Quote:
Originally Posted by wdfifteen
I like everything about the 58 Chevy except the wheels. Whoever did it did it right - started with the weak points, brakes and suspension. Too many people start with more power and hope it stops and turns. I'm a fan of hot-rodded inlines.
The 58 was indeed controversial. Thrifty buyers balked at paying for all that fancy stuff. Who needs four headlights on a truck? GMC offered a version of the same truck to fleet buyers with only two headlights and a cheaper grille. I don't know if Chevy offered it or not.
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One of the reasons I really like the Chev Apache because it came from a time of big fins and automotive art. Cars of that time were extreme in their styling, and sort of a factory restomod style in it's day I suppose. They were art cars.
I bought this one for $7k as you see it sitting on the trailer.
Some would say that is a lot of money but I look at it that what I paid for a solid Arizona truck would not have bought much of my time welding.
Others would say it was a steal.
I saw it as a starting point.
Next I bought a corvette for its suspension. That was job one.
As much as I used to enjoy driving a truck like this in high school, these days I no longer crave the simple pelasure of being challenged to stay in my lane.
Next was engine. I almost swapped in the Vette engine but just couldn't bring myself to take something that is becoming unique and turn it into something typical, so hot rod the 6 instead. I think a big inline 6 with dual exhaust sounds fantastic ( and I love the stomp to start and three in the tree for a touch of nostalgia driving. The average person can't even figure out how to turn the engine over, and I like the ceremony involved.)
The wheels? Who cares. The previous owner was going for a goth motif but fortunately hadn't gotten any further than the wheels and shift knob. There are lots of wheels that fit the vette hubs, I'll probably go 17" instead of the 22s, but who knows what direction at this point. We'll see. Definitely not skinny farm tires. Meanwhile, the existing rims, love them or hate them sure draw interest in the truck, and as many people love them as hate them. In fact more women and children love them than anyone, and dogs like to ride shotgun. It doesn't get any better than that
