The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Got aquainted with a '58 Viking today!

I got to drive a 1958 Chevrolet Viking Today. I am not sure what "ton" size it is. It has a split (hi-lo) air rear end, with a four speed tranny. The motor is a transplanted 350 from a 72 pickup. All kinds of knobs and switches. I was never sure what you guys saw in those big dang trucks, but I was wrong. That thing is a riot to drive, what fun! I got to drive around town and do some errands and then take a load of junk out to the dump, which is a 15 mile or so trip one way on the highway. Get this, it has a PTO powered dump bed! So, I had to share this with someone and who better than a bunch of guys who love these old trucks. I think that if I ever run into a chance to own one of these I will pounce on it. Fun fun fun.

Kyle

Kyle

Well Kyle, sounds like you've been infected. Be careful as you are now a carrier, and will try to infect others with big bolts! Seriously they sure are fun. I know we will be the first to know when you do get something large.

If I'm not careful I'm gonna up and buy one of these things just because they are cool. Once I get on my feet at the new house I might have to fill the garage with an old Viking!

Kyle

Way to go, Kyle! You're starting to see the light! Anyone can have a pickup!!
Seriously, though, they are a lot of fun, and I hope you find one.

Kyle, I know the feeling first hand, I bought mine cheap at an auction. The biggest reasons that I bought mine, is that it ran, had a working dump bed, and was real cheap.
I was extremely lucky, as I didn't know it at the time I was bidding, but mine needed little to no work, and I was able to drive it home,(67 miles one way). It is not the best looking vehicle, but so far, my '59 has been extremely helpful with my projects around the house. But most of all, it is very dependable, and (like you said) a lot of fun to drive.

John

kyle i was junking saturaday and the fellow has 2 58-59? viking with dump beds and what i belive is a 60-66 lcf with a GREAT big diesel sitting in the engine bay. the hood and fenders are gone but the rest is there.it was a semi at one point the hitch plate(fifth wheel) is still there. I'm like you if one comes my i gonna get in big trouble
tom

From one '58 Viking owner to a potential 'nother:

Welcome to the Big league.

Yup!!! These BIG trucks ARE fun!!! You can see I have fun with mine...I'm on this months Stovebolt cover.

Mike B

Real trucks have 2 speed Rear Ends!

The Big Bolts are great. I'm now on Big Bolt #4, a running and driving '48 6400 that I picked up, along with a 4400 parts truck about a month ago. And...just today I went to check on a COE, a '53 I think. It has the one piece door glass and push button door handles...Twin cylinder hoist, two speed rear end and air over hydraulic brakes, and very straight. The owner parked it after some ignition wiring burned up under the dash. It even still has the load of wheat, or whats left of it, still in the bed. It's sitting in the shed exactly how it was when it stopped running. It's on 12 volt so I used the battery out of my pickup to make sure the engine wasn't locked up. It turned right over....YAHOOO!!....time to start dealing...owner says he wants $800. I hope to have it home by next week end. I will post some picks of all three trucks as soon as I can.

Rezman

Hey rez, is the '53 COE, a Chevy, or GMC. One piece door glass, with push button door hanldes?. Now that's interesting. You didn't see many with air over hydraulic brakes. If a Chevy, this would have been a aftermarket accessory. Can't wait to see the pictures.

Hi Spanky...It's a Chevy. The brakes have the traditional pedal that looks loke an accelerator pedal, and an air tank mounted inside the right hand frame rail, that look to be plummed to a hydrovac type unit. There are no brake pods mounted on the rear axle.

Another interesting thing is that the top two grill bars are chrome, and the rest are painted. Never seen one like that before. Seems odd that someone would go to all the trouble of piecing one together like that. Especially an old farm truck.

Rezman

Hey rezman I sure would like more info about that air over hydraulic brake system. Just wondering if it would be a feasable upgrade to hydovac brakes.

Hey Hevy...I'm going to try to get it home this week or by next weekend. When I do Igive you a more detailed description of the set up. Since it will not start, one concern I had was if the brakes would be locked, but since it's not straight air brakes that souldn't be an issue. The rearend looks to be a coventional set up like normal 2 ton. The truck is a 5100 series, so whatever that translates to. I never did get a look at the ID tag.

I said earlier that the truck has been converted to 12 volt. I'm actually not sure of that and the owners son could not confirm this either. I only assumed this because it already has a 12 volt battery mounted up to it. The battery is mounted on a tray outside the right frame rail behind the cab. I pulled it off and used my pickup battery to turn it over. I never did remove the floor pan to inspect the engine to even see if it had an alternator or not.

My question: As I mentioned earlier, the owner said it was running good untill some wiring under the dash burned up, then it wouldn't start. Since it will turn over using the floor starter button, but will not get ignition, what would be the best way to temporarily jumper wire the ingnition, or hotwire it if you will, to get it to kick off?. It's only a mile and a half from my house, so instead of having to tow it, I'd like to just drive it if I can. Maybe I can just trace and replace the burnt wires and see what happens. Hopefully it's just a matter of the mice chewing on them. They can sure play havoc can't they?

Rezman

to hot wire it just have two lengths or wire with alligator clips on each end for the one it just to needs to be like a foot clip it on negative side of coil and clip it to the block (just so you know for sure you have ground) and the other one be long enough to reach from the battery to the positive side of the coil dump some go go juice down the carb and give er a crank chances are if it still has the grain in the bed i'd be ya he left the gas in there to so any money says its all varnished up if its been sitting for a long period of time and it when it comes time to shut it off just pull the positive alligator clip off the battery
Nate

Thanks OldIron! I will definantly use your advice. Had a minor set back in $$$ yesterday but I hope to bring it home very soon. Might have to wait another week or two....WHAAAAAAH!

Rezman

I believe that negative wire your adding from the coil to the block would bypass the points in the distributor, thereby not allowing the coil field to collapse to generate repeated spark. Otherwise your advice to hook a hot wire direct to coil+ is sound.

Possible that someone who didn't know better tossed a 12V battery in and "burnt up all the wires under the dash" as you mentioned. Sometimes the way we find them, is not the way they're supposed to be.

You'll do no harm cranking the starter over with 12V, but check the coil for 6V or 12V markings. I'm not the one to ask about which year they changed. (I had a '53 car that was 6V, my '58 truck is 12V.) If 6V, you'll need to swap in a 12V coil to get'er home.

Wishing you well,

John

Hey Razman found all that I needed to know about that air over hyd. brake system. I was hoping that it was air at the peddle so I would be able to plubm it for an air brake trailer. Thanks anyway
Grant

Hey Hevy, Sorry I'm just now responding. Haven't got to bring the COE home yet. Had a set back in $$$ with the wife and some medical issues. It's still there waiting for me. Hope to be bringing it home very soon, but Mama comes first you know. It's a nice truck but I'd hate to have to live in it. But on second thought........

As far as the brakes go, all I can tell you is that there is air at the pedal but is converted to hydro underneath. There are no brake pods on the axle. Haven't got to get a deeper look yet but when I do I'll let you know what the set up is.

JohnMelon, My thoughts exactly when you say that they probably put the 12v battery on it without thinking about anything else and just burned up the wiring that way. I hope it's that simple. It's only a mile and a half from my house so I was hoping to drive it, but I think I'll just tow it so I can get it here where all the tools are. I'll let you know....and thank you guys very much!....this is a great place.

Rezman