Cory Smith's

1959 Chevy Shortbed Stepside


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16 July 2007 Update
# 1454

From Cory :

          Since I last updated, I finally managed to get my 1959 Chevy Shortbed Stepside dressed up under the hood. I replaced the stock carb, intake and distributor with an Edelbrock Performer 600 cfm carb and Edelbrock Performer RPM intake -- just like on my 1970 Chevy 1/2-ton pickup truck.

         I then went on to add an MSD Streetfire distributor, Accel plug wires, and a new Edelbrock air cleaner and valve cover set. Also, I added a high performance water pump and painted all bracketry black, except for the new chrome alternator bracket. Also, new gauges were added. Not that it ran bad before, but the way this truck runs now really makes me wish I would have been able to do this in the beginning. But I guess better later than never, right?

          The only show I've been to this year was a small show in Franklin, Kansas. There were only about 40 cars total, and a prize was given for the best of each decade. I counted 15 cars in the 1950's (I was the only truck), and I won the "Best of the 50's" award. I also got a full page in the Classic Cruisers section of the March 2007 Classic Trucks magazine if you happen to subscribe to that.

          Keep up the good work on the website. I'll let you guys know when I get my seats done as planned.

Cory Smith
"Cornelius"
Bolter # 11006
Colony, Kansas

          Cory, congrats on the award and spotlight in the magazine! As hard as you've been working, sounds like you deserved it! ~~ Editor

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27 September 2006
# 1454

From Cory :

          Thanks to scholarship and student loan money, I was finally able to redo the bed floor on my '59 and get some miscellaneous chrome pieces as well. Everything was bought from Classic Parts of America (formerly Chevy Duty) out of Kansas City.

          The bed floor itself is oak with a classic oak stain and five coats of polyurethane. I opted for polished stainless steel bed strips and bolt kits, and a billet aluminum fuel door. The chains are polished stainless steel as well. I chose the smooth flush tailgate, also from Classic Parts of America.

          Other new pieces put on include: windshield wiper towers, wiper arms, wipers, door handles inside and out, window handles, vent window handles, dome light, and park lamp bezels.

          The only other future plans are to have the seats redone in vinyl or leather in a '55 Bel-Air style, and some work to dress it up under the hood (Edelbrock carb and intake, chrome everything, and an upgrade to a performance HEI distributor and ignition system from MSD).

          Keep up the good work with the web site.

Cory Smith
"Cornelius"
Bolter # 11006
Colony, Kansas


27 February 2006
# 1454

From Cory :

          Here are pictures of my 1959 Chevy Shortbed Stepside that I started when I was 15 and just finished two months before my 19th birthday. When my Dad and I went to haul it home, it had no suspension of any kind, so we had to practically dig it up with a backhoe and lift it up onto the trailer.

          It took about 3 1/2 years of on and off work by my Dad and I. From the drivetrain to the bodywork and paint, everything was done by us in our shop. The stance was achieved with a Plymouth Volare subframe and rearend. The drivetrain consists of a GM Crate 305 and a 700-R4 out of an '85 Caprice, along with home-made motor mounts and a transmission crossmember from Chevy Duty in Kansas City, MO.

          All of the body panels are original to the truck except for the front fenders and bed panels. Replacement panels are MAR-K products from Chevy Duty or LMC Truck in Lenexa, Kansas. The dash is all-original except for after-market gauges and tach mounted underneath, along with a tilt column and custom-built column-mounting bracket.

          The bucket seats are from a '92 Pontiac Grand Am. New carpet from LMC Truck was installed. The truck is also equipped with power steering and power brakes donated by the Volare. The wiring was all done from scratch, since the column and factory wire harnesses did not exactly match up (okay ... at all!!). Body mods include smoothed panel above windshield and Ford teardrop taillights mounted horizontally in the rear bed sill.

          We were still able to retain the stock look with stock pieces such as the driver's side mirror arm with 4-inch chrome mirror, and the stock interior rear-view mirror and bracket, along with an original Deluxe Heater and vacuum wipers. The wheels are 15 x 8 Chrome Smoothies with a full 8-inch reverse mount from American Racing Wheels wrapped with 235/75/R15 Michelin's. The paint is from PPG, in silver metallic and charcoal gray metallic.

          This truck is a daily driver, and I would appreciate it very much if you would include me in Readers' Rides. I plan on putting an original-type oak bed and smoothed tailgate on this summer.

          Next project: is my '70 half-ton I just bought. I'd much rather drive this classic than any foreign rice-burner any day!

Classic car/truck enthusiast for life.

Cory Smith
"Cornelius"
Bolter # 11006
Colony, Kansas


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