Vehicle Description
Here are your choices if you want a slick custom Chevy pickup. One,
you spend the next two to five years and every spare penny you can
find to build your own. Or, you give us a call and start driving
this 1949 Chevrolet 3100 5-window pickup next week for about half
of the price of building your own. The math is pretty easy at that
point, isn't it?
This nicely built pickup doesn't stray too far from the original
design, and we are guessing that's why they remain so popular year
after year. The cab was stripped to bare metal and rebuilt from
there, with the usual issues completely corrected and then
meticulously finished to create the nicely finished truck you see
today. There are no body mods, so you have neat door handles,
Chevrolet emblems on the sides of the hood, and that iconic 5-bar
grille up front. The bed is beautifully finished using
honey-colored wooden slats, creating a unique look that's still
completely functional. Two-stage urethane was used to create the
deep, dark look, which shows some age and use but still polishes up
beautifully and gives the truck a fairly traditional look. Cool
frenched-in taillights are a neat way to give it a custom look
without radical surgery and the shiny chrome bumpers look great
against the black paint.
More extraordinary workmanship inside, where you'll find the
original bench finished in gray tweed cloth with red piping. It's a
comfortable setup that's durable and will always be in fashion, and
while there are a few signs of use, we wouldn't change anything.
Before the work started, every square inch was lined with Dynamat
to control noise and heat and the dash was filled with custom
billet aluminum inserts with vintage-looking Auto Meter gauges that
suit the 1949 pickup just fine. It's also got a late-model tilt
column with a wood-rimmed wheel for a little contrast and an
AM/FM/cassette stereo takes the place of the original AM unit in
the center of the dash. Sturdy rubber floor mats mean it doesn't
mind being used as a truck now and then.
For motivation, this Chevy relies on Chevy small block power. Under
that custom chrome air cleaner, there's a reliable 350 cubic inch
V8 with an Edelbrock carburetor and intake manifold, HEI ignition,
and a mild cam. It's a bulletproof combination that was perfected
decades ago, so you can jump in and go anywhere without any
concerns at all. Bright orange paint on the block looks fantastic
in the otherwise all-black engine bay, and you'll note that it has
been upgraded with an alternator, power steering, and a dual master
cylinder for the power front disc brakes. For improved handling and
safety, the frame was upgraded with a late-model front clip in
front and a 10-bolt GM rear with highway gears inside hangs on leaf
springs out back. Stock exhaust manifolds feed a custom dual
exhaust system with a nice rumble and the TH350 3-speed automatic
transmission shifts crisply but never gets harsh. Beautiful Torque
Thrust wheels complete the flashy look and wear fat blackwall
radials that fill the fenders perfectly.
So you have to decide what your time is worth. If you're the kind
of guy who would rather be out enjoying his custom truck (and who
isn't?), then it's time to put something like this Chevy in your
garage. Call today!