In 1959, Chevrolet’s Task Force trucks were in their final year of production, and this Apache Suburban Carryall has the kind of look that gets an old-truck guy’s attention. Finished in turquoise and white, with red steel wheels and whitewalls, this three-row family hauler is listed for $26,500 on Craigslist in Oxnard, California.
The 1959 front end has a personality all its own. The wide grille, quad headlights, and twin chrome spears on the hood give it a different look from the redesigned Chevrolet trucks that arrived the following year. It’s the last of the Task Force generation, and you can see why these trucks have held onto their following.
For 1959, Chevrolet offered the Suburban Carryall with a 235.5-cubic-inch Thriftmaster six or an optional 283-cubic-inch Trademaster V8. The six was rated at 135 horsepower, while the V8 delivered 160 horsepower. This one now has a 261 six and three-on-the-tree.
The seller lists a rebuilt rear end, new brakes, wheel cylinders and brake hoses, a new starter, new tires, and a copper radiator. Both front seats have been reupholstered. According to the seller, the heater, defroster, interior and exterior lights, turn signals, and spotlight all work. The seller also says the truck runs great and can be driven anywhere.
There’s an interesting story behind Chevrolet’s four-wheel-drive trucks from this period, too. Northwestern Auto Parts Company, better known as NAPCO, developed its Powr-Pak system to convert Chevrolet and GMC trucks to four-wheel drive. Chevrolet began offering the NAPCO setup as a factory-order option in 1957, making it possible for buyers to order a new truck with four-wheel drive through their Chevrolet dealer.
The Suburban was built to carry people and their gear, and this one has three rows of seating. It has the traditional split rear doors, though Chevrolet also offered a tailgate-and-liftgate arrangement. The barn-door setup gives the Apache a practical, work-truck feel.
The paint and bumpers show some wear, but they’ll clean up with a little work. Would you tidy up the cosmetics or leave it as is? Two thumbs up to Tony Primo for bringing this Burb to our attention!
This looks like a solid, honest Suburban. I’m typically the type of guy who like nice shiny paint, but I could live with this. Maybe I’d redo the bumpers, but I’d just leave the rest. Drive it and enjoy it.
Once again, nice find Tony Primo, and I enjoyed your write up too Conrado, thank you.
It’s 4 am, and you know darn diddly well what I’m going to say. Can anyone drive a stick here? Anyone? ( crickets) I realize, like the Mustang heater core, I’m overdoing it, but unlike the heater core, this is a real issue today. I can imagine someone with a pocket full of cash( from the sale of dads 4 speed Chevelle), wants a retro vehicle to shlep the family around, what a disappointment it’s a stick. Nobody else seems to share my opinions on that, and why should they? If you are even reading this, you probably can drive a stick, but the reality is, it’s just not practical. When was the last time you saw someone in a column shifted vehicle? Folks today won’t even get it started, and since us “teachers” are fading fast, who is going to show them, “no, it’s that pedal to the right of the gas pedal”,,I can imagine the confused look. It’s a beautiful truck, would look great pulling the Shasta,,in the right lane, that is.
Morning Howard–I’ve driven sticks for over 50 years now. However, time and age have taken their toll on me so I now prefer an automatic. Power steering and brakes are a must too.(Until I get my L.knee replaced, the workout with a clutch is off the table)
Same here, learned to drive stick shift over 50 years ago and can still do it when needed.
I used to daily drive vehicles with stick shift as that was my preference when younger. However these days I prefer an automatic transmission due to arthritis and knee problems.