CUSTOM EXTENDED CAB CHEVY, DUMP BED FEATURE, 327CI SMALL BLOCK

If you need big utility, 4-wheel drive, and room for six, you could buy a new pickup of some kind. But if you're also looking for a truck with distinction that will always attract a crowd, then this 1950 Chevy 3100 is a fantastic choice.

No, Chevy wasn't building crew cabs in 1950, but someone did such a good job of making their own that the illusion is quite OEM in appearance. The original 5-window cab was stretched enough to add a back seat, and a neat-fitting side window was added in such a way as to preserve the original truck's handsome good looks. The front end remains stock, and the pickup bed is pretty much the way GM built it, although sharp eyes will note that it's just a bit shallower than stock (more on that in a moment). The whole thing was bathed in Wildwood Green paint that looks like something that would have been on the color pallet in 1950 and workmanship is quite good all around. The utilitarian look that comes from the side-mounted spare is quite appealing in a blue-collar kind of way, and the bed has been lined with spray-in bedliner material for durability. Now about that bed: it's not just a pickup, but a hydraulic dump box, so this truck is still ready to head to the garden center for a load of mulch or topsoil and can drop it just about anywhere you'd like.

Lots of room inside means cruising comfort for the whole family. The front buckets were nabbed from a late-model Cadillac and wrapped in tan leather, with a custom rear bench to match. It keeps its simple door panels and original dash, although you'll be happy to see that under-dash A/C unit and a modern AM/FM stereo in the center, meaning that this big rig is ready to make those long hauls. A modern GM tilt column with a late-model steering wheel actually looks right at home in the vintage pickup's cab, and with carpets on the floor, it's relatively quiet and comfortable going down the road.

The whole thing was perched on top of a 1979 Jeep Wagoneer chassis, which donated its 4-wheel-drive system and front disc brakes to the conversion. That also means this sucker's heavy-duty enough to carry real loads in the bed or pull a trailer with your favorite collector vehicle on it. The engine is a 327 cubic inch Chevy V8 that's a neat fit in the engine bay and thanks to bulletproof reliability, you won't ever think twice about putting this big rig to work. It's backed by a heavy-duty 3-speed automatic transmission and a 10-bolt rear end perched on the original Jeep leaf springs. A custom gas tank, single exhaust system, and recent shocks make it feel like a much more modern truck, and it rides on fresh 235/75/15 Goodyear Wrangler radials on steel wheels with trim rings and poverty caps.

Interesting? Yes. Practical? You bet! This truck is built to work, but the way it looks will draw crowds everywhere it goes. What are you driving to Hershey this year? How about the ultimate parts hauler? Call today!