Podrobné informace - In 1959, Chevrolet built its seven-millionth truck, including this half-ton Model 31 Apache Stepside pickup, part of the Task Force fleet. Today it is beautifully restored to better-than-new condition. If all trucks were this nice in 1959, nobody would have been willing to actually use them for work. In 1955, the Cameo Carrier led Chevy forcefully into the sporty pickup race, creating trucks that were more stylish and comfortable than the blunt workhorses they had been until that point. In 1958, styling was updated with quad headlamps and bolder grilles, and the 1959 body was only slightly revised. Speed was suggested by exchanging its jet plane fender badges for missile-shaped pieces, and they wore a bolder hood emblem. Two-toning was revised so the color break split along the character line, with upper body color on the chrome-trimmed side sculpturing and lower body color on rear cab roof posts. This Series 31 Apache, which means that it is a half-ton, step-side short bed, has a very interesting history behind it. We have documentation that stretches back to the original owners, who bought the truck on December 16, 1958. Frank and Lula Gae Partin borrowed $1423.20 by securing an installment loan through the First National Bank of Gainesville and paid it back in 24 monthly installments of $59.30. Mr. and Mrs. Partin kept the truck for the next 45 years, until it eventually ended up in the hands of their grandson, who restored it to its present condition. We have years of inspection and licensing slips showing Frank Partin, and later Lula Gae Partin, as the truck’s owner. We even have the original owner’s manual and a pair of little bibles that the Partins kept in the glovebox for all those years. There aren’t many cars or trucks out there with that kind of history, and it really sets this truck apart from all the others. As I said, this truck has received a high-quality frame-off restoration. In fact, to my eye, it’s just too perfect—trucks like this are supposed to be rough around the edges—but it can proudly hold its head high among the other high-end pieces here at Best of Show Automotive. The exterior has perfect Tartan Turquoise paint that a Cadillac would have envied in 1959, and all the hard-to-find trim pieces are intact. At least the 225/75/15 radials are basic blackwalls instead of the flashy wide whitewalls that so many folks put on their restored show trucks these days. The centerpiece of the restoration has to be the refinished oak bed. In 1959, they were still using wood on the floors of the beds, and the survival rate has to be incredibly low for the original hardwood. The wood on this truck has obviously been replaced, and it’s just beautiful. Of course, it’s oak as it was originally, stained and given multiple coats of clear varnish for a deep, rich shine that really shows off the oak’s natural beauty. My dining room table isn’t made of wood this nice. Inside, it’s just as nice and just as perfect. The Comanche Gold Metallic paint and upholstery are authentic, and give the truck an awesome ‘50s vibe that fits the rest of the truck perfectly. You can see how designers were starting to add some real style to the utilitarian trucks, but at the same time it’s still simple, honest, and functional. The 3-speed transmission is shifted by a column shifter, the starter is engaged by a separate pedal on the floor, and the speaker for the optional radio is mounted high up above the windshield. The floormat is plain black rubber, and the door panels are steel for low maintenance and long-term durability. The gauges echo Chevy’s automobiles, with a hooded “V” in front of the driver that contains a speedometer, temperature gauge, ammeter, oil pressure gauge, and fuel gauge. Mechanically, this truck is tough-as-nails and anvil-simple. Power is from Chevy’s famous “High Torque” 235 cubic-inch inline six, making 145 horsepower and 217 ft-lb. of torque. The engine compartment is done to show standards, and his highly detailed from the 1-barrel Rochester carburetor to the free-standing oil filter on the driver’s side. A new and correct single exhaust system handles the exhaust chores. The engine is backed by a 3-speed manual transmission with “3-on-the-tree” shifter. There’s an honesty about a vintage truck that comes from its working background, and nothing’s more authentic than a truck that spent 95% of its life in the same family. This Apache was built when the only people who bought trucks were people who actually needed trucks, not because they liked the tall driving position. As a result, they are simple, durable, and, yes, crude machines. However, they deliver a unique driving experience that’s unlike even the cars of the same vintage. Better yet, they’re functional fun—there’s no reason you couldn’t take this truck to Home Depot on the weekend to bring home flowers and 2x4s. I always advise people to buy the best vehicle they can afford, and this Apache certainly qualifies. Just make sure you let it do its job when the time comes—it really does want to get to work, just as it did when Frank and Lula Gae Partin bought it a few days before Christmas in 1958.

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