1959

Our Feature Truck this month is a 1959 Chevrolet ½ ton pickup with an extended bed. It was one of those that was bought much beyond its running condition! The person that kept it from a questionable future is Donnie Gideon in Surprise, Arizona: An Air Force Military, retired. His father said, “Don’t buy something like that. It is too...

 Let's Really Talk Trucks!Our Feature Truck of the Month series often shows the more unusual GM trucks. Most are rarely seen at special interest car and truck shows. This month is no exception! This ground up restored 2 ½ ton 1959 Chevrolet Spartan 100 is one of the very few (if any) in existence fully restored. It even goes further...

What a Deal! When the term “Only One in the World” is used in the automotive world, this special 1959 Chevrolet ½ ton Fleetside short bed should be near the top of the list. There is none like this one! The owner and creator is Sam Caudle of Independence, Missouri. Using GM as the original designer, Sam became a subcontractor...

What a unique invention. When you have a 1947 through 1959 single rear wheel 3/4 or 1 ton GM truck and need more pulling power, this is the answer. American ingenuity at its best! This new steel center hub extension includes eight long bolts to reach the original wheel studs. This holds the factory wheel in place and then provides...

The rear license plate bracket for the 1956-1959 panel truck-very rare! For the first time, this body style did not incorporate the tail light into the license light. When GM designed the body to have two tail lights on the corners, it was necessary to design a license plate light that remained independent on the door position. This small bracket...

On the task force body style, 1955-1959, the GMC hoods began quite different than Chevrolet. Beginning in 1955 a large opening, 5.25" x 25", was used to hold a set of die cast GMC letters attached to a decorative grille. In 1957 this grille was removed in place of a perimeter ring. Why the less attractive ring was added is...

This drawing is from the 1955-1959 Chevrolet Factory Assembly Manual. We have added our part number ( FL137 ) with an arrow to show the new floor shift foam collar that is now available at Jim Carter's Truck Parts. Click to enlarge

  By 1958 the Chevrolet V-8 fan shroud (not GMC) changed to the more traditional round design. During the V-8 beginning years in 1955-1957, it was little more than four pieces of custom sheet metal that helped pull air through the radiator core. The enclosed pictures are of an original fan shroud for a 1958-59 Chevrolet 283 V-8. It fits...

  Two totally different 12 volt starters were used on the 235 six cylinder Chevrolet light trucks during 1955-1959. They attach to different bellhousings and are not interchangeable. Hydromatic 3 Bolt Starter As shown in the photos, the Hydramatic transmission starter has three bolt holes for securing it to the bellhousing. A solenoid on top reacts to the drivers key...

  Chevrolet's linkage-type power steering is available as an RPO (Regular Production Option) on all models except Forward Control Chassis. New ease and fingertip steering control are provided because up to 80 percent of the steering work is done by hydraulic power. Maneuvering a heavily loaded truck in a small space becomes much easier, and straightaway highway travel is less...

  We often get requests for a formula to make the Advance Design pickups more freeway friendly. Their original ring and pinion gears were created to make the truck's six cylinder work well with a load and also keep up with the 1950's traffic on gravel roads and two lane paved highways. Though a higher speed reproduction ring and pinion...

From 1934 to 1959 GM 1/2 tons came from the factory with a tie rod assembly that extended side to side to almost touch the front wheels. With everything stock, the tie rod sits about 3/4 inch from the inside of both original six hole wheels and all fits just right. A problem exists when someone attempts to add a...

  For those not requiring the original seat cushions on their 1955-59 Task Force truck, a roomy comfortable substitute is available. This unit is from a 1988 body style Chevrolet or GMC truck and is almost a bolt-in. The legs or side brackets on this newer seat comes attached to the cushions from a used truck and sets nicely by the...

It is sometimes asked by restorers, 'What is the correct fabric for a 1959 Chevrolet with a custom cab?' Answer: The same cloth material was used on the top of the line seats and door panels throughout. The following pictures show this interior material on a 1959 door panel in a 1959 Chevrolet custom cab with 12,000 original miles...

  The bed side trim moldings were used on the second year Fleetside Chevrolet deluxe pickups for just one year, 1959. General Motors waited one year after the Fleetside introduction to give their dealers time to sell all their 1958 Cameos (The end of this model) so there was not two deluxe designs available at one time. The bed moldings...

With the new Fleetside bed design in 1958 the Chevrolets placed a chrome emblem on the bed side with the word "Fleetside". However, GMC referred to this new bed as a "Wideside" to not copy Chevrolet. A Wideside emblem was never created, thus the GMC bedsides are without letters. NOTE: The horizontal long bedside trim is a 1959 option only...

During the mid 1950's, V-8 engines began to gain popularity. Many became an option in full size cars and trucks that normally were provided with a six cylinder. When this occurred, most vehicles were given a body emblem advertising that the larger power plant was under the hood. GMC trucks were no exception. During the 1955-59 body style, two different...

  GMC bumper guards during these years were standard equipment and stamped from the same heavy gauge metal as the bumper (a different style and lighter gauge metal were dealer accessories on Chevrolet light trucks). A slight change in design was made at the end of the 1956 year. A more decorative pointed dimple was given the guards during 1957...

  Though the 1955-1959 GM doors are basically the same and will interchange, there is one noticeable difference. The inside metal door panel (covering window and door mechanisms) is held in place with smaller screws in 1955. It is assumed these smaller 10 x 24 screws were easier to break or strip when over tightening on the assembly line. By...

Push buttons were discontinued at the end of 1953 and did not reappear until 1967 Prior to 1959 radios used mechanical vibrator tubes. They would operate with either positive or negative ground. A low buzzing sound could always be heard from the tube area before the radio warmed up, once the sound began, the speaker made the buzzing difficult to...

There are few GM accessories that are more unusual and rare than this item that was seen at a recent truck show. It was offered by GMC dealers in 1958 and 1959.

  During the 1955-1959 Chevrolet Task-Force truck years, the panel body style remained very popular. To help sales continue to grow, a two tone paint scheme was offered. This option was used for the business customer that planned on having their logo applied to the panel. A wide band on the sides and back was painted Bombay Ivory*. This two...

This cab and early fleetside bed combination was available only during 1958 and 1959 but to get the bedside trim you had to wait with the last year. This was a time when trucks were usually bought for work and styling was far down the priority list. Therefore, one can appreciate the rarity of this month’s feature truck.

This 1959 Chevy 1/2 ton step-side pickup was purchased in Santa Barbara, California from an estate containing 20+ cars and trucks. It was found sitting behind a 1955 Chevy "business coupe" with cement and old rubble in front of the garage door which had to be removed with a tractor.

This month's featured truck is a prime example of how an early Chevrolet Fleetside appeared when new. Few near 100 point restorations of GM's early fleetsides exist today, so this little truck is a real attention getter. Looking at this like new pickup is as if going back in time. It is even painted the original Galway green, so popular during the late 1950's.