1959 Chevy pickups were built for use on farms, job sites, or any other place where hard work was a daily part of the program.
Pickup trucks from a bygone era served as mechanical pack mules in a non-glamorous work environment.
Jim Sutherland
Roy Moznik is the talented owner of a 1959 Chevy ½ ton that used to be a beast of burden-but now his ’59 Chevy resto mod is simply a beast. The truck’s original powertrain is long forgotten because Roy chose to replace the factory engine with a supercharged 416 LS stroker that puts out 970 horsepower-more than a few ponies above the ’59 Chevy’s original small herd of horses under its hood.
One could only imagine the kind of wholesale carnage that 970 horses would do to a stock 1959 Chevy truck transmission, so Roy added a 4L80E automatic overdrive transmission to handle the huge herd of horses now corralled under the pickup’s hood.
The truck’s rear end was also replaced by a huskier rear end with a 3:50 gear package to launch the Chevy, along with a 4-link rear suspension to keep the truck in a straight line when it gets launched into orbit.
A ’59 Chevy truck resto mod with a blown LS stroker engine that churns out 970 horsepower also needs to steer and brake very well in order to avoid high speed misadventures, so Roy added a big disc brake system to the pickup, along with a rack and pinion steering system to make it steer clear of trouble.
The truck’s custom frame gave Roy plenty of options to make his ’59 Chevy into a pro-touring-level build, but he also took care of the cosmetic side of his build process.
The rear end of the truck is an excellent example of his vision for the Chevy pickup because the mystery tailfins were donated by a 1956 Packard and are a very cool addition to the custom build.
The truck’s box is also heavily modified into a smooth-lined example of custom work done to a very high level with tubs for the wide wheels now on the back of Roy’s ’59 Chevy pickup and a custom tailgate that honors Tri-Five Nomad wagons. He also integrated the Chevy’s rear bumper into the back of the truck, and it blends right into his design for the modified box.
The truck ‘s factory ride height has been dropped, but Roy did not chop the roof because he wanted to fit into his ’59 Chevy whenever he gets behind the wheel and hits the road. He also added comfort features like aftermarket bucket seats and tilt steering, along with a complete set of aftermarket gauges so Roy could keep an eye on his massively upgraded engine’s performance.
The entire build process took about 3 ½ years, according to Roy, and he was able to introduce his very cool 1959 Chevy pickup resto mod to the road in 2021.
The happy ending is Roy loves to drive his hot rod pickup, plus it also gets good mileage on the highway if he keeps his foot out of the gas.
We at MyStarCollectorCar would be sorely tempted to drive it in poor gas mileage mode.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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