1954 Chevrolet 3100 5 Window

Description

If you've been planning on building an old Chevy pickup, you should probably save yourself the usual aggravation and just buy this one instead. Featuring a 1954 Chevrolet 3100 5-Window cab, an awesome color combination, a powerful 5.7L V8, and some choice luxury options, it's exactly the way you'd do it for about half the price of building your own. What's holding you back?

The Advance Design pickups are probably even more popular today than when they were new, and with the market's new-found interest in vintage haulers the last decade, they're getting harder to find by the day. The best ones preserve all that's great about the original design and simply tweak a few design cues and update the hardware underneath, and they totally nailed it with this one. Following a full frame-off restoration, the builder chose matte black paint which keeps it looking simple, as if it could still head out into the back 40 and get the job done, and I think that's a big part of the appeal. Finish quality is quite good overall, with a clean bodywork and paint that is about right for a commercial vehicle. It's all steel, no fiberglass reproduction parts here, and the fit of the various pieces and parts is quite good and it definitely has a killer street presence. Keeping the horizontal chrome grille was a great call, giving this truck an old-fashioned look that's even more appealing than the color-matched grilles some of the cheaper trucks on the market, and we absolutely love that the builders left the chrome bumpers fore and aft. All that chrome isn't cheap, and it shows off a dedication to build a high-quality, good-looking hauler. The warm, rustic-looking wooden bed is surrounded by black walls and held down with black rub strips for a cool look, the gas tank was relocated back there too, and the tailgate is held up by chrome chains. The clear headlights and running lights are fresh, while out back the taillights are old-school hotrod style, installed just above the bright rear bumper and dual exhaust exits.

Tan vinyl is always a great choice inside a black vehicle, and the handsomely appointed interior of this pickup is light years ahead of where it was originally. That might be the factory bench seat, but it's definitely wearing a newer seat cover that uses pleats for a proper period look and black piping that sets just the right contrast, and the matching door panels at the flanks tie it all together and help soften the interior a bit from the original steel pieces. The carpets are plush and keep the elements at bay inside the cab, while the dash was painted matte black to match the exterior. Custom gauges from Dolphin fit into the original holes in the stock dash, so no cutting was required to get that trick look and a chrome three-spoke steering wheel with a thick black rim is a comfortable amenity for the driver. A modern A/C system was discreetly tucked under the dash and painted black to match, and an upgraded tilt column was smartly installed to give the driver a little more room behind the wheel, and the options list rounds out with a fresh, retro-style AM/FM stereo nestled in the center of the dash. It's not over-restored or fully luxurious, but it's very comfortable and features an upgraded look and feel to this 5-window, making this the kind of truck you're going to have a hard time resisting on the next sunny day.

A later-model 5.7L V8 slots right into the old truck's engine bay, giving it a far more useful powerband for today's traffic than the original powerplant. Topped by a big Holley 4-barrel carburetor atop an Edelbrock aluminum intake, the engine breathes easy, and an upgraded alternator and ignition system ensures that the block cranks with ease every time out. Augmented with a modern belt system that drives accessories like the power steering and power front disc brakes, this truck really drives like a dream and is ready for modern roads, and a thick aluminum radiator with a big electric fan keeps the whole show nice and cool. Custom A-arms and a power rack-and-pinion system means this truck is ready for the modern road, and a 700R4 4-speed automatic spins a heavy-duty 10-bolt rear end, which is an easy fit in the back of this vintage pickup. Stock-style exhaust manifolds feed a custom dual exhaust system with throaty Magnaflow mufflers was recently installed and the entire undercarriage with its powder coated frame is very tidy. Obviously, the stance was modified a bit, and it really hunkers down over those black steel wheels adorned with chrome Baby Moons and beauty rings, all of which are wrapped in 225/75/15 thick whitewall radials.

A slick vintage truck with the right features, why would you build when you can buy today and start having fun immediately? Call now!