Vehicle Description
If you've been planning on building an old Chevy pickup, you should
probably save yourself the usual aggravation and just buy this one
instead. Featuring a 1954 Chevrolet 3100 5-Window cab, an awesome
color combination, a powerful 5.7L V8, and some choice luxury
options, it's exactly the way you'd do it for about half the price
of building your own. 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 the last decade, they're getting harder to find
by the day. The best ones preserve all that's great about the
original design and simply tweak a few design cues and update the
hardware underneath, and they totally nailed it with this one.
Following a full frame-off restoration, the builder chose matte
black paint which keeps it looking simple, 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. Finish quality is quite good overall,
with a clean bodywork and paint that is about right for a
commercial vehicle. It's all steel, no fiberglass reproduction
parts here, and the fit of the various pieces and parts is quite
good and it definitely has a killer street presence. Keeping the
horizontal chrome grille was a great call, giving this truck an
old-fashioned look that's even more appealing than the
color-matched grilles some of the cheaper trucks on the market, and
we absolutely love that the builders left the chrome bumpers fore
and aft. All that chrome isn't cheap, and it shows off a dedication
to build a high-quality, good-looking hauler. The warm,
rustic-looking wooden bed is surrounded by black walls and held
down with black rub strips for a cool look, the gas tank was
relocated back there too, and the tailgate is held up by chrome
chains. The clear headlights and running lights are fresh, while
out back the taillights are old-school hotrod style, installed just
above the bright rear bumper and dual exhaust exits.
Tan vinyl is always a great choice inside a black vehicle, and the
handsomely appointed interior of this pickup is light years ahead
of where it was originally. That might be the factory bench seat,
but it's definitely wearing a newer seat cover that uses pleats for
a proper period look and black piping that sets just the right
contrast, and the matching door panels at the flanks tie it all
together and help soften the interior a bit from the original steel
pieces. The carpets are plush and keep the elements at bay inside
the cab, while the dash was painted matte black to match the
exterior. Custom gauges from Dolphin fit into the original holes in
the stock dash, so no cutting was required to get that trick look
and a chrome three-spoke steering wheel with a thick black rim is a
comfortable amenity for the driver. A modern A/C system was
discreetly tucked under the dash and painted black to match, and an
upgraded tilt column was smartly installed to give the driver a
little more room behind the wheel, and the options list rounds out
with a fresh, retro-style AM/FM stereo nestled in the center of the
dash. It's not over-restored or fully luxurious, but it's very
comfortable and features an upgraded look and feel to this
5-window, making this the kind of truck you're going to have a hard
time resisting on the next sunny day.
A later-model 5.7L V8 slots right into the old truck's engine bay,
giving it a far more useful powerband for today's traffic than the
original powerplant. Topped by a big Holley 4-barrel carburetor
atop an Edelbrock aluminum intake, the engine breathes easy, and an
upgraded alternator and ignition system ensures that the block
cranks with ease every time out. Augmented with a modern belt
system that drives accessories like the power steering and power
front disc brakes, this truck really drives like a dream and is
ready for modern roads, and a thick aluminum radiator with a big
electric fan keeps the whole show nice and cool. Custom A-arms and
a power rack-and-pinion system means this truck is ready for the
modern road, and a 700R4 4-speed automatic spins a heavy-duty
10-bolt rear end, which is an easy fit in the back of this vintage
pickup. Stock-style exhaust manifolds feed a custom dual exhaust
system with throaty Magnaflow mufflers was recently installed and
the entire undercarriage with its powder coated frame is very tidy.
Obviously, the stance was modified a bit, and it really hunkers
down over those black steel wheels adorned with chrome Baby Moons
and beauty rings, all of which are wrapped in 225/75/15 thick
whitewall radials.
A slick vintage truck with the right features, why would you build
when you can buy today and start having fun immediately? Call
now!
