Vehicle Description
If you've been planning on building an old Chevy pickup, you should
probably just buy this 1953 Chevrolet 3100 instead. An exquisite
build that features an awesome patina look, a modern LS V8, and all
the amenities, it's exactly the way you'd do it for about half the
price of building your own to this level. 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, they're getting harder to find by the day. The
best ones preserve all that's great about the original design and
simply update the hardware underneath, and they totally nailed it
with this one. The scuffed and aged paint job keeps it looking
authentic, 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. Make no
mistake, finish quality is very good, with a clean bodywork
underneath, so the look of age and wear is purely an illusion.
Keeping all the chrome and stainless trim is a big plus, giving
this truck an old-fashioned look that's even more appealing with
the subtle modifications. The bed is simple, with just satin black
paint on the raised floor so don't be afraid to use it as intended,
and the wood stake sides look fantastic. There's also a correct
visor and an eagle hood ornament, just to dress it up a bit.
Comfort is the name of the game inside, and the handsomely
appointed interior of this pickup is light years nicer than it was
originally. Black vinyl buckets are modern but somehow they have a
period look and are a lot more comfortable. Bare floors are keeping
with the old-school theme, but you could add some carpets to really
make it feel luxurious. Modern gauges fit into the original holes
in the dash, so no cutting was required to get that trick look and
a late-model tilt column and three-spoke steering wheel dress it up
smartly. A modern A/C system was discreetly tucked under the dash
and there's an AM/FM/iPod/Bluetooth stereo under there, too. It's
even got power windows! They were careful not to make it too
luxurious, but you can see where this truck could go without a lot
of investment.
A late-model 5.3 liter Vortec V8 slots right into the old truck's
engine bay, giving it a far more useful powerband for today's
traffic than the original six. It was pulled from a late-model
pickup and has about 10,000 miles on it, so it's very fresh and
runs superbly. No modifications, and it appears that they were
careful to retain as much of the OEM hardware as possible for
maximum reliability. There is a giant aluminum radiator up front,
but otherwise it looks very much like Mr. Goodwrench put this one
together. Sitting on an S10 frame makes things like power steering
and disc brakes easy, and the transmission is a 4L60E 4-speed
automatic from the same truck that donated the engine. Out back, a
familiar 10-bolt rear end hangs on leaf springs and spins 3.73
gears, so it's plenty punchy around town but the overdrive gear
makes it an easy highway cruiser. A custom exhaust system with a
2-1-2 setup sounds great without getting annoying. Obviously the
stance was modified a bit, and it really hunkers down over those
staggered Boss Motorsports 338 wheels, which wear 245/40/20 front
and 295/40/20 rear performance radials.
A very cool truck with the right features, why would you build when
you can buy today and start having fun immediately? Call now!