Funky Fleetside: 1959 Chevrolet 3100 Apache
Any production company worth a plug nickle could turn this one truck into a legendary tv reality series. It looks like it has literally jumped right out of the screen in southern California or Texas or wherever any other (fake) reality car shows are based. This faux soul 1959 Chevrolet 3100 Apache Fleetside is listed on eBay with bids just topping $3,000 but the reserve isn’t met. It’s located in Music City – Nashville, Tennessee.
This is one busy, cool, possibly somewhat contrived, maybe real “patina” job. Maybe I’m wrong and maybe it’s original and just faded, that would be fantastic. Either way it is about the most eye-catching Apache pickup that I have ever seen. I love the look myself. Heavy patina/faded-paint is like politics in America: it’s a pretty even 50/50 split and neither side can see the other side’s view and they don’t even want to listen to a discussion about it. It’s just plain wrong, or just plain right.
Ok, here’s where the rubber hits the road. Speaking of that, it’s amazing what a nice, new set of skins and restored wheels will do for an old vehicle. I’m betting that this truck wouldn’t look quite as appealing with an old, rusty set of wheels on it. 1958 was Chevy’s first year for the Fleetside bed on the Task Force line of pickups. They sure were (here we go again) elegant compared to the stepside trucks. In case you were wondering what the inside of that Fleetside bed looked like, here ya go.
I love the barefoot gas pedal, I haven’t seen one of those in years. And, is that an STP sticker? Check. A lot of boxes were checked on this one during its creation, whenever that was. The seller says that it’s a “Former motorcycle club shop truck.” You can see that every square inch of this truck will have to be worked and reworked and then reworked yet again. Or not, just clear coat it, drop an SBC in it, and go. Hey, remember we have a three-day deadline on the reality show.
This is, or was, or maybe still partially is a 283 cubic-inch V8 which would have had around 185 hp and it ain’t got nothin’ now, as they say. This is where the phrase “Drop a Prius engine in it” originated.. er.. hey, wait a minute.. (crickets) I’m generally kidding here, of course, this is a cool truck and there is no doubt that it’ll be on the road again someday. The seller has some super cool vehicles for sale and this Apache will be a gem again I hope, they sure are nice when they’re nice!
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Comments
It’s funny how varied the price is for trucks with signage. Last year a friend had trouble selling a 68 Ford F100 long bed that served as a shop truck for 40+ years it still had its original hand painted signage and custom pin stripping. It still looked good, ran, but not well, and had a set of slot mags. It took him months to sell, when it eventually sold only went for $1,000.
Steve R
The body could use some work, but I’m always happy to see nice wheels and especially white—really white, really wide—sidewalls because they remind me of my youth.
Well, at least they’re a start.
Clean it up, put a decent coat of original two-tone paint, sort out the engine and interior and you’d have one very sharp truck.
At least there are no RED heater hoses👍👍
Needs a luggage rack.
Hey, I like red heater hoses….
YOU’RE the guy.. (kidding)
Yeah, what’s wrong with red heater hoses?
First purchase should be a tetanus booster shot
This is one of the nicest trucks Chevy ever came out with. Of course the Eyebrow hoods that came out the next year also appealed to me. I would be tempted to take one of these on before I took on a Cameo. I might add that this would be more realistic. I’m curious if the rest of the engine is included with the truck? One of these with the stock 283 would take it anywhere I wanted to go. I’d restore it to driver quality and use it. I might add that a set of radials will dampen out those rather stiff leaf springs….
I agree, nice truck. And a realistic starting point too. Be an “ambitious” restoration, for sure, the fresh wheels give the appearance that it’s not too bad,( very clever) but it’s going to need everything.( I hate when people know the hood hinge is stiff, but close the hood anyway bending the hinge) I’d like to remain optimistic that it would be restored to original, but the reality is, people like us are fading, and it will most assuredly become a bagged low rider with those corny wheels,( all rim and no tire, and blow out on the 1st pothole) and some ” Binford LS 9000″ motor and I guess that’s ok.
Great write up Scotty…….if someone did this to the truck intentionally( faux ‘patina’) they should be shot. If its a result of neglect, they should be shot. There I bridged the divide both political and automotive!
Ha, you’re nothing if not fair, Mountainwoodie!
Thanks for the nice comment, sir.
I agree with beatnik beduoin. Fix the
bodywork, paint it Tropical Turquoise
with a white top, sort the mevhanicals,
and then enjoy the fruits of my labor
using it to do whatever I use a truck
for–work.
As a prior poster said, I’d clear coat the exterior, rust and all. Put in a 327 with a four barrel, buy a muncie off of e bay, and put a 3:70 posi rear end in it and just drive it. Leave the interior pretty much as is, clean it up and put some old SW guages under the dash.
Where I come from (Texas) people just LOVE old trucks. If you take this to the Home Depot you will have a crowd around it when you leave the store… all of them telling you about the one they, or their dad had just like this.
just checked, it is already gone. Darn the bad luck!
The dual headlights on these trucks from the later fifties look so awkward I bet the stylists hated having to stick those on a body designed for single lamps. I think if I found a nice 58 I might have to find a set of 57 fenders and fix it.
I think both the two and four headlight examples are great designs. It’s kind of nice to see a change in a body that ran for 5 years. When done properly oh, these are beautiful trucks and you can’t stop anywhere without having people asking about it.