Vehicle Description
Trucks like this are from a simpler time. These Advance Design
series trucks were the first ones to get the assembly lines rolling
again for civilian purposes in 1947 after WWII. 1954 saw several
significant improvements made to them, and the first three months
of 1955 saw the last of this series produced and sold. That makes
these '55s particularly rare and sought after.
These trucks were desirable back in the day because they were well
designed, reliable work trucks. That's what made them the number
one selling truck in America. They are desirable now because they
look cool, drive well, and are still useful as reliable pickups.
This one has been recoated in a nice shade of Maroon that really
catches the light and shows off the smooth curves of the hood,
fenders and cab. Up front, the grill is a crossbar style often
referred to as the bull nose design. This one looks particularly
sharp in chrome against the maroon with Chevrolet in black letters
embossed across the top of it, a blue Chevy bowtie ornament above
it on the hood, and a simple chrome bumper under it. A one-piece
windshield was a nice update from the split ones on the early
models, and the curved corner glass at the back of the cab is
awesome. The wood of the bed looks great with the maroon and
another sharp bumper underlines the fold down tailgate.
Open the door and you will find a sharp looking interior done in
Black and Maroon. The door panel itself is primarily painted metal
with a black trim panel backing up the door handle and window
crank. Notice the bowtie step plate on the running board as you
climb in and settle down on the nicely reupholstered bench seat.
There is a stylish 3-spoke steering wheel with a suicide knob to
assist in tight parking lot maneuvers with the shifter for the
3-speed manual transmission mounted on the column. The dash is very
simple. It's trimmed in black across the top with two round gauges
in front of the driver. A speedometer is on the right and gauges
for fuel, water temp, oil pressure and voltage are on the left. An
AM/FM/CD player is mounted under the dash for your listening
pleasure, and the headliner is trimmed out in black which helps
keep the noise down in the cab.
Under the hood you will find a 235 cubic inch straight 6-cylinder
engine nestled down in a neat and clean engine bay. These engines
are simple, reliable, easy to work on, and torquey too generating
200-foot pounds of pulling power at 2000 rpm. A perfect truck
motor. A black oil bath air filter feeds a single carburetor and
you will notice an alternator that feeds an updated 12-volt
electrical system making lighting better and things like the modern
stereo possible. The engine even looks good in blue with Chevrolet
embossed into the valve cover and there is an aluminum radiator to
keep things running cool. Power flows back through that 3-speed
manual transmission and then through a conventional driveshaft on
these '55s that replaced the torque tubes from the earlier years.
The rubber meets the road through 235/70R15 white letter tires
mounted on steel wheels with chrome trim rings and centers.
Last of the first series 3100s. Classic good looks in Maroon,
chrome and wood. Sweet interior with a headliner and modern stereo.
Come on down and check it out.