Vehicle Description
Oh, wow. Just...wow! Okay, now that I've picked my jaw up from the
floor, let's get right into this sinister, one-of-a-kind 1949
Chevrolet 3100 3-Window Restomod. Regular readers of the Streetside
Classics website already know that a TON of handsome Advance Design
pickups run through our showroom, but very, very few of them are as
KILLER as this murdered-out muscle truck. With incredible Metallic
Charcoal and Satin clearcoat paint, a custom Dagmar-style front
clip that gives it a Dracula vibe (or better yet, maybe Dragula?),
a bespoke leather interior, a fuel-injected 350 V8 crate motor, and
a lot of tricks up its sleeve, this might be the coolest 3100 we've
ever featured.
We've said it many times before: if you're going to paint a classic
vehicle a dark color, you need to invest the extra time to make the
bodywork as nice as possible, because you're going to get A LOT of
attention and scrutiny on your rig. Well, the pros who built this
truck did exactly that, spending countless hours in the body shop
sanding and smoothing the sheetmetal (the doors, fenders, and
running boards are all new) until it was laser straight and ready
for paint. Then they sprayed several coats of the most diabolical
PPG Metallic Charcoal paint you've ever seen, and spent another few
late nights wet sanding, buffing, and coating it with Satin
clearcoat it to give it a unique sheen. And my goodness is it nice.
The other thing is, it's incredibly slick, much more uniform than
most of the matte paint jobs we see - obviously the handiwork of
top-flight professionals. No graphics, no flames, no major
distractions from the clean 3100 shape that looks flat-out awesome.
Well, there is one deliciously obvious distraction, and it might be
the coolest part of the truck: the 1956 Cadillac Dagmar front
bumper that was incorporated into the front clip. Along with the
smoothed body, shaved door handles and mirrors, and roll pan rear
end, the custom work was incredibly well-executed, giving this
truck a bespoke, one-of-a-kind look that really brings in the
crowds. What little trim was left on the truck was covered with a
brushed finish that matches the paint, and the inside of the bed
looks like a dance floor - complete with interior walls and rub
strips painted to match the body, a cool built-in fuel filler that
fits flush so it stays out of the way, and gorgeous dark-stained
wood that looks amazing. There's just nothing on this truck that
wasn't finished to a very high level.
It's also a very comfortable truck to spend some time in, thanks to
a luxuriously finished interior. Supremely comfortable bench seats
were swapped-inside and wrapped in gorgeous black leather hides,
and they're split by a late-model Silverado center console.
Matching custom door panels include billet accents and custom
hardware, so it's easy to forget this is actually a vintage pickup
truck, and the entire cabin was lined with leather and suede
materials that make you forget you're inside a vintage pickup.
Rugged gray carpet ties it together in a rather handsome way, and
the polished tilt steering column is fitted with a custom
leather-wrapped steering wheel that really punches up the '50s
theme, and a dash from a 1959 Impala was expertly fitted and
painted to match the body. Inside that custom dash (which is
arguably one of the best Art Deco designs EVER), a full array of
Classic Instruments gauges were installed ahead of the driver for a
very trick look, and they keep a closer eye on the powerful motor
under the hood. The middle console is the truck's central hub,
complete cup holders, storage space, controls for the cold A/C
system, and a Kenwood touchscreen head-unit that powers a custom
sounds system with speakers and amplifiers stashed in the doors and
behind the seats. Bottom line, if you're looking for a long-haul
driver, this truck is definitely the right pick.
As you'd expect, this Chevy still carries Chevy power, by way of a
freshly installed 350 V8 Goodwrench crate engine that produces an
asphalt devouring amount of horsepower and plenty of torque. With
just 487 miles on the build, it runs superbly and looks fantastic
inside the custom finished engine bay. It's very functional, with
modern FiTech Go Street fuel-injection system, HEI ignition, a
Billet Specialties Tru-Track pulley system, Weiand intake, a big
aluminum radiator and electric fan, and a ton of polished and
detailed parts that really pop, including those two-tone Chevrolet
valve covers and matching air cleaner. The rest of the engine bay
is very nicely finished, too, offering slick painted inner fenders
and a smoothed firewall, providing a great backdrop for the bright
bits on the engine. The complete TCI chassis and suspension has
been upgraded with RideTEch coilovers front and back, polished
front A-arms, power rack-and-pinion steering, a polished 4-link
set-up in the rear, and Wilwood power 4-wheel disc brakes at the
corners. A sturdy 700R4 4-speed automatic transmission with
overdrive and a 9-inch rear round out the powertrain, leaving you
with no worries about reliability and transforming it into an easy
high-speed cruiser. The soundtrack is killer too, with ceramic
coated headers that feed a Magnaflow duals exhaust system that
turns-down just beyond the rear axle. Finally, blacked-out 20-inch
Detroit Steel wheels are punctuated with satin beauty rings and
center caps, and they come wrapped in sticky 245/35/20 Michelin
radials that plant the truck on the road.
Beautifully restored by the pros at Sparks Speed Shop, this custom
3100 Restomod has been featured in magazines and makes quite a stir
absolutely anywhere it goes. And with less than 500 miles on the
build, the party is just getting started. Call now!
