Advice for 1959 fleetside

Hi I am new to chevy's and this is my first truck project, I had some questions about my options for this build - this is what I have right now,

1959 fleetside 3100 apache short box 4spd, at some point the straight six was replaced with a 1956 265 v8 and the front and rear axles were upgraded to 3/4 ton, the front appears to be standard I beam axle and the rear closest I can find is 1946  eaton 10 bolt?

I want to return it to 1/2 ton  and get rid of the 8 bolt lugs

Have been thinking about a  volare clip for the front, open to ideas -

For the rear I would like something I can go on the highway with as of right now I need 3rd gear  to get going from a stop sign

When I first got the truck it  would start up and ran around pretty good, a few short town trips later it began making some strange noises like massive exhaust leak kinda a deep bassy noise and sputter and die

It had been driven to about 96  then parked till I bought it a month ago, I have changed plugs and wires so far with no change, turns over strong now but very tough to fire , maybe 1 out of ten tries it will start, run for 30-40 seconds sounding great then die

starting fluid doesn't seem to affect it - I am having trouble finding parts for this engine, it is a front mount engine, what are my engine options? would I be better off eventually modifing mounts for a 350?  I would like to  keep this old 265 going if I can it's a great little engine when it decides not to play dead

I don't know anyone interested in cars really or knowledgable around me so it is just me for now any steps I can go through to track these problems down would be greatly appreciated can't afford to take it into shops, specially if its something simple!

Thanks for any help or advice I can post pictures if needed!  

You prolly own a 3/4 ton truck wherein somebuddy has replaced the front clip with 1/2 ton fenders and badges.
There's a good chance yer picking up fifty years of rust and debris from yer tank/feul line, keep cleaning that carb filter.
Tough call on the 265, since it's not original anyways, curious about what the 4-speed actually is.
You can use the orignal front mounts on any pre 1986 chevy small block v-8, and possibly others.
If it were me, I'd can most everything suspention wize. Money can't buy a worse steering box and those brakes won't whoa ya like every other car and truck on the road yer driving along WITH.  

I have a 1959 3200 Stepside I have been working on for 2 years now.

You shouldn't need to modify the mounts for a 350 also remember that your engine mounts to the bellhousing and the bellhousing is your rear mount.  

Here is a pick of what my mounts looked like before I fixed them..  The redneck who owned this truck before had them installed completely wrong.  I replaced the bushings for like $20.00.  there should be a rubber bushing at the top of the mount (he actually installed the mount with the bushing underneath the top of the mount)

Either way this is what a front mount on a 350 looks like for your truck.





If you have the 4 speed option it is a Borg Warner Heavy duty most likely.  It was an option for towing and hauling.. and judging by the 3/4 ton truck.   I just swapped mine out for a tremec 5 speed from keistler automotive.  The stick moves back about a foot so if you are looking to keep your bench seating, that would not be an option for you.  

You can check your truck on the inside of the driver side door to see the original info for 3/4 ton etc.  I'm guessing the other guy was right and someone was trying to convert a 3/4 to 1/2 because people usually do not do it the other way around..  

Keep me posted its cool to find someone with a similar truck.  

Keistler has the right positon shifter for any truck, 8 different possibilities, but they are *** to get info from.
Mine fits perfect, at 12 inches from firewall, took two months of back and forth to sort that order out, and set me back over two grand.
Disregard any info on there bel air/classic truck kit, it's three hundred dollars more than necessary.  

BTW, the "other guy" being right is likely 'cos of the bad brakes and the front clip was repalced,due to impact,..savy?  

almost 100% it is a 1/2 ton truck, inside door gvw rated 5000 lbs, The guy I bought it from has owned it since 1982, has original paint on it mostly in good condition, sun  worn through top of fenders/ hood pretty well, minimal rust, doesn't seem to have been messed with a whole bunch, all the paint is even and matches even underneath and behind things

What he had told me that the axles where upgraded to 3/4 ton for hauling

any way to indentify the 4 speed? shifts well and has a new clutch  

Give us numbers. Can you do 65 mph with taching out on the hiway?  

Can't get it to run right now, but from the feel of third last time I drove it be lucky to hit 55