55.2-59 BARN FIND 1957 Chevy NAPCO 1/2 ton SHORT bed

[GMCNUT]

Hey guys - looky what I just found to play with - a real, unmolested running & driving and fully operational 1957 Chevrolet NAPCO 4x4 short bed truck. This truck was originally ordered by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to be used installing electric lines and poles and the 2nd owner retired from TVA so he had bought it from TVA in the 60's and kept it until he passed back in the 90's and it has sat in a dry barn ever since. It has a cool PTO powered winch mounted in front of the rear end with a fairlead setup attached under the tailgate - despite the winch still working fine, he had removed the cable and installed a rear bumper for daily driving. So everything works - 235 engine runs great, 4 speed shifts good, new brake lines and wheel seals etc all installed and I have not driven it in 4WD yet, but it does engage into 4WD and appear to work.

It is so untouched minus the radio hole whack job and red paint applied many moons ago, and the entire drivetrain is 100% untouched - no monkey work or modified stuff under there. but it does not have its original 16" single piece 6 lug 3-clip rims - I need to locate a correct 15", 16" or 17.5" set of the correct NAPCO 4x4 rims and hubcaps too for that matter, so if any of you know someone who can help, please let me know - Thank you

[OldChevysRule]

Nice find!! I am so envious of you. I can't wait to see her after you get done with her.

Jason

[GMCNUT]

Here are some more shots I took when I got her loaded up to come home yesterday

[tristan]

I was watching that one on EBay, glad that it found a good home with a board member. Looks like you will have to amend your signature file.

[OldChevysRule]

It looks like a pretty solid truck. I am watching a 57 2 wheel drive 3100 close to my house, but as of now the guy doesn't want to sell. Hopefully, I will have funds available if he ever changes his mind.
Jason

[Northern lights]

Nice score.

[OrrieG]

Nice pto winch too. Great find, candidate for a light weight wrecker??

[dubds10]

Not bad looks good. I just missed a local '59 SWB Napco as I had no time to get to it 6hrs away from me. Was only $2900 & a driver with good body, just my luck lol Guess I gotta keep waiting.

What are the plans for it?

[dyno]

You struck gold! What a great find.

[Katrina/10]

Cool truck!

[Greenlee]

Cool truck!

[67swb72klb]

Nice catch love the NAPCOS

[GMCNUT]

Thanks guys - I am hoping to hop in and drive her tomorrow for the first time....she's still on my trailer due to the ice storm we are thawing out from today....more pics to follow

[c20pickup]

cool! i have a 58 of my own a 3/4 ton, if you dont mind me asking how much did you pick it up for? very jealous by the way!

[GMCNUT]

Originally Posted by c20pickup

cool! i have a 58 of my own a 3/4 ton, if you dont mind me asking how much did you pick it up for? very jealous by the way!

Well, I didn't get it given to me that's for sure - I paid 7500 dollars for it, not having a clue what it was or was not worth on the open market or to other NAPCO enthusuasts etc, so 7500 clams might or might not be a "good" price in some people's minds, but it seems so hard to find a real unmolested 1/2 ton short bed NAPCO these days, and that goes double for one that has already had all the brake lines replaced with correct pre-bent ones, new wheel seals and bearings installed, and a brand new gas tank put in plus still with its original #'s matching engine, and everything NAPCO-wise and PTO Winch-wise in unmolested fully operational, ready to drive condition. So I am curious to know what anyone thinks of a price like this, because I admit I jumped before looking on it somewhat, but didn't care because I wasn't buying to ever sell - just for me to keep and drive around in.....

[pvienneau]

Sounds like a fair price for a 4 wheeler of that age and in the original state. I love the originality of it. Whats the plan for this one?

[GMCNUT]

Originally Posted by pvienneau

Sounds like a fair price for a 4 wheeler of that age and in the original state. I love the originality of it. Whats the plan for this one?

To be honest, I have several other 55-59 and 60-66 trucks that I want to make real nice or even show worthy, so all I want from this one is something cool to drive as a fully operational and dependable patina truck really - just want to drive it around to local cruise ins and stuff like that I think. I almost think it would ruin it to repaint it. I probably will eventually do something paint-wise on it, but not until I get my son's 61 Apache and my own 59 short bed Apache Fleetside done. I need to post pics of the 59 while I'm thinking about it....just got it a couple weeks ago and getting the brakes done Monday

[dubds10]

Key for that price is the stuff already done on it and it being all original still. It'd be a very high price if it weren't all true NAPCO stuff and original to that truck. That local one to me sold in a couple days at $2900 and that was a steal for a running, all original napco 4x4. He could've gotten double that for what it was, but I don't think any higher here on the West coast as our prices are still low compared to back east. Really depends on your area and who's looking to buy at that time. An all original NAPCO 4x4 will always bring more money than a '57 Chevy dropped on an '80's 4x4 chassis, so you don't have much to worry about there. I'd say get it cleaned up real good to bring back the colour (patina 4x4 lol) and get it road worthy before tearing into it. Based on the pics it could use a full resto to bring it back to original specs and be an awesome truck, but in the mean time you could just enjoy it while getting parts together for it like a bed and brackets etc.

[GMCNUT]

Originally Posted by dubds10

Key for that price is the stuff already done on it and it being all original still. It'd be a very high price if it weren't all true NAPCO stuff and original to that truck. That local one to me sold in a couple days at $2900 and that was a steal for a running, all original napco 4x4. He could've gotten double that for what it was, but I don't think any higher here on the West coast as our prices are still low compared to back east. Really depends on your area and who's looking to buy at that time. An all original NAPCO 4x4 will always bring more money than a '57 Chevy dropped on an '80's 4x4 chassis, so you don't have much to worry about there. I'd say get it cleaned up real good to bring back the colour (patina 4x4 lol) and get it road worthy before tearing into it. Based on the pics it could use a full resto to bring it back to original specs and be an awesome truck, but in the mean time you could just enjoy it while getting parts together for it like a bed and brackets etc.

So, this was my first and so far only shot at buying a short bed 1/2 ton NAPCO that was not molested or heavily modified, so I jumped on it, but I will always be watching for another one like that 2900 dollar one you saw that might be just as original but cheaper to own - I'd buy a second one if I liked it as well, and sell off whichever one was the rustier of the two, or the one I paid more for or something....I have watched NAPCO's on Craigslist and Ebay for several years and never saw anything reasonably priced in the 1/2 ton short box variety....there must not have been many short bed ones to begin with or all the Barrett Jackson sellers have gobbled them up to sell for millions or something....I am going to have fun learning about them I can tell

[Wingnut1]

Great find, like your plan

[c20pickup]

You stole that thing!!!! I paid 4500 for my napco, and its non running or driving, all the parts are there to finish it, 20 years ago two previous owners started a restoration then a dicorce happened to the owner stored mine in a friends shed and thats where it sat ever since, its a 3/4 napco, its got a 402/400, so i might pull those and put in the original drivetrain, one big attraction was the 100% rust free body panels, plus all the extra nos stuff i got with it! Hasnt been touched in 20 years Biggest thing i dread is rebuilding the front end and having to find brake parts/seals etc

[68panelman]

Glad to see its in good hands. I like your plan to just keep it as is for now and drive it!

[OrrieG]

Most were longer beds or even panels or crew cabs because they were working trucks. Oil fields, logging, construction, farming, ranching, etc. where maximizing loads was desired. I really like the 1 ton 9' bed ones myself...

[LUCKTRUCK]

Update 2020 - Truck is still alive and well, here in New Jersey

[mongocanfly]

nice..!!