The Specifications for a 1959 Chevy Apache
by Amanda Gronot
The Chevrolet Task Force Series of trucks was produced from 1955 to 1959, succeeding the Advance Design trucks. The Apache was part of the Task Force Series, and the Apache first appeared in 1958. This truck featured a new body design that replicated the Chevrolet passenger cars. The Apache had four headlights, rather than the two featured in previous models, and it had a short, wide grille.
Engine
Sporting a standard Thriftmaster, 3.9-liter, V6 engine, the 1959 Apache achieved 116 horsepower. It had an overhead valve camshaft with two valves per cylinder and a three-speed manual transmission. The engine was located in the front of the truck, and it had rear-wheel drive. Two other engines were available in the Apache: a Jobmaster V6 or a V8.
Body
The Apache could seat two people, and it had a wheelbase of 115 inches. The chassis of the vehicle was a steel unibody, which was offered in five colors. Tubeless tires, dual headlamps, a parallel-design frame and an interior ventilation system also came in the Apache.
Axle and Clutch
With ball-gear steering, the Apache used high-capacity front axles capable of handling 2,200 pounds to 9,000 pounds, depending on the model, which ranged from the light-duty 30 to the heavy-duty 100. Standard models used a long-lasting diaphragm spring clutch. If you opted for a different engine, your Apache would have a high-capacity coil spring clutch.
Brakes
The Apache used torque-action brakes in the smaller models and durable twin-action brakes in the medium-duty and heavy-duty models. Hydrovac brakes were standard for series 50 to 100. Rugged air-hydraulic brakes were optional at extra cost for those models, and larger full-air brakes were optional for series 70 to 100.
References
Writer Bio
In 2008 Amanda Gronot began her professional career as a writer for a research company. She helped ghostwrite a book for a prominent CEO and has had essays and translations published in the prestigious classics journal "Helicon." Gronot graduated with a four-year Master of Arts/Bachelor of Arts in classics from Yale University.
