Well now, let me tell you somethin’ ’bout these 1958 International pickup trucks. Back in the day, these things were somethin’ else, let me tell ya. Not like these fancy cars they got now.
The 1958 International Pickup: A Real Workhorse
These trucks, they called ’em Internationals, or maybe just IH, were tough as nails. You needed somethin’ to haul hay, or pigs, or whatever, this was your truck. They had this A-100 chassis, and some even had the A-120, which I reckon was a bit bigger. Heard tell they even made a special one, a Golden Jubilee, for their 50th year makin’ these things. Fancy, huh? Probably had some gold paint or somethin’.
Now, these trucks, they weren’t built for speed. They had these inline-six engines, like the 240ci one. That means it had six cylinders, all in a row. And most of ’em, they had a three-speed stick shift. You know, the kind you gotta push in the clutch and wiggle that stick around. None of this automatic stuff they got now. And some, the really tough ones, they had four-wheel drive. That meant you could go through mud and snow, no problem.
- Built Tough: These trucks were made to last. Strong frames, strong engines, everything was heavy-duty.
- Simple to Fix: You didn’t need no fancy computer to fix these things. A wrench and a hammer, that’s all you needed mostly.
- Work, Work, Work: These weren’t for showin’ off. They were for workin’ on the farm, haulin’ stuff, and gettin’ the job done.
I remember seein’ these trucks all over the place. Farmers used ’em, of course, but even the fellas in town had ’em. They came in different colors, I guess. Red was a popular one, seen a few of them. And they had long beds, for haulin’ more stuff, and short beds too.
International Harvester: More Than Just Trucks
Now, this International company, they weren’t just makin’ trucks. They called themselves International Harvester, and they made all sorts of farm equipment. Tractors, plows, you name it. They been around a long time, even before these 1958 trucks. Heard tell they started way back with somethin’ called an Auto Wagon, looked like a buggy with an engine. Called ’em “Highwheelers” too, ’cause the wheels were so big.
They had some troubles later on though. Fights inside the company, oil prices goin’ up, stuff like that. They even stopped makin’ these light trucks for a while, called ’em Light Line trucks, they did. But they’re still around today, makin’ big trucks, you see ’em on the highway sometimes. Go by Navistar now, though.
Restorin’ a 1958 International Pickup
Nowadays, you see some folks fixin’ up these old trucks. They call it restorin’ ’em. Put in new engines, new paint, make ’em all shiny and pretty. Some folks even put in big tires and fancy wheels. I guess they like ’em old-timey, but with some new stuff too. Heard tell there’s even some that are all original, like they just rolled off the factory line. Brand new tires and everything. Run great, they say. Guess that shows ya, they built ’em to last back then.
If you find one of these old 1958 International pickups, you take care of it. It’s a piece of history, that’s what it is. A reminder of a time when things were simpler, and a truck was a truck, not some fancy computer on wheels.
And that’s about all I know ’bout these 1958 International pickup trucks. They were good trucks, tough trucks, and they got the job done. Can’t ask for more than that, can ya?
Tags: [1958 International Pickup, International Harvester, Pickup Truck, A-100, A-120, Classic Truck, Vintage Truck, Work Truck, Farm Truck, Inline-six, 1950s Truck]
