Steve VandenBerg's 1959 Apache Fleetside

06 November 2006
# 1711

From Steve:

         This is my 1959 Apache Fleetside when my brother Merle and I brought it home from Texas. It was a custom job that some fella ran out of money for.

         My Uncle Carl builds hotrods and restores cars in Texas. One of his customers had been paying him (a little at a time) to work on this 1959 Apache Fleetside. After a divorce and some medical issues, there the truck sat unfinished for a couple of years in the shop. He then asked Uncle Carl to sell it for him.

         When Uncle Carl told me about it, I decided to buy it. I had made plans to pick it up and a week or so before I was to leave for Texas, I was in a car accident and was laid up for a while. So the truck sat for another year before I could make the trip.

         My brother was excited to try out the Duramax and it performed great. I was excited to finally get my hands on it. It’s the first time it saw daylight for about 3-4 years.

         The truck has House of Color paint, new glass and trim and a new oak bed. It has a Camaro front frame clip. It has a new 350 and a 350 automatic with the Camaro rear end. I had to find room inside for this one.

Thanks,

Steve VandenBerg
"Builder"
Bolter #6449
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

     Steve's got a number of trucks in the Gallery : a 1965 Chevrolet Pickup Truck; a 1959 Chevrolet 3200 Apache Fleetside; a 1971 GMC 2500 LWB; a 1948 3600 LWB 3 Window; a 1951 Chevrolet 3100 LWB 5 Window; a 1952 Chevrolet 3100 SWB 5 Window Utility; a 1957 Chevrolet Suburban; a 1958 GMC 100 LWB Stepside Big Window; a 1958 Chevrolet 3200 Apache Fleetside a 1951 Chevrolet 1.5 T. Flatbed; a second 1959 Chevy Apache Fleetside 3200; a 1960 Chevy Apache Shortbox; and a 1947 Chevy LWB Stepside. As of Stovebolts were not enough, Steve has a saga about bringing his 1969 Corvette back from California; and a piece from Corvette Fever on finding a 1966 Corvette! ~~ Editor