Vehicle Description
With patina being all the rage today, taking something that looks
old and filling it with fresh mechanicals is an awesome way to have
your cake and eat it, too. The bodywork on this 1952 Chevy 3100
pickup looks like it's been working the back 40 for decades, but
the slammed stance, updated running gear, and custom interior all
suggest that it's been working out in its spare time.
The bodywork is original, which is to say, it hasn't been treated
to a shiny coat of paint. The combination of green paint, chips and
scratches, and bare steel gives it a look of great age, and if this
one was out in a field with the weeds growing around it, it
wouldn't look out of place. But that isn't to say that it looks
bad, because we like the honest look and the faded graphics add to
the well-worn, well-loved attitude. Looking closely, you'll see
that the paint hides nothing, but the panel gaps are good, meaning
someone spent some time intentionally making it look this way, and
nothing has been shaved, trimmed, or altered. Instead, you get a
look that will draw a crowd better than any restoration and a no
worries finish that means this truck can go anywhere, any time
without a second thought. Yeah, maybe the chrome is a bit too nice,
but one can hardly call that a defect, right? There's also a real
pickup bed out back, albeit with a cleverly raised floor to clear
the suspension (more on that in a few minutes) and a beer keg
strapped in to act as a fuel tank. They definitely nailed the
look.
The custom interior is all new and all amazing. No fake patina
here, just funky patterns and upgraded features, plus a dash of
style to make driving this 3100 a pleasure, not a chore. A bench
seat wears fresh upholstery, with plain door panels to soften the
passenger compartment a bit. Factory instruments are gone, replaced
by neat-fitting Auto Meter gauges that look like they were born
there, all framed by the steering wheel out of a later '50s Chevy
passenger car. An AM/FM/CD stereo head unit lives in the top of the
dash and comes with a remove, you know, in case reaching over there
is just too inconvenient. Carpets on the floor help with noise and
vibration, and while that shifter looks vintage, it's a modern
Lokar unit connected to a TH400 3-speed automatic.
It looks like a small block, but it's actually a 4.3 liter V6,
which is actually � of a 350 anyway. The added power makes this
pickup more than just interesting to look at, and it makes enough
torque to feel right in the vintage pickup. Fitted with an
Edelbrock 4-barrel carb and a few vintage dress-up parts, it looks
right under the hood; not too flashy, but just enough to let you
know someone was paying attention. A big aluminum radiator keeps it
cool and a set of long-tube headers dump into a custom dual exhaust
system. The frame is from a late-model S10 pickup and it's a
surprisingly neat fit under the vintage 3100, and brings upgrades
like an independent front suspension, power disc brakes, and power
steering. It's got an awesome stance thanks to lowering springs and
blocks, and those Painted steel wheels with simple hubcaps are the
right old school look. Modern whitewall radials complete the
vintage vibe.
An incredible illusion or just an incredible truck? How about both?
If you want to attract attention, forget bright red paint and loud
mufflers, this patina-covered pickup is the hot ticket. Call
today!