The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Limits of my 58 original straight 6?

Am a newbie (lady) owner of a Canadian built 58 Fleetside with it's matching straight 6. I LOVE driving my 3 on the tree (and the puzzled looks I get when I tell younguns that's what I drive). It's first trip was home from auction 185 miles averaging 60-65 mph and she did fine. My question is related to highway travel/speed/distance. I am hesitant to take her too far on highway cruises with the speed limit here 70 mph. Should I be? I am more than willing to stay in the slow lane as people pass & stare - I just want to make sure I am not pushing this engine past it's limits.

Here's a link to a pic of my baby taken a by a randon stranger. https://www.flickr.com/photos/buglugs/6968595784/in/photostream/

A gorgeous hauler, KimD (the computer calls you a "New Guy" but we're all guys here). Does VIN plate state it is an Oshawa-assembled Fleetside? VIN plate s/b on driver's side hinge pillar. Reason I ask is because not many "upscale" pickups were sold in Canada back then. Just a few which makes yours even MORE special

To answer your specific question, your 235 c.i. six-banger shd have no problem maintaining 70 MPH (or 110 KPH as posted on Hwy 2)


sandra (jealous)

Hi Sandra,

Thanks for the confirmation! There are so many cool events I want to check out and want to make sure I am not going to blow her up ;-)

The VIN plate does indeed indicate it was assembled in Oshawa. The history on this truck (which was a complete fluke) makes it so much cooler. Was actually originally purchased in Calgary where I live and still has the chrome dealer badge from General Supplies Limited - now GSL Chev City.

Don't be afraid to run it, that ol' 235 will handle it just fine. About the only thing I can think of that'll make it even better would be to install an SM 319 overdrive transmission, either from the Truck or '55-'59 Passenger. Both are a direct bolt in, and will work with your existing shifter setup and driveshaft. I have one in mine ('55 2nd 3200), and run 70+ on the local highways here without any issues at all.

Hi Kim, welcome to the 'bolt.

Just want to say, that's one BEAUTIFUL truck!!
Something to be proud of! Enjoy it!

Marc.

Kim, even if you did drive in the slow lane and people passed and stared. They're not starring because you're driving slow, they're starring because you have a very nice looking truck.

Brian

Hy KimD, welcome, you have a beautiful truck there, you even have chief Pontiac on your hood to guide you on your journeys, enjoy your beauty. The suggestion of the overdrive transmission is an excellent one! Hope to see you and your truck out here on the wet coast sometime.

Remember the limits of drum brakes and brake fading. If you have to stop fast at 70 MPH and tromp the brakes hard and steady, they will heat and the braking will fade away to nothing. Notta. Zip.

This happened to me in Wyoming with a big buck deer standing in the middle of I-80 at night many years ago.

If you pump the brakes to lessen the heating, it will still take to a good distance to stop.

Some younger folks who have only had disk brakes haven't felt the pit in the stomach when the brakes go away.

Nice truck!

Wow thanks everyone! I have to say I really do love my truck too, I have almost as many pictures on my phone of her as my dogs....;-)

Bill the overdrive is a consideration for the future for sure. I often look for that extra gear that isn't there.

Wally, I slammed on the brakes coming off the freeway the day I brought her home - wasn't so bad as to be heart stopping but let's just say I am more aware of my stopping capabilities (or lack therof under the wrong circumstances).

Will be back on here once I start contemplating taking out my heater core to get it refurb. I'm no mechanic but not scared of tools & dirt & looking forward to learning.

Hi Kim,
Welcome! Your truck is beautiful! I hope you enjoy it for a long time.
Samantha

I don't know what rear ratio options were offered in Canadian trucks. If your truck has the 3.90 gears it should be fairly screaming at 65. Not that that would hurt it. But if it is not screaming you may have 3.38 gears in it. If that is the case, you don't want an overdrive.

Most pickups sold new in Alberta and Saskatchewan in the 50s & 60s were step-side, long box and geared for farm use, not modern highway driving

Its possible that someone "converted" yours to Fleetside box/trim so you want to be careful that you're not running the engine too hard

Cletis' caution is absolutely right, as usual!

Generally speaking, the 3.38 gear was used in Hydra Matic trucks, rather than manual transmission. The 4.10 was mostly used with the overdrive 3 speed option. There was a 3.70 Economy option in '59, if it has anything other than the standard 3.90, that would be it.

I think you might be right about the "conversion" Sandra. When I checked the VIN it's 83101... where I think if I recall right fleetside should be 3103. But the engine is " numbers matching" so added bonus in my book.

I'm not looking to drive her crosscountry but there are lots of events a couple of hours away I want to check out so good to know I don' t have to be paranoid. She does sound a bit screaming at 65 70 so that's what raised my concern originally.

The number part of the serial number, if the Canadian trucks are anything like the US built trucks, is merely the sequential production number, rather than an indication of the body style.
What you have is a 3134, the Stepside version would be a 3104, and a 3103 would be a Cab and Chassis.

Here's another possible hint about the bed; it has the stainless trim which I believe was only available in '59. If that's correct then either the bed or the trim have been transplanted. Doesn't matter though, almost anybody would love to have a fleetside with all the trim whether it's 58 or 59.

Kim;

Awesome truck. I love those fleetside beds.

I have a 58 Suburban that has the original 3.90 gears in it. When I bought the truck it had the original 3 speed trans. The tires were a tad on the small side, so I ran about 3000rpms at 55mph. When I got it up to 65-70 it was almost undrivable. The engine held up fine it was just "screaming" going down the road.

I installed a 3-speed overdrive transmission from a 67 step side pick up that I tracked down on Ebay. The later model overdrives have 7 bolts on the side plate and more importantly come with a synchro first gear. The earlier overdrives have 4 bolts on the side cover and don't have the synchro first gear. I went with slightly larger tires and can now run the same 55mph at around 2100rpms. It will run 65-70 comfortably without winding out too much. If you want to go the overdrive route, shoot me a privat message and I'll share some lessons learned with you.

First thing you need to do is determine what rear end you have. If you have a tach in the truck, see what RPM you run at 55mph. There are calculators that let you put in the tire size, rpm, speed etc. to determine the rear end ratio. If you have a 3.90 or 4.10 an overdrive is the way to go. If you have 3.38, an overdrive isn't the way to go. You won't have enough torque to make the overdrive useable accept on really flat roads with no headwind.

Thanks for the info Larry & sorry bout the late reply. I contemplated getting a Suburban - almost picked up a 62 in South Dakota that was already towing an Airstream.

No tach in there but when I get her back out of storage will check her out to figure out what I have & go from there. Hubby likes the idea of an OD but I don't want to unless I have to.

Another way to find the rear end ratio is to get the code number. It's stamped on the front of the differential center section on the right side.