1953 Chevy 3100 Resto Mod - Rat Rod - Hot Rod, 1/2 ton pickup truck 5 window GM ZZ 383, ( 6.3 L) 425 HP / 447lb.-ft torque crate engine Nothing is chromed. Ugly air cleaner.
Single Holley Street Avenger 770CFM carburetor part #0-8077 770 704R Automatic overdrive transmission, 2400 RPM torque converter. 8-ball stick on floor (yes, it's automatic)
Sanderson cast iron headers. NASCAR type Cherry Bomb X - Pipe. Flowmaster mufflers. Custom bent exhausts at 2-1/4”
Griffin Aluminum Radiator (good for 600 HP) with built in transmission cooler. Automatic functioning electric cooling fan. 180 Degree F thermostat.
Lokar shifter and linkage 3.42 rear axle ratio, open differential Heidts independent front suspension and motor mounts. Crossmember for frame rigidity.
Front power disc brakes, master cylinder and booster. Rear drum brakes. Mustang 2 power rack and pinion steering Front anti-sway bar New rear shocks
New 5 lug rear axle (replacing 6 lug axle) relocated to suit wheel wells and new wheels Wheels: Ansen Sprint 15 x 7.5 (x4) Aluminum Slots (5 lug) and one steel spare wheel.
Polished Aluminum wheels sanded to achieve a vintage, subtle not-a-show-car look. Mickey Thompson (RIP) tires - 5,000 fast miles. (It took 20 years to catch his murderer….)
KC Highlights “Daylight” driving lights. New fuel tank and sender. Mooneyes Tachometer. Ididit custom length, polished, tilt, steering column with built in turn signal switch.
Steering universal joint and bearing, modified to fit. Billet Specialties 15.5 “Banjo” style steering wheel. Dark grey leather, half wrap. (You had to be a really skinny farmer to fit
behind the original huge steering wheel)
Original bench seat is gone, replaced with Audi All Road leather bucket power heated seats... the most comfortable seats in any car, ever.
120 volt AC plug-in Battery Tender. 12 volt charging system. Cabin outlet for electronics. Cool original optional windshield visor sunshade…distinctive and often very welcome.
All original dashboard instruments — all working well enough — Headliner: must replace…. Paint: creamy matte white, nice vintage patina showing subsurface rust, as intended.
No dings, dents or accidents. Original chrome parts have been gently aging for 67 years. Bright chrome on bumper-mounted driving lights and left and right side view mirrors.
Wooden bed stripped to raw wood, now aged to driftwood gray, in rat rod condition Heater: Works but wear warm clothing. No air conditioning... open the windows & vents.
Climate control: see above. Radio: none Electric windows: No. Cranky window cranks. Windshield Wipers: 2 speed, slow and slower. Seek shelter or wait for improved weather.
Handling: Tracks dead straight. Downhill sharp turns are not the Old Girl’s strong suit. Performance 0-60: Single-digit with a good tailwind. 0-100: ?
Top speed seems to be limited only by wind resistance and your nerve. Don’t park on wet grass facing uphill or an icy patch. Trust me, you’ll be stuck. Truck is very nose heavy.
GPS: No, bring lotsa maps No backup camera, but the cabin’s rear window works well. Fuel consumption around town, don’t ask. Highway: count on 15 mpg / 200 mi range.
Security Alarm. The Old Girl is over-insured for a fixed amount of $65,000. If you agree to steal the truck and not get caught, I’ll give you the address and a free AAA membership.
Do not expect any modern conveniences or fresh technology. The Old Girl is celebrating her 67th birthday this year. She’s had a heart and lung transplant, a few aches and pains
dealt with and been shod with new shoes. Despite the fire-breathing power train she is a graceful old lady… the only clue that she might not be just an old truck is the lowered
front end, the Ansen slots and the menacing hot rod era tires. And the sound.
The Old Girl is at once fun and intimidating. You will make a new friend at every fill-up. Little children (lord knows how they know) will wave and smile and yell “nice truck” from school
busses. You'll wish you had had it when you were 17. Neighbors will complain that it’s too noisy — it is. But in the same breath will want to know the year and “what’s under the hood?”
The explosion when you start her makes those nearby jump. When only a visiter (not an entrant) at a car show she becomes an attraction… perhaps because she’s more
approachable than the actual shiny official entrants. Valets at fancy restaurants will relocate the Ferraris and Lambos and park the Old Girl conspicuously upfront. Somehow, people of
all ages and interests see something in the Old Girl that calls to them. Best of all is the look on the faces of sports and muscle car drivers at impromptu stoplight encounters.
The accompanying photos show the good, the bad, and the ugly. The truck is a rat rod; don't waste your time or mine if you're looking for a show car... not that it couldn't be. But,
truthfully, you don't need this unique power train in something just for show. It came into my possession right off the farm and with the same money I spent on her, she could have been
restored to original shiny glory, even with the an ubiqueous 350... like so many other 3100s. It retains its flaws because I wanted it that way. And I never forget she's a truck. This beast
has hauled everything from firewood to flowers, concrete block, manure, lumber, kids, and all the rock to build the stone walls you see in the photos at the farm.
I did not want a precious showgirl. She had to wear blue jeans and work. But, of course, more than that. I built her as a Q-ship: An old lady... a survivor from back when radios had tubes
and you had to wind your watch. Old, designed to get older-looking... why else the crappy, matt paint. Every day it gets to look more and more exactly what I wanted. And as a result, she's a sneaky grandma. Sneaky fast and loud. What fun. If you don't share this nuttiness with me, she's not for you.
Yes, I'm sure it's clear, I love this truck. It has irresistible personality, strong presence, absence of any real amenities, it is flawed, maddeningly idiosyncratic, and has near matchless
power. Panache without flamboyance. The Old Girl is friendly and ferocious. You, too, will fall in love.
