1958 Chevy Panel Truck Restoration

[Quatchi]

Hi,

My dad is the Mechanics teacher over at Sardis Secondary School and has been for over 20 years now. For the last 12 years he and his students have been working on restoring a 1958 Chevy Panel Truck. For the first time he is starting to get recognition for his and the students work. The local paper has done a nice article about it.

I have put in many hours on this truck as well. I remember the day we went and picked it up on the side of a road in 1997 for 400$. We took the flat-deck trailer towed by dads 86 Chevy Monte Carlo. I remember it was a big old rusty truck, but all the parts were there. The truck was originally used as a delivery truck in Prince George and was the base model with no headliner and the little inline 6 cylinder engine.

Today the truck boasts a 500 HP. Chevy 8 cylinder 350 engine, all fiberglass front end that swings up like a big rig, swade interior, carpet floors, a 3000Watt stereo, and a headliner. In the last few months the truck has really come together with a lot work and donations by local companies.

Please take a look a the article here:

www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/theprogress/community/48102372.html

Cheers,

[Mill Bay]

Cool! So... just finished reading the article in the actual paper edition of the Chilliwack Progress. I remember hearing about that truck when I was going to Sardis (10 years ago), although I didn't know Brett back then, so I didn't know the connection between the truck and his dad. Needless to say, I think we can all get a pretty good guess of what Brett is gonna look like in twenty years, or so... if you stood him beside his dad, might be confusing to tell the two apart.

[Quatchi]

OK guys, shes on the road. Here's a little footage.



We don't want to know what she gets for mileage, it has a racing Cam and a 3500 rpm stall torque converter, the drive-line was designed for the quarter mile, so dad is going to install a stock 2000 rpm stall torque converter to get better on road performance.

It has no seat belts, that is a very odd feeling. It rumbles and shakes so much that the rear view mirror is more like an ultrasonic image modifier. But when you sit in her and it gets gunned your thrown into the back of the seat and you no longer need a seat belt.

Cheers,

[lmtengs]

That is NOT the way to treat a vintage truck!

[Quatchi]

I'd agree with you, if this truck was vintage. The only parts of this truck that are actually 52 years old is the frame, body, chrome and door hardware. Even half the body is Fiberglass now. Anyways as far as ICBC is concerned its technically a "2010 - custom - truck". The papers make no refernece to it being a 1958 chevy.

Cheers,

[Quatchi]

Some shots of construction:














Cheers,

[Quatchi]

And Painting and completion:














Cheers,