New to the site

[apache58235]

Hi everyone, I am new to the site. I am from Tennessee and have had an interest in cars ever since I was a kid. I remember going to car shows with my father and grandfather, always wishing I owned one of the cars or trucks that we saw. I have had a few vehicles, but nothing I would call noteworthy or overly spectacular - due to financial reasons, the type of vehicle that it was or priorities. Some of my former vehicles include:

1991 Camaro RS - Boring
1992 Camaro RS - Boring
1998 Chevy S-10 - lowered static drop, sport truck - had a lot of fun with this truck even though it wasn't heavily modded
2005 "Pontiac" GTO - 6.0 liter, as nimble as a morbidly obese bull in the corners
1964 F100 - Restomod, built 360 FE big block, street cam, various other engine mods - never really had that excitement when I looked at this truck so it was eventually sold. Strong as an ox, blew through 3 ford 9" rear ends within a month and a half, but again, she wasn't "the one".

After leaving the military and always thinking about what project I would pursue after getting some stability in my life (military life doesn't really afford the luxury of stable living, therefore it is difficult to set up a nice shop and pursue a build of any sort).

The top 3 vehicles on my want list began to take shape. Not in any order of precedence, they each have their own merits in my opinion:

1. 1939 International Harvester KB1 pickup
2. 1949 (or similar) Chevrolet pickup
3. 1955-1959 Chevrolet pickup (55-56 preferred)
4. 1955-1956 Chevy Bel Air (prefer the rounded fins over the sharp lines of the '57)

Which brings me to the present... I was recently glancing through the for sale ads on Facebook marketplace and was hit out of the blue by a 1958 Chevrolet Apache pickup for sale. While it isn't a Cameo, I actually prefer that its a regular 3100 1/2 ton with nothing special going on. The truck appears to be approximately 90% original and intact, with no dents to repair and only a cab corner that needs replaced. How this truck has survived since 1958 in the condition that it is in, is beyond me. Luckily, the truck is bare sheetmetal, eliminating the possibility that it is loaded with body filler. This truck had been sitting disassembled for some time, prepped and awaiting paint, but was not in primer so a good deal of surface rust has accumulated on the body panels. I intend on having the entire truck media blasted and in primer until the final finish is decided.

As of now, I am trying to decide how I would like to build this truck. I have thought about keeping it original, since it is nearly 90% original (motor, transmission, and its 100% untouched and unmodified). Unfortunately, having owned and driven a straight front axle vehicle with drum brakes all-around, I would prefer to go full disk brakes with modern suspension. I tossed around the idea of doing a lowered axle, but it still doesn't speak to me. Currently, I am leaning towards something that will stick in a long sweeping corner and push you back into the seat when you roll into the accelerator coming out of a turn. I would get more enjoyment out of this than owning a trailer queen. Its a vehicle, it needs to be driven and enjoyed.

So, here I am, looking for information on how to best start this project. I plan to pull the body and start working on the frame as soon as I finish cleaning my garage. I would appreciate any suggestions and recommendations for a solid suspension setup and maybe I can post a build log as I go (lofty goals, I know).



Thanks everyone!

[andrewb70]

Welcome!

Andrew