There are four short videos of this on YouTube. Type "bad red 59 chevy pickup" in the search bar to see them. They are all under 3 minutes each.
This truck is a Frankenstein creation of the best of old and new. Created by me. By taking two different trucks, and a ton of cash for new parts, to create one awesome creation, that, basically, is a classic truck body with muscle car power. I documented every step of the build, and have a folder full of receipts, a paper telling what part numbers to get if something wears out (brake shoes, fan belts, etc), and a build paper I used to know what wires do what.
This is gonna take a while, so be prepared. First, I buy two trucks from the same guy. a 1959 pickup and a 1989 C1500 pickup. Both 2WD. The 89 was a low mileage truck with only 87,000 miles on it. It was hit in the rear. It had a 305 in it that I rid of, and the 5 speed manual (NV3500) is currently in it now, with a new clutch setup, and new cylinders and lines.
So, I gut the 89 completely. Bed was junked. Pulled the motor and trans. Sold the motor. I cut off the frame of the 89, from the firewall forward. I do the same to the 59. Now the straight axle setup is gone. Welded the two together. So from the firewall back, its a very solid 1959 frame. Firewall forward, 1989. The rearend housing is also from the 1989. So, when you need brake shoes, front or rear, you get them for a 1989 C1500.
Bought a new GM Goodwrench 4 bolt main universal 350 motor, and a Fitech fuel injection setup for fuel delivery. Then, from Old Air Products, I bought an air conditioning setup. The manifolds were made into headers. At the end of each manifold, is now a collector. Like a header. The complete exhaust, front to back (except the manifolds) is 2.5 inch stainless steel. Including the glasspacks. It sounds and runs like a muscle car. I'm actually afraid of going full throttle on it.
The only stuff NOT NEW on this is the frame I created, parts of the original bed, and the cab. Literally everything else is. Starting rear forward: The tailgate is new. The stoppers were fabbed in to stop it from dropping too far. Like a newer truck. The walls and floor are not new. They are from another donor 89 C1500. The taillights are 64 Impala that I fabbed in the new rear fenders. The licence plate light is an LED strip inside the rear bumper that glows the plate when parking or headlights are turned on. Reverse lights are super bright LED's also, in the tops of the bed walls. The bed cover was made by me. Just a huge 4X8 plywood covered with outdoor material, and hinged in half. The spare tire holder is custom made (again by me) by getting a Buick trunk cut out, and I fabbed it under the bed floor. Room enough to hold a donut spare, and jack related items also. Just flip the bed cover forward, open the tailgate, lift the diamond plate looking rubber liner, open the secret door, and there it is. Same as a hidden trunk area of a newer car. The bed floor is no longer wood. It is the metal floor I torched from a similar donor truck. As the original was hit.
Next, the cab. Cab is in excellent condition. Just a few dings that were straightened, cab corners, and the steps had pinholes, so I replaced them. All bodywork was welded in. Not spot welded. I mean welded in. The doors and all glass are new. Door hardware, new. Wiper everything, including electric motor: new. Steering column is from a mid 90's Chevy van. Shaved the shifter. Tilt column. Wiper switch on dash, as original, not on column. Shifter was the original, grafted to fit on the newer trans. Seat is from the 89 in decent shape, but recovered by a sewing shop. As were the visors. Taken from the 89 and fabbed into the 59. I have another same exact seat, in excellent condition, that goes with it, if wanted. Stereo is a Pioneer AM/FM CD player with aux input. Four speakers in a row behind the seat. Door panels were custom made by me. Diamond tuck material is on the door panels, headliner, and visors. New carpet with padding underneath. Both doors lock manually from the outside with the same key. Back glass is now a sliding rear glass. It is riveted in. Windshield is new installed by a local glass company. The emergency/parking brake was also fabbed in from the 89. The release is under the dash. Also hidden under the dash is a "delay button", that, when pushed, sets the wipers to go one sweep, on those annoying days, where there's no wiper delay, but you wish there was. There is also a push on/off button in the glovebox, to turn on the glovebox light when needed. Two choke cables above the "fake radio" open the vent in each kickpanel. The fusebox is modern push in fuses.
And now, the front. It is a tilt front end. Bolted together, not welded. So if you ever need to change one panel, you can. Easily. The hood is really good condition used. The fenders and bumper are new. As are the grille, headlight bezels, etc. Now, to tilt the front end, you pull a hidden handle under the center of the bumper, and it drops down. Then, you release two hidden hold-downs on each fender side, and tilt it forward. Tailgate stoppers were fabbed in to stop it from going too far. Everything works 100% as it did new, or better. The inner fenders are plastic donors I fabbed to fit.
Now the suspension. I already mentioned the stainless exhaust. Everything brake related is new. Lines are also stainless. 89 truck stuff. The brakes are very powerful and stop very quickly. The rear has rubber stoppers mounted to the frame, stopping the big meats from chewing up your new fenders.
And last, the paint. Like previously mentioned, I am not a professional, like many TV shows. But still very good at a lot. My forte is welding and custom bodywork. As for the paint, I'm not very great at. Granted, there is very minor "imperfections" if you stare at it long enough. But, hey, I built it to enjoy, not trailer and hide all the time. So, you've been told. OK?
This truck would be good for anything you wish, within reason. But, be warned, unless you're used to high horsepower speed demons, be moderate with it. It is very powerful. No idea on horsepower, but, to me, it's wicked fast. It's currently licenced, inspected, and insured in PA. Titled as a 1959 Chevrolet pickup.
ABOUT ME: I have been building local custom hotrods for over 30 years, and am kind of a local celebrity for that reason. Kind of like a "one man Counting Cars, Fast N Loud, etc". I buy them, resurrect them, enjoy them a few years, sell them and start over. Well, I decided to try to do the same for John Q Public. I picked the coolest red (in my opinion) I could find, gave black accents, and spent two years building it. In between my daily shuffle. I know some owners of the cars I sold, that are still driving them to this day. I even rewire completely. If I don't know how, Google shows me. Not hard when it's from scratch. Fixing current issues on newer electrical? No thanks. Take it to a specialist. I make my stuff so that any average guy doesn't have to take it to a shop, if he has some mechanical knowledge.