The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre Do It Yourself (DITY) Gallery 1959 Chevy Apache 31 "Ernest"

There has been some discussion between the Bossman (John) and the Moderators on how to manage the Project Journals. John's intent was that the project Journals be more of a literary Blog and not "What I have done to my Truck", after all that is the intent of the General Truck Forum.

I am the first to admit that I'm not the most literary of individuals, I think I was in Auto Shop when I should have been in Mrs. Hofacker's English class (that's another story). I thought I needed to tell all of you how and why I decided to build my 59' Apache "Earnest". I suppose the best place to start over so to speak would be with My Dad and Grandpa, they are the true reason for this obsession that I have with Old rusty trucks. I use the term obsession because that is exactly what it is, there is no real medical or mental diagnoses to support my "Problem" but it is just that a problem.

As far back it my past as I can remember there was always a truck in the family, the make and model are ingrained in my memory like the names of my Kids. For me the first was my Dad's 57' Dodge D100, not that he was a Mopar man, it was just what he had. I was about 3 or 4 then, but I can still remember standing ( yes I know we all did that back then :D) on the seat between him and Mom as we went through town. I know that was years ago and I was really young but I still hear the sound of that DeSoto Hemi through those glasspacks. That is some how one of my best memory from around then.

Dad and Grandpa were traders, we never had any one truck or car for very long. Dad would leave for work in one truck and come home in another, it sort of became the norm around my house. Mom would just shake her head as Dad pulled into the yard with yet another project. The D100 was replaced with a 51' GMC 1/2 ton flat bed and that was replaced with a 63' F100 unibody. The list of vehicle went on and on as I watched Grandpa and Dad wrench on each one until it was sold and another took it's place. There were but a few that managed to stay longer, a 56" Chevy 3200 LWB was one of my favorites. The 56' was white with red interior, a camper shell with a front boot so us kids could lay on a bunk and lookout the windshield, a really Cool thing for a kid to do back then. The truck had a 283, 3 speed on the column and chrome reverse wheels with baby moon caps. To me this was the truck to have, Dad in fact did keep this one for several years, that may be why it was on my wish list when I found "Earnest". More on that later.