1959 Apache Manual

1959 Chevrolet 3100 Apache Additional Info:

This 1959 Chevrolet Apache is a truck that needs no excuses. It looks great, it packs a fresh 283 cubic inch V8, and it's still practical enough to actually use as a truck. If you want a do-everything hobby vehicle, you could certainly do worse than this black stepside. Today, honest vintage pickup trucks that are still ready, willing and able to go to work are getting harder to find all the time. Fortunately, this one is ready to rock and that's all original steel that has never required major surgery, and the black paint shows it off to great effect. Instead, it has been properly maintained and lightly used for the past 53 years, and presents in solid condition today. The doors open and close solidly, the hood fits well, and the whole truck looks eager to get back to work. In the bed, you'll find a proper-looking bed that's finished in basic black, not polished like a dance floor, so you won't be afraid to use it. There's also a good bit of chrome on the top-of-the-line Apache, including the ornate grille, big bumpers, and those cool emblems on the front fenders, all of which are in good condition overall, although the rear bumper is showing its age. <BR The interior has been very nicely finished, and shows you just how basic these machines were when they were new. Forget luxury, these were little more than tools and nobody in 1958 was buying a pickup truck without needing to haul something. The seat features a new tan cloth cover, there's a correct rubber floor mat on the floor, and the door panels are finished to match the seat. The dash features a single stylish triangular pod for the speedometer, along with four smaller auxiliary gauges that are built right in, and there's an auxiliary gauge under the dash. You'll also note that it has the original "three-on-the-tree" 3-speed manual transmission, something familiar to more than a few of us who learned to drive out in the country. The big steering wheel makes it easy to wheel the truck around and it's surprisingly nimble given its utilitarian roots. The only notable upgrade is a new AM/FM stereo system that has been nicely integrated into the original dashboard. Pop that big hood and you'll be pleasantly surprised to find a 283 cubic inch V8, which was on the menu in 1958. Nicely detailed with Chevrolet Orange paint along with Chevrolet script valve covers and a chrome air cleaner, it looks right at home in the big engine bay. It uses an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor to help build power, but the overall look is very much in tune with the period. Underneath, it's exceptionally clean, from the frame to the suspension. A fresh dual exhaust system gives it a little bit of a growl, and there are no signs that this was ever a rusty truck. Manual drum brakes do their job properly and live inside a set of newer Rally wheels with fat 15-inch BFGoodrich T/A radials. Clean, honest trucks like this are getting hard to find, but they're worth the search. Imagine driving it to work on nice days, then hitting Home Depot or the local garden center on the weekends. Just because it's old and cool doesn't mean it can't earn its keep. This Apache is a solid, reliable, well-maintained truck that's ready for another 58 years of work.