In the Beginning (How It All Started)

History

On a recent family trip to Gold Country in California I was able to talk with my father-in-law about one of several old trucks on his property.  Turns out the truck was purchased new in '59 by his father, my wife's grandfather. His nickname was Howdy.

The story goes that my father-in-law was not real happy that his dad purchased the long-bed version cause it did not look as cool as the short-bed.  However gramps, pragmatically said he would be able to haul more wood.  Which he did!

It was late August 2013 when we visited and fairly warm.  Perhaps it was the heat or simply the nostalgia  that captivated me.  I asked if he wanted to keep it in the family.  He said yes and would give it to me. 



The walk around and inspection was a bit difficult as the truck was parked in a tight spot with a few other vehicles, trees, grass, weeds, etc.  I'm not an truck expert and this is all new to me, but the truck looks to be in fairly good condition.  The interior was not thrashed or gutted, in fact the knobs, paint, seat, etc were used but appeared to be in working order.  The headliner had fallen down, and the window glass was all clear and free of cracks.  In fact the window seals look mostly decent at least enough to keep out the rain and snow. There was no evidence that critters had visited or spent time living in the cab.  I only noticed one rubber boot around the starter pedal that was missing which would let something squeeze inside. I suppose you could say that it looks like it would start right up and take a trip to town.  Gramps died in 1988 and from what I hear he probably hadn't driven the truck for a few years before that.  Outside of the occasional move from one spot on the property to another this truck has not been driven for over 25 years!!


The engine bay was dirty and had a few temporary modifications allowing my father-in-law to start the truck up once in a great while, with a lawnmower gas tank as a substitute for the original leaking gas tank.  I also noticed an additional air horn inside...not sure why.  Cables, hoses and wires all seemed to be intact or at least connected. The air cleaner is not missing, it is sitting inside the cab along with the before mentioned headliner. 

Outside I found a small amount of rust that had eaten through the passenger side front fender, low on the wheel well and above the headlight.  Tires have less than 10,000 miles as gramps died shortly after the new tires were put on.  I did not see any major dents, bumps, gashes, etc, but again I was limited in my views.

A few things that stand out to me then and even now after doing some research are the side mirrors and rear bumper.  They are industrial vs the small round mirrors and traditional bumper I see on most other trucks.  The rear bumper has a diamond plate pattern and wraps up to the rear fenders, known as a Barden Bumper I have since discovered.  I have since seen a few others online so I guess this was an option for many brands of trucks.  Finally the paint is mostly there and is a grey color, with moss highlights.  My wife told me that she always thought gramps truck had only primer on.  Gramps was frugal but not that frugal.  Again I guess that was a standard color back then.

 

Can't Git Her Out of My Mind.

Well after leaving my father-in-law I was consumed with how and what was I going to do with this truck.  First - where to park.  We live in a suburban housing development that frowns on project trucks sitting curbside. Our garage is free of vehicles, but with 3 boys it is full of empty Amazon and Costco boxes, bicycles, dirt, balls, bottles and cans, etc. Good news is my dad lives 200 feet away in the non-suburban development and has plenty of room.  So I text my dad.......and text and text.  He is supportive but cautions me.  His primary question is what time and money am I planning on spending.  Good question.   


I think my primary goal is to get her running and stopping (brakes), for trips to Lowes, dirt or mulch loads, and general errands as need.  Not a daily driver, not a show truck, not an financial investment.

So with my wife's approval and dad's support I contact my father-in-law and ask if the offer is still good.  He says yes. 

Road Trip

Well who doesn't love a road trip?  I contacted Uhaul and found out that their tow trailers do not fit a 59 GMC truck!!  I scour the web and find both wheelbase and wheel widths to be within the trailer specs, including some supportive language to use with Uhaul to get the trailer.  Trailer reserved!

Dad and I will pickup the trailer on September 21, 2013, leaving at 8:00am from Uhaul, going 55.  I expect in 5-6 hours we will be at my father-in-laws property and maybe 3 hours to load the truck will be home barring no issues by ten that night.

California also has few rules with respect to vehicles.  1. A notice of planned no operation or non-op otherwise a current registration must be filed.  In other words if the truck was not registered then the non-op should be and if neither of those are done, then the new owner is required to pay for all those missing years!!  I called the DMV after a 1 hour wait time and found out the truck was on non-op!!  2. If moving a vehicle in California even on a trailer and it is not registered or on non-op it needs to have a one day moving permit!  Who makes up these rules?  I argued with the customer service rep about this and even looked at their website to confirm that I was not included in this rule.  After more careful review, apparently it is a $0 cost permit but must be requested at a DMV office, nothing available online.  Problem is we are picking this thing up on a Saturday and none of the offices on our route are open.  I think I'll just take a chance.  3. Transfer title among family costs $15.

So Uhaul rental for one day $55, Title Transfer $15, Cost to drive a 99 Dodge Durango 5.9l 4x4 600 miles round trip about $160 - opportunity to get a cool 59 GMC that is owned by the family priceless!

What I Know

Using the reference photos I took and many wonderful online websites I have learned a few things.  The truck is a 1959 "Task Force" GMC long bed 1/2 Ton.  The double headlights and front end design are one of the visual clues for that year.  The VIN number tells me it was manufactured in Oakland, CA.  It also tells me that the model is a S series which is a 1/2 ton and a lack of number tells me it is a 6 cylinder......of course most experts could look at the engine photo as well as the designation of "100" on the grill to tell you many of these things.  I'm new to all of this.  I think the engine is a 270. 

The window in the rear is standard not the big window.  No A/C, no radio but knobs are, not sure how that can be, no power steering.  As you can see it has a camper on the back.  When we opened the back it smelled like mildew!  So I did not pay to much attention to the condition or contents of the camper.  I probably will sell it on Craigslist or something once it arrives.  We also tested the brake pedal and it does not move.  So we suspect the master cylinder is shot.  Lines and wheel cylinder are probably also shot. Radiator is drained but works.  Oil looks good. No idea about transmission or suspension, bearings, belts or hoses.

Things to Consider

So my first desire is to drive this thing around the block.  My father-in-law mentioned that before I come down to take the truck he would try to get it started.  He is a mechanic so I trust that he knows what he is doing, besides its his truck and he knows the history.

With cold weather approaching I think I'll start with the brakes.  I'm thinking a rebuild of all cylinders and replacement of lines.

Next would be to tackle the gas tank/fuel system.

Followed by the carburetor and ignition system and basic fluids.

Similar bumper to my truck

This would at least get me familiar with the basic systems as well as have an opportunity to clean things up.

Areas to tinker with would be identifying any cosmetic and functional issues that might need some love....thinking window channels, polish the few chrome components, replace missing or broken items.  I am not looking to replace parts simply because I want them to look new or change the look.  If it works and is not broken I would prefer to leave it alone.  All rubber hoses and lines in the engine and components that might benefit from a new rebuild like the carb, distributor or a valve cover gasket are things to look into. 

There is a book called, "If you give a mouse a cookie" which we have read many times to our boys.  This truck already makes me feel like the mouse.  If I want to get the truck running I will want to make sure the carburetor works well, in order to get the carb cleaned up I will want to remove the oil/dirt from the engine, and if I clean the engine I will want to replace the valve gasket which will invite me to check the valves..........

Finally I could consider a paint job.  I happen to have a friend who has a paint shop on his property and has offered to help me paint the truck.  I also contacted a local shop to blast the old paint off both the cab and box for about $400. 



Example of 59 in green

Example of 59 chromed in blue

I like the idea of having a clean looking truck with old components, not a museum but a working truck.  One issue I have found is that so many of the truck photos I see are all chromed up with a "classy" look.  This thing has a old school commercial work truck look.  The only chrome parts externally are the side mirrors and door handles. 

The gray color is also to commercial for me, so I was thinking of a stronger color that would accent the white bumper and badges.  I already think it would be fun to remove the rims, grill, bumper and headlight bezel and repaint them white in order to get me motivated to clean her up.

Since the truck has a commercial look I tend to drift toward the darker colors for the body, such as red black or dark green.  I would keep the white components the same but add a two tone and paint the top section of the cab white.