1954 Chevrolet 3100 5 Window Restomod

Description

Regular readers know that a lot of slick Advance Design trucks run through our showroom, but very few of them are as tricked-out, professionally-built, and well, as sexy as this gorgeous 1954 Chevrolet 3100 5-Window Restomod. The result of an open-checkbook restoration and an imaginative designer, this show truck features a wild two-tone paint job, bespoke interior, modern amenities, and a THUNDERING 502 Ramjet V8. It's got a ton of tricks up its sleeve, and we'll do our best to cover the highlights, assuming we can even pull you away from the pictures.

We've said it many times before: if you're going to paint a truck with a loud finish, you need to invest a lot of extra time because you're going to get a TON of attention. Well, the pros who built this truck did exactly that, spending countless hours in the body shop making alterations and fabrications to the sheetmetal, implementing/augmenting/deleting components left and right, and then block-sanding and smoothing it all down until their hands bled. Highlights of the custom work include a smoothed and decked hood, frenched headlights, a sectioned front grille that allows for a custom filler panel behind the 1956 Chevy front bumper, deleted cowl vents, shaved door handles, and smoothed running boards that flow into the fenders. And that's just the front end, out back you get a custom aftermarket long-bed that features capped rails, a smoothed and power-actuated tailgate, smoothed roll pan and frenched license plate holder, a custom-fabricated filler panel that allows for a shortened and sectioned 1955 Chevy rear bumper, and a completely smoothed-out bed interior. That's a lot of trick fabrication that lends itself to a wild paint job, which is exactly what you get with this custom black-over-red 'rip-style' finish. Layers of modern BASF paint went down on the laser-straight body – black on top and red on the bottom – and then the 'rip' graphic was applied, cleared and sanded, hand-stripped, and then cleared and sanded again until no lines could be seen in the finish. The finish is miles deep, lustrous, and incredibly shiny, and if you're wondering if it looks as beautiful in person as it does in our pics, please know that even our HD photography can't capture all the awesomeness. It was a show-truck the second it was finished, and although it's been driven and enjoyed a little bit since then, it still shows incredibly well and looks fresh, with only very, very minor defects that can barely be seen up close. We'll call it a high-end driver, but only because it's no longer the 100% trailer queen it was when it was first built, but by most reasonable measures this 3100 is still a bonafide show-stopper. Chrome and brightwork is excellent condition, from the aforementioned custom bumpers, the reworked front grille, the trim surrounding all the tinted glass, and the quad exhaust tips that exit underneath the running boards. And if you're wondering what kind of damage this restoration did to the owner's wallet, the airbrushed 'Burning Money' mural inside the bed aptly reflects the astronomical build cost and it would likely cost double to replicate this truck from scratch today.

Pop the remote doors and the first thing you notice is that the 'rip' graphics continue in the jams, door panels, and reworked steel dash. Sculpted black leather buckets feature red inserts and are all-day comfortable, bespoke door panels were stitched to match the 'rip' theme, high-end black carpets line the floors, and an all-black custom headliner covers the roof. Everything is insulated and seals up into such a quiet cab that it's easy to forget this is an old pickup truck. A red leather-rimmed billet steering wheel mounted atop a tilt column ties everything together, and just beyond a duo of Classic Instruments gauges monitor the organized violence under the hood. The custom dash is simply a work of art, reworked to feature a flush-mounted NESA multimedia stereo, billet knobs and switches, a couple of auxiliary gauges, and a cleverly installed R134a A/C system that blows ice cold. Other options include power windows/locks/seats, seatbelts, upgraded speakers, and matching black floormats.

No expense was spared under the hood either, stuffing a GM 502 Ramjet V8 in between fabricated inner fenders and a smoothed firewall. With aluminum heads, an aluminum Ramjet intake, and Sanderson headers, the big block easily puts out 500+ horsepower and torque – way more than any reasonable human being will ever need. Yet with all that power, it's not an uncontrollable beast on the street, but rather a fairly manageable trunk thanks to fuel-injection, HEI ignition, and a giant radiator with dual electric fans. The engine bay was set up to show, with the paint theme continuing throughout, along with polished elements on the block – a bright metal intake, polished valve covers, and ceramic-coated headers. A sturdy TH400 automatic and a Currie 9" rear end round out the powertrain, leaving you with no worries about reliability and transforming it into an easy high-speed cruiser. The undercarriage was finished for show, where you'll find beautifully painted floors and components everywhere you look, along with a beefed-up suspension featuring tubular upper/lower control arms, a sway bar, and power rack-and-pinion steering up front, QA1 adjustable shocks all-around, and Baer 4-wheel disc brakes with drilled-and-slotted rotors at every corner. A 4" stainless steel dual exhaust system with throaty SpinTech mufflers provides the killer soundtrack, and my goodness does it sound fantastic at full bore. 18" Boyd Coddingtons finish off the truck perfectly, wrapped in 225/45/18 performance radials with plenty of grip.

Lots of high-end customization, unbelievable craftsmanship, and some of the best performance parts money can buy. Vintage trucks don't get much better than this. Call now!