The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk What does it take to make these trucks daily drivers?

Hello,
I'm looking into buying a Chevy truck between the years 1959 and 1966, and I'm wondering what kind of work would need to be done to make one a daily driver and what I should pay attention too when buying one of these trucks.
Thanks for any and all help!

Motor, brakes, suspension and drivetrain must be in better than "useable" condition. Creature comforts to suit you. Purchase as rust free as you can afford. If your going to use it as a true daily driver treat your inspection just as if you are looking for a good used truck. Remember owners WILL lie to you about condition so check it for yourself. If you don't already have them, get yourself a good set of hand tools. Welcome to the addiction.

As stated above this is an addiction, but the best kind. Welcome to it. There is a lot of very useful information in the Daily Driver section of the forum page. A lot of questions have been asked and answered there.

First get it stopping well and reliable, and running well.
Then drive it and keep on driving.
Don't put off doing any necessary repairs as you find them.

It doesn't have to be modified, fancy, or restored to be fun and reliable. Just believing that you can get in it and drive wherever you want, and doing it, might be the hardest part for most folks.

I drove my 52 Chevy around every day for a couple years and never left the county... Then one day headed west, several days later we were in California, had no troubles, and within the month back home, some 8,000 miles or so round trip. That trip was one of the best road trips I've ever been on, partly because of the old truck.

Grigg

The hard part about buying a truck this old is curbing your enthusiasm. It is easy to get all exited when you look at one that you can't see the trees for the forest. Typically a few rust holes here and there are just as difficult to fix as a whole lot of rust. So if you do not want to do a lot of body work, open your eyes and be picky before you pull the trigger. Brakes, steering, drive train will likely need to be gone over regardless of what the seller says (sometimes they don't know the true condition of the mechanical items).
Carl

If it is not broken then don't fix it.

So if nothing is wrong with the truck then gas her up and drive.

Now when does it take to make these trucks daily drivers?

What do you mean by that question?

Is this a question of do I have to drop in a small block, fuel injection, automatic 6 sp OD transmission, disc brakes?

No stock will work fine as a daily driver. Jeffrey

They were daily drivers when they were new, and for a few decades afterwards. Just do whatever it takes to make it go, stop, and handle as well as it did for a lot of years- - - -no need to re-invent the wheel! I'm always amused at the people who think they have to gut a stovebolt down to bare bones and start over so it can be driven on a routine basis. I distinctly remember 216's and 235's getting up and down the road every day when I was growing up, and people didn't have any problem at all heading from Nashville to Chicago, Detroit, Miami or San Francisco in one. No reason it can't happen now!

My grandparents owned a couple of 1934 Chevrolet tractor-trailer rigs that routinely hauled beer from Milwaukee and St. Louis to Nashville- - - -with vacuum-boosted mechanical brakes on the tractors, and NO brakes on the trailers, traveling on 2-lane roads. Some of them up through Kentucky were still gravel, or "tar and chip" paved.
Jerry

Hi Bluegill,firstly welcome.
Just to add to what Jerry and others have already said,driving an older vehicle on a daily basis isn't impossible,simply just adjust your driving style to suit.
Make sure what IS there is well maintained and adjusted correctly.

Anticipate traffic conditions and read the road ahead bearing in mind most other vehicles out there now have ABS braking systems that can stop on a dime with NO dramas,they also have air bags galore so in my opinion many 'modern car' drivers simply cocoon themselves in their dull,boring anonymous boxes relying on technology getting them out of trouble rather than learning and improving their driving skills.
So make allowances for THEM.

Given the age of trucks you're considering I don't see any reason why you couldn't use it daily.
There are many relatively cheap,easily fitted upgrades for braking systems available should you feel the need i.e disc brakes,dual circuit master cylinders with boosters etc,although decent 3 point seatbelts if they're not already installed wouldn't hurt.
I use my '50 daily and found out about seatbelts the hard way.
Taller gearing for the rear end is also available to allow you to keep pace with freeway traffic as well.

Make sure you have a bit of time up your sleeve when you refuel people can hold you up talking about your truck

Another consideration is your attitude.
If you understand mechanical troubles are possible and you're comfortable dealing with them then when or if something comes up you can remain calm, collected, and have some fun solving the problem.

Don't think of it as a breakdown, instead a problem solving opportunity to test your knowledge, skills, speed dial, and friends.

Stuff might happen, plan to have fun with that too. Realize one day you might not get where you want to go as quickly.

We have been asked this question many times and our first question is WHERE do you want to drive it daily? If secondary roads and short trips then bring it up to or near it's original condition and drive it. If going to commute on freeways then upgrade it with brakes, tires, and gearing. Rest assured the old truck can make the trip upgraded or not but with the texters, cell phone idiots, make up appliers, and whatever you can call many of the others sharing the road with you it's best if you can move at the same pace as the general traffic flow. Since your desired truck range extends through 1966 then you can find a factory stock 1966 with many amenities but still the old truck look. Pics of a 1966 we restored to as purchased new: 327 4bbl, auto trans, a/c, p/b, p/s, but it does have non factory 3 point seat belts. It can be driven anywhere, any distance, and in the left lane.

http://s32.photobucket.com/user/coilover/media/carshowGeralds018.jpg.html
http://s32.photobucket.com/user/coilover/media/carshowGeralds022.jpg.html
http://s32.photobucket.com/user/coilover/media/carshowGeralds025.jpg.html