Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Looks great.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Where did you find the gauges for this mod? Are they gauges all electric, meaning will they work with an LS setup?

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

The Bosch Temp gauge is electric and I got it off of Amazon. The Oil Pressure and Voltage was a 3 gauge set and I picked it up at my local KMS Tools. The Oil pressure gauge is manual.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Thanks, we have a KMS on the island here, they’re pretty good.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

You bet!

The 3 gauge set came with a temp gauge as well but it was the capillary tube type and I wanted electric. For oil pressure I don't mind the tube since it can be disconnected / shortened or replaced if ever needed.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Part number for the Temp gauge is Bosch SP0F000049

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Making progress..

- Primed and used boxliner from halfway up the back of the cab to 2/3rds up the inside of the firewall, also did the outside of the firewall behind the inner fenders. I will put down sound deadening and carpet or a rubber mat at some point in the future but I plan to run it as is for now. I also switched to the 4 speed style floor hump to give me the inch or so clearance I needed for my transmission.

- Installed 3 point seatbelts and a lap belt in the center

- I've always wanted a Moon Gas pedal. I adapted a new heel pivot pedal to work with a reproduction of the factory v8 linkage

- started laying out the wiring, will be a nice change of pace for a while

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Hey, nice progress.
Sometimes a change like that can get you all fired up again.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

You bet! Nice to finally be putting stuff back together instead of tearing it apart.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Looking really good. It's nice to start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. You are on the fun side of the project. Steve

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

I have a moon pedal like that and would like to use the stock V8 linkage as well. Can I get some pics and details to see how you did it?

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Thanks!

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Great project! To me, it's always cool when a certain vehicle just resonates with somebody. Even if their parents don't initially agree, haha. Great work on grabbing the truck that inspired your imagination and making it into a cool driver. And now you get to do round two with innumerable refinements. I confess that I am a fan of stock type stuff but I would imagine that the original running gear made it drive more or less like a troop transport. It will be cool to hear how the truck drives after all of these changes. Thanks for taking the time to post.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Thanks LT7A! It will be really interesting to see how the personality of the truck has changed. I drove it quite a bit the first time I got it on the road. Longest drive was a 450 mile round trip for the 100th anniversary of the town I grew up in. They had a parade with a vehicle representing each year as possible and I represented 1959. Top speed was 50 or so MPH and the 6 cylinder was singing at 3000 RPM with the stock 3 speed and stock rear end.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

I got an amazing surprise for my birthday! My brother gifted me a known good running 305 to kick-start my project. He got the engine, cleaned it up and painted it over the past months. He lives almost 5 hours away so it was quite the surprise when he called me out of the blue and dropped it off. It is complete carb to pan, including starter, distributor and alternator. I was absolutely blown away!

I still hope to rebuild my 327 some day but now I can get on the road sooner rather than later.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

That's awesome. Get it in there.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

That’s the plan. I’m just going to clean up the transmission and paint it first. The Engine looks so good I can’t in good conscience bolt it to a grimy transmission.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Thats bad ass, you have a good brother. Time to bust out the degreaser and pressure washer...You'll be cruising in no time!

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Got my transmission de-greased and painted this weekend. I modified my extra engine stand by making a support out of some scrap steel that bolts to the tailshaft mount.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

I finally got the 305 dropped in. I think I will have to switch over to a short water pump setup to clear my radiator. I have a clutch fan that I want to run that won't clear with the long water pump. Luckily I have a brand new short water pump that I bought for my 327. I painted the water pump, pulleys and brackets while I was waiting for my flexplate to arrive.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Gotta feel good to see it between the rails, eh?

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Absolutely.. it’s been a long road getting to this point.. can’t wait to hear it make some noise. Just need to plumb the fuel line, hook up the shift linkage and hook up a couple of wires.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Happy New Year!!

I hung the fenders and hooked up the wiring for the headlights and park lights/signals. I also moved the radiator up 1" to give me more clearance from the lower radiator outlet to the sway bar.

Just need a lower radiator hose and some v belts and it will be ready to fire up for the first time.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Got the gauges installed. If you remember from earlier in the thread, I swapped out the temp gauge and oil pressure gauges and converted the amp gauge to a volt gauge by using the guts from 2" gauges in the stock cluster. This is the first time I got to see it all lit up. I'm stoked by how it turned out. The green backlight from the reproduction Sunpro tach gives off a cool eerie glow across the dash.

Re: 59 Apache - Lifelong obsession
 

Nice job, looks good!