1951 Chevrolet 3100 5 Window

Description

This 1951 Chevrolet 3100 pickup truck is looking for a job. Willing to put in long hours, carry heavy loads, and look good doing it, it can still be used as a truck. On the other hand, this is also a nicely restored truck and these are great-driving vehicles with a comfortable ride and reasonable power in addition to those timeless good looks. Capture the best of both worlds with a hobby vehicle that you can use as Chevrolet intended without worry, and still drive it to the local cruise night where it'll draw a crowd.

Traditional green with black fenders is the right way to restore one of these trucks, and this one is fully dressed with a ton of period accessories and dress-up parts. That's all perfectly OK since Chevy would build your truck any way you wanted and the dealer's parts department could do the rest. With the wood stake sides, a windshield visor, and a set of headlight shades, this one looks like it just got home from the dealer, ready to get to work. The Advance Design pickups are a favorite among truck enthusiasts, and they were one of the first trucks to take into account that just maybe all those farmers and carpenters wanted something that was stylish and comfortable as well as durable and versatile. Up front there's a chrome grille that's in great shape, and all the body panels appear to be OEM. The bed's finished with smooth oak planks so it goes with the look of the rest of the truck, which still shows off its blue-collar roots with pride. It's nicely dressed but it doesn't mind being a truck!

The interior covers the basics, and that's part of the truck's charm. The bench seat will accommodate three, and has been reupholstered in tan vinyl with brown piping for a bit of an upscale feel. All the original instruments work, and the steel dashboard is a handsome design that's functional, too. Like the exterior, the interior is loaded with upgrades, including an AM radio and a heater, both of which were optional in 1951. The radio isn't working, which isn't unusual, but it looks right up high in the dash. Three-on-the-tree shifting is easy thanks to the large diameter steering wheel that puts the shifter at your fingertips, and there's a modern turn signal unit mounted on the column for safety. It's not exactly luxurious, but it's a great place to experience the '50s.

Chevy's 216 cubic inch "Thrift Master" inline-six is under the hood doing its job, and if you've ever driven a vehicle with one of these engines, you know they're smooth and torquey. The black paint gives it an industrial look and this one includes a lot of new components including a rebuilt carburetor and proper decals on the valve cover. It fires up easily and idles well, and moves the stocky little truck easily, empty or loaded. Maintenance is easy, and keeping these running is never a chore. On this one, the hoses, belts, plugs, wires, starter, and fuel pump also appear to be recent, and it retains the original 6-volt electrical system, oil bath air filter, and canister style oil filter mounted on the side of the block. It's solid underneath, too, with no structural rust, and it rides on a set of recent 6x16 whitewalls mounted to the original steel rims with dressy trim rings and hubcaps.

Fun hobby vehicles don't get much more practical than this, and when they're also handy around the house, well the argument is easy to make. Call today and give this truck a job!