New to Forum Introduction of my '58

[tsmith8]

My 1958 Apache. Has a 327 with trip carb and a 5 speed Tremac Transmission.

[58CameoAZ]

Welcome, Very Nice!!!
58 Cameo & 59 Stepside here.

Allen

[Highsider]

Looks like fun!
Welcome.

[Oldtruckwelder]

Welcome !! Very nice truck
JT from SC

[Task Force Era]

Welcome man! Good looking '58

[Kim57]

Welcome.
Three twos is very cool.
Kim

[_Ogre]

and front disc brakes, nice update
welcome from an ogre

[Hampshire]

Definitely my kind of ride: trips, Tremec 5, disc brakes...way to go!

[tsmith8]

Well today was suppose to be the day. The day I pulled the '58 out of the garage and took it down to the shop for the safety. I have done quite a bit of work to it over the winter and when we went to start it today, nothing. So i charged the battery, nothing. Swapped the battery and boosted it off of my truck and it was purring like a kitten. The second we disconnected the cables, it quit. Looks like i need to have the generator rebuilt.

SO CLOSE.

Disappointed, Yes.
Enjoy turning the wrenches on it, Absolutely.

[gwsut]

SSSWWWEEEEEEETTTT!!!!! Gary

[my56chevytruck]

cooooool ride, and trip's, very nice. like seeing a owner on the edge. good going.

[Daze57]

good lookin project !!!!! welcome aboard from Sin City

[dsraven]

if it still has a generator in it, and not an alternator, maybe now is a good time to upgrade. especially if you plan on power accesories.
nice looking truck, it looks pretty rust free too, lucky dog!

[LordDevlin]

Hey you're pretty close. Ottawa here. 59 fleetside and my dad has 56 gmc short step big window, 59 chevy short step big window original 283, and 59 gmc long step original 336 and hydramatic with factory power steering and brakes and big window. Maybe we will see you out at a show this summer

[dsraven]

Maybe, I usually go west though. Mine is a 57 gmc that I am converting to a big back window and then adding some sheet metal to make an extended cab. The plan now is to place it all on top of a gmc envoy. Bigger abs brakes, awd, inline 6 with auto od and all the creature comforts. My original frame is all boxed and a mustangII installed with 4 link in the rear,then I changed my mind. I got a wreck from insurance for a donor.havent had much time to work on it lately, like the last 7 yrs, haha. 20 mins at a time......

[59chev]

Welcome, Great looking truck. Would love to hear more about the 327. I found a 327 to put in mine to replace the 261 - Inline 6.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Nice truck. I really like the triple carbs too. Much of an issue to keep them coordinated?

To me, THIS truck has actual nice "patina". Not one of the rust buckets people call patina. It looks like it's been cared about, cared for, and updated over the 60 years it's been on the road. A truck I'd be very proud to drive, congrats!

[OrrieG]

Welcome nice. Running 3x2 is usually pretty good since most have progressive linkage where you are running off the center carb most of the time.

[tsmith8]

Hey Guys, thanks for all the positive comments.

Question - I got a new battery and rebuilt generator today and installed them both. Truck fired right up. When i disconnected the negative cable the truck quit.

Anyone have any thoughts. As soon as my wife gets home i will go out and try and figure it out. I noticed that voltage regulator is making contact with the booster. Not sure if that is causing an issue.

Anyone know where i should look first??

I am suppose to take this in for safety tomorrow. I have a ten day permit i picked up today.

[tmoble]

don't disconnect the cables with the engine running. It will fry your regulator. Why would you do that anyway? just check the battery voltage with the engine off and again with the engine running. should be 12.8 or so with engine off. Should go up to 13.8 to 14.2 with engine running and battery fully charged.

[_Ogre]

did you excite the generator? should be done any time you disconnect the battery
it has an ammeter, was it reading a charge?

[tsmith8]

Well I almost had a disaster. Got the truck on the road drove it around a few times and parked it at the ball field for a couple hours. When i drove it home i put it in the garage and after about 45 minutes i went back to the garage and could smell something hot. for some unknown reason the generator was heating up while parked and shut off in the garage. By the time i realized what was going on and grabbed a wrench to disconnected the battery the generator studs were glowing red. I was minutes away from a serious fire in the attached garage.

That was a freshly rebuilt generator with a brand new voltage regulator.

I'm going alternator now.

[Kim57]

Glad you caught that in time.
Kim

[_Ogre]

I'm going alternator now.

when you do, put a fusible link in any wire coming off a battery except the starter
old trucks didn't have them oem until 60
would have saved your truck from a fire

[tsmith8]

Well i managed to get an alternator installed and working. Truck is running like a top again. I have an appraisal scheduled for Sunday and then i should have it plated by late next week.

Can't wait.