Vehicle Description
1951 Chevrolet 3800 Panel Truck
"Advanced Design" 3100 pickups hit 147,756 such units produced for
the 1952 model year, making the half-ton pickups far and away the
most popular Chevrolet commercial vehicle that year. A war-weary
and truck-starved public was waiting when Chevrolet introduced its
redesigned truck lineup in 1947. The new models were a big
departure - literally - from the previous generation. The welded
cabs - not bolted together - were a whopping eight inches wider and
seven inches longer and had adjustable bench seating for three
across. The higher and wider cab doors were more user friendly, and
the bigger windows and windshield gave much greater visibility than
ever before.
For consignment, a beautifully restored example of the 1951
Chevrolet 3800 panel truck. With a correct engine, this once paint
company truck has been restored as a showroom example that drove
out into the world in 1951. With a respray in the original gray
color and a restored but used interior, not only can you haul the
goods, but you'll look great doing it!
Exterior
Starting this creation with its rounded fenders, under the door
running boards, bulbous hood and wide blacked out horizontal ribbed
grille, this truck remains true to its roots as a worker bee. Round
single headlights with chrome bezels are fronting the front rounded
fenders and just a few scratches are keeping it from being perfect.
The simple gently curved front bumper frames the bottom and on the
front of the hood is a near perfect Chevrolet badge. The hood backs
up to a split window front glass, and round side view chromed
mirrors on long stalks jut outward from the fronts of each straight
rust-free steel door that swing like safe doors, very smoothly with
well minded gaps. Just a little bit of paint chip off is seen on
the seams but mostly unremarkable considering the remainder of the
body work and paint condition. All dipped in a beauteous coating of
the original Battleship Gray and showing off some black painted
running boards that connect the fenders. On back rounded fenders
frame those beautifully painted black steel wheels and seamlessly
attach to the straight sides of the cargo area. A few areas of
paint bubbling are noted on the sides of the cargo box as well as a
few cracks in the paint particularly where the rear panels wrap
around to meet the cargo bay doors. On the back are twin doors that
swing open allowing access to the cargo area with small windows
giving visibility for the operator. Below these doors is another
wide gently curving pristine bumper complete with short stalk
mounted taillights.
Interior
A swing of the doors and what to my wandering eyes does appear??
Simple cardboard black door panels and a sewn arm rest vying for
space above a ribbed gray steel door. Shiny handles are within this
tastefully bumpy textural field and look just dandy. Inside, shiny
red oversized bucket seats are in the front. These float in a
bulletproof sea of rubber flooring, so you won't fret when your
muddy boots mess it up. Upfront a large black and taupe bakelite
steering wheel with 3 spokes in the middle fronts a perfectly
restored dash which is painted in tan. In front of the driver are 2
original gauges, one for the speedometer and the other has a
cluster of quarter round black faced and white lettered gauges for
fuel, battery, oil pressure and water temp. As we scan across the
dash plenty of horizontal ribbed embellishments with a peppering of
chromed and black bakelite knobs and pulls. Above is the correct
radio delete plate. In front of the passenger, the ribbing
continues as a covering for the glovebox. Below a heater box is
noted, and up top for the headliner is a solid smooth off white
that hangs proudly. Simple steel sides with reinforcement ribbing
covers the sides of the cargo area and for the flooring we see
stained, literally, oak planks with wooden slide rails.
Drivetrain
Under the hood resides some mechanical jewelry in the form of an
inline 216.5ci 6-cylinder engine. There is a 1-barrel carb attached
and covered with a black oil bath style air cleaner assembly and a
blue painted valve covering runs the length and tops a blue painted
engine block. Bolted to the back of this mill is a 4-speed manual
transmission which sends the power to the rear tires via a 5.14
geared rear axle.
Undercarriage
Too tall to fit on our lift but thankfully high enough to get
underneath, we are met with a mix of patina, surface rust, black
paint and road dirt covering the frame, suspension and flooring.
All else is looking rust free, structurally sound, and very nice
for this restoration. Leaf springs and drum brakes are on all 4
corners and the cargo area lining wood underneath is in very good
condition.
Drive-Ability
One has to adore the simple utilitarian design of these trucks with
the smooth vinyl, bakelite and sparingly used chrome. It fired
right up and off to the test track where it had nice smooth
acceleration, shifted effortlessly, and stopped on a dime. All
functions were working as they should, and it is definitely a head
turner. But it drives like a truck!
With such a wonderful job done on the restoration, it's no wonder
why it is difficult to just call it a truck. Back in the day a
truck was a truck, and it drives like a truck did in the 1950's
which is what makes it a classic that needs to be seen in person to
be truly appreciated. Ready to show or even advertise your
business, you can't go wrong with this built for the toughest jobs,
new and mighty Chevrolet right out of 1951
VIN DECODE
14JS14034
14-Baltimore, MD Assy Plant
J-1951
S-3800 Series
1-September
4034-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
