1955 Chevrolet 3100 5 Window

Description

If you look through the Streetside Classics inventory, you'll see a few trucks like this 1955 Chevrolet 3100, but the ones for sale are only a fraction of the dozens we've had come through our doors. The simple fact is, these trucks just don't last long on the showroom floor, and the zooming prices and our inability to keep them in stock despite that fact suggests that they are very desirable collectables. They're also pretty darned good trucks.

Basic black really dresses up the working-class 3100, and I'm guessing that very few of these trucks looked this flashy when they were new. But who's complaining? This pickup looks fantastic! The paint isn't perfect, but it sure looks right on the curvy old truck sheetmetal, all of which is steel and in excellent shape. This restoration was thorough, with the truck carefully taken apart and painstakingly put back together. The bed is new, including the wood floor, and the shiny cab shows no issues in the usual spots at the corners of the cab and lower door edges. A flashy red pinstripe adds some distinction and ties it together with the interior and red wheels, and personally, I really like the idea of a painted bumper on a commercial vehicle, which adds to its form-follows-function appeal. A 1-piece windshield was a big innovation for a pickup truck back then, and just a few well-chosen chrome pieces make it look dignified and appropriate.

The two-tone interior is a very pleasant surprise when you open the door. Replicating a popular period look, it's flashy where the exterior is subdued. A bright red dashboard, matching red carpets, and custom door panels give this basic pickup truck a very upscale feel from behind the wheel. The instrument panel itself is full of restored gauges that look great and show off big, easy-to-read numbers that were surely a welcome sight at the end of a long day. New glass and fresh weather-stripping means that it seals up quite well and doesn't have that loose, rattling feel of many old trucks. Radios were still optional, even in 1955, but this truck does have a heater tucked behind the dash, just in case. Aftermarket turn signals are a smart safety upgrade and work in the usual fashion with a column-mounted lever, although you'll have to remind yourself to turn it off after the first few times you drive for 8 miles while signaling a left turn.

Chevy's robust 235 cubic inch inline-six was at the pinnacle of its development in 1955, with full pressure lubrication and increased compression for surprisingly lively performance. The original carburetor and air cleaner still handle the intake chores and an accessory oil filter is a welcome sight. Correct Chevrolet Blue paint on the engine itself reminds you (intentionally) of the Blue Flame Six found in the Corvette, and its happy, distinctive exhaust note will be a friendly companion on any drive you take. The 3-speed manual transmission and rear end were removed during the restoration and detailed, and the rest of the undercarriage looks solid, clean, and ready for another 60 years of work. A new exhaust system stands out, and a recent tune-up means it runs like it should. G78-15 wide whitewalls on red wheels make this little hauler really stand out.

They aren't all this nice, but these Chevy pickups never last long here in the showroom. Call today!