1958 Chevrolet Apache 32

Owned by Tony Kimmell "BigChevy80" Bolter # 18731 Bloomington, Illinois

From Tony :

        Hello! I would like to submit my truck to the Gallery. I have a 1958 Chevrolet Apache 32. You can see my pictures on my Verizon web site.

        I have been tinkering with all things mechanical and electrical since I was old enough to turn a wrench. I'm now 25 and in the short 9.5 years I've had a driver's license, I've managed to own well over 100 vehicles. Buy, sell, trade, barter ... nothing is out of the question.

        After "flipping" so many different vehicles, I've been wanting to find that ONE project that I could settle down with and truly pour some serious time and effort into. I think I've found that in my 1958 Chevy Apache 32 that I recently found on eBay. The minute I saw her I knew I had to have her.

        Needless to say my wife was less than thrilled when she found out what I bought (isn't she always). In fact, it caused one of the biggest fights in our five years of marriage. Once I sweet talked her through the whole idea of me just keeping this one project instead of having three or four short term projects at once, she seemed to like the idea a little better. I can't count the number of times I've pulled up in the driveway with my latest clunker only to see "that look" on her face, as if to say, "Just why on Earth would any normal person with a brain want to buy THAT??" I've tried telling her many times that I have never been accused of being normal nor having a brain!

        All spousal bickering aside, the '58 now rests in my garage in Central Illinois waiting to be loved.

        I found her in South Bend Indiana, where she had been sitting idle in an insulated garage for the last 14 years. She was an Arkansas truck before that. The man who I bought her from claims she was driven up to Indiana from Arkansas when she was parked back in 1994. Judging by the condition she's in, I can easily believe that. No rust through in the wheel wells or floorboards. In fact the only bad rust in the whole truck is in the passenger side cab corner!

        The 14 year old gasoline didn't fare quite as well, but it looks like a good fuel tank and carb cleaning should be all she needs to be running again.

        This should be a pretty straightforward restoration, but I still have a LOT to learn about these old Stovebolts. Prior to this truck, the oldest vehicle I have ever messed with was a '68.

        Check back for updates!

-- Tony

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