Words: Tommy Parry
Todd’s an ambitious builder, and after working his way through a twin-charged Grand National, he sought an even wilder build that would whet his appetite. As he’s getting on in years and older trucks have always been dear to his heart, he decided on a ‘59 Apache — but with a few modern additions that would make it a force to be reckoned with. For Todd, the aim was “to build something old school with new technology.”
The powerplant, a combination of Grand Sport and ZR1 parts, provide Todd with some 650 horsepower. Thanks to a 6.0-liter LS, a ZR1 cam, a Lingenfelter ported LSA supercharger and a Lingenfelter upper pulley driving that power through a Grand Sport’s 6L80e, he had enough torque to twist the original frame — so he had to make a few retrofits to provide the needed rigidity.
To counter the LS’ torque and give the truck the handling of a modern sports car, Todd opted for a complete chassis from Progressive, then installed the Corvette cradles. Fitting the powertrain wasn’t as challenging as it might seem, but required a resized torque tube, which he had Gamel Street Rods provide.
Todd then set out on the interior. First, he cut out the old dash and installed the dash from a ‘59 Impala. It was about 4″ too wide, so he decided to take it out of the middle to line up the steering column with the factory location, then moved the dash 2” forward. Once he fits the Dakota Digital HDX gauges, the interior will be something special.
Todd decided to spend some time on the brake lines. The Progressive chassis came with an undercab mount for a 7″ vacuum booster, but he decided to go with a Hydroboost, so he cut out the mount, had a modified one water jetted out and moved the location a little to take advantage of the frame cut.
The footwork is comprised of a collection of premium GM parts. The control arms, springs and sway bars are from a Grand Sport, while the spindles, hubs, axles and current differential are from a ZR1. In the near future, Todd intends to replace the factory differential with a Wavetrac item.
Todd’s build is still in its fledgling stages, but with the array of primo parts on display and the other builds he’s completed in the past, it’s clear it has a bright future ahead of it. Once it’s complete, he’ll use this potent sleeper to surprise unsuspecting street racers a few times per week while on a brisk drive to work. To keep track on this Grand Sport-powered Apache, you can visit Todd’s build thread here.
