The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre 1959 Chevy Apache 3800 Dump truck -- Youngster from NY

Hello everyone, Just joined here. I'm 21yrs old and been into wrenching on things ever since I could pick up a tool.

Well my Father got this truck off the original owner and he did little to it. Now I'm buying it off from him.

It's a 1959 Chevy Apache 3800 dump It was bought new and used for working with top soiling. The owner became ill and passed. I like old cars / trucks but I like this more as you don't see much of these anymore.

The condition of the truck isn't to bad for a northern truck.

The Apache has original 60k miles. It has the hydo flat that still works. haha It has the 6cyl engine that does run but needs work and the clutch needs to be replaced but did move around.

Where is the right place to start a build thread? Also, I'veseen some others from NY. Anyone way up north? lol

Pics Soon.

Welcome Mike, good to see young people such as yourself get interested in these old trucks. The first truck I ever drove at the farm I worked at was an Apache as you describe. I hauled fence posts with it, but I was supposed to use the wheelbarrow as I was about 13.

Speaking of "way up north", my son was in St Jean sur Richelieu in boot camp, that's north of you.

Good luck with changing out that clutch, not too difficult, actually.

Leo

I like classic cars/trucks but you don't see many people, well around here at least, fixing them up. And I haven't decided yet if I'm going to keep the 6cyl in it or switch to a small block.



Heres some pics of it when my father had it. He decided one day to spray can some of it as it was just used as a woods truck.

Edit August 2023 by Peggy M: The image links he provided were dead. No others were found. He had four posts. Maybe he'll check back in at some point.

gearheadmike,
Nice to see another young person interested in an old truck.
Where to start? Good question. What I would say is, step back and just spend a little time making a list about what "You" find that is wrong with this truck and what you want it to be. Only then can you start to figure out what you want to restore first. It all takes time and a little bit of moola one step at a time. So you basically have to break it down in steps that you can handle. These old trucks are well built. Mostly steel with hardly any plastic parts and will last a very long time only if someone comes along to put some care into them. Just the quality of steel in them is unbelieveable in todays standards. You've got an American treasure. Just be patient and take it one step at a time.
Good luck!

Mike, thanks for sharing the pics. Looks like you got yourself a nice truck. Looks to be in pretty darn good shape. Let us know how we can help.

thanks but ive been trying to buy it off my father and he dont seem like he wants to sell it to me :/

Sometimes, people don't sell because they intend to fix it up some day. "Some day" gets put off again and again until they finally realize they don't have enough ambition to see the project through. Maybe, give your father a plan of what you intend to do and you can work on it together. You will both see results and both enjoy driving it. It doesn't really matter who owns it, someday it will be yours.

Wow You are way up north! I check it out and you might as well be in a different state! I'm down by Lake Ontario near Rochester. Good luck with your dad's truck!