unsynchronized granny tranny(no offense to fans of either). I ended up getting 700 for the two which bought a sbc and some upgrades to it(engine section to follow). I removed the body from an 81' GMC C1500 i had sitting round and will be using it's chassis, because the 58 frame is shot and the power steering and brakes seem pleasant. I can replace the rusted through floor slowly and the cab corners as i go, but not now.
My initial plan was to tear it completely down and restore it, but after doing some searching i realized it would be less expensive, and likely more reliable to just buy a restored 58 if thats what i wanted, so i let it sit outside my window for a month. I would drink my morning coffee while staring at it, and my evening beer after work while sitting in the cab. It slowly started to take shape. I saw a heavy rake in the cab and fenders so a V8 can be seen protruding through a massive hole in the hood, valve covers and all with the original copper radiator slightly polished in front catching bugs, a treated pine flat bed on the rear with the original fleetside bedsides on each side of the fuel cell and tapering away before the rear tire, dropped to the ground...airbags...yeah...., the Polaris 800 cylinder head as a cup holder, stock cam as a shifter on an auto trans so my wife can enjoy it also, the pistons out of a blown 302 as cab mounts, ooooo! hood opens normally, but the fenders also tilt forward on pistons pivoting at the bearing on a horizontal pole to each side of the frame, the seats out of a Volvo 940 that i bought to fix my dad's and uncles cars, any many more ideas if they can be called that.
My questions is to yall, because this is my first time doing anything completely custom; will i be hated for doing this to a 58'?
I dont mind what people think of me on average or when im out somewhere, but i have always been drawn to and would like this to offer brotherhood and good conversation with other auto enthusiasts instead of breeding and drawing hatred. will i be allowed to park this old rusty truck at an event or will i have to park in the lot with the mini vans and prius'?
Im trying to post pics but getting errors, ill try again in a bit
Thanks in advance for any ideas or feedback,
Jake
Engine thus far(built by googling). Feel free to curse or comment, however this was gotten mostly through trade, and on tight budget.
69-79 350-.30 over
summit forged pistons
Elgin 284 @ .48 cam
1.5 full roller rockers
Elgin Hyd Flat Tappets
Goodwrench 642 Iron Heads 74cc chamber/ 2.02 intake/1.64 Exhaust
Summit Crank
Comp Cams timing set
Edelbrock dual plane EPS Intake
Holley 600 Classic manual choke
Summit hi-flo water and oil pump
Summit Muscle series fuel pump
Comp Cams Stock Push Rods
Summit HEI distriburtor/8mm Napa Wires
TH350 Trans out of a chevy 3500 van
I have moderately restored a few older vehicles(64 El Camino, 78 Camaro, 76 CJ5), but have gotten the itch for learning about performance and custom classics in the last couple years.
A couple months ago i found a 58' Chevy Apache Fleetside in the woods behind my grandfathers trusty shade tree mechanic's house. At the time i was just helping him out cuz he has always been great to us. After a quick inspection i was in love with it, and got it for $800. upon loading it i found that the front end was lock rusted in place, and the frame looked like swiss cheese, but that made no difference to me. it would be my new obsession
This truck had a Cali Title from 86', and according to the casting numbers a 4 speed granny low Muncie out of a 67, behind a 70-ish 292 straight 6, which had no compression once i broke the engine over with lube in cyls and a breaker bar. I was told the truck was used for racing and it would "blow the 8 cylinders of it's time off the track!", however i had no intention of rebuilding an old 6cyl, much less fooling with an unsynchronized granny tranny(no offense to fans of either). I ended up getting 700 for the two which bought a sbc and some upgrades to it(engine section to follow). I removed the body from an 81' GMC C1500 i had sitting round and will be using it's chassis, because the 58 frame is shot and the power steering and brakes seem pleasant. I can replace the rusted through floor slowly and the cab corners as i go, but not now.
My initial plan was to tear it completely down and restore it, but after doing some searching i realized it would be less expensive, and likely more reliable to just buy a restored 58 if thats what i wanted, so i let it sit outside my window for a month. I would drink my morning coffee while staring at it, and my evening beer after work while sitting in the cab. It slowly started to take shape. I saw a heavy rake in the cab and fenders so a V8 can be seen protruding through a massive hole in the hood, valve covers and all with the original copper radiator slightly polished in front catching bugs, a treated pine flat bed on the rear with the original fleetside bedsides on each side of the fuel cell and tapering away before the rear tire, dropped to the ground...airbags...yeah...., the Polaris 800 cylinder head as a cup holder, stock cam as a shifter on an auto trans so my wife can enjoy it also, the pistons out of a blown 302 as cab mounts, ooooo! hood opens normally, but the fenders also tilt forward on pistons pivoting at the bearing on a horizontal pole to each side of the frame, the seats out of a Volvo 940 that i bought to fix my dad's and uncles cars, any many more ideas if they can be called that.
My questions is to yall, because this is my first time doing anything completely custom; will i be hated for doing this to a 58'?
I dont mind what people think of me on average or when im out somewhere, but i have always been drawn to and would like this to offer brotherhood and good conversation with other auto enthusiasts instead of breeding and drawing hatred. will i be allowed to park this old rusty truck at an event or will i have to park in the lot with the mini vans and prius'?
Im trying to post pics but getting errors, ill try again in a bit
Thanks in advance for any ideas or feedback,
Jake
Engine thus far(built by googling). Feel free to curse or comment, however this was gotten mostly through trade, and on tight budget.
69-79 350-.30 over
summit forged pistons
Elgin 284 @ .48 cam
1.5 full roller rockers
Elgin Hyd Flat Tappets
Goodwrench 642 Iron Heads 74cc chamber/ 2.02 intake/1.64 Exhaust
Summit Crank
Comp Cams timing set
Edelbrock dual plane EPS Intake
Holley 600 Classic manual choke
Summit hi-flo water and oil pump
Summit Muscle series fuel pump
Comp Cams Stock Push Rods
Summit HEI distriburtor/8mm Napa Wires
TH350 Trans out of a chevy 3500 van
