Vehicle Description
1947 Chevrolet 3100 Pickup
After the relative success of the Plymouth Prowler in 1999, and the
legitimate success of the PT Cruiser, Chevrolet decided to try
their hand at a retro-styled vehicle. Prior to the introduction of
their 1947 Suburban tribute in the HHR, Chevrolet rolled out the
SSR in 2003 and for inspiration, they looked to the Advanced Design
Trucks of 1947-1955. Chevrolet produced more than 300,000 trucks in
1947 alone, and the popularity sparked Chevrolet's decision to call
on that truck for SSR design cues. But it's hard to recreate the
love for a true classic and only about 24,000 SSR's were sold over
a three year production period.
For consignment, a 1947 Chevrolet 3100 pickup with a 383ci stroker
under the hood and 450 horses on tap. Oh sure, it doesn't have a
retractable hardtop like the SSR, but you can't argue with the
classic lines of an authentically old truck.
Exterior
The prominent grille glows in front of the body which is bathed in
two stage Ruby Red Metallic. With a big front bumper, big Chevy
emblem, and big round headlights, you don't see much of the red up
front, but turn to the side of this truck and the fine paint
reflects light from the top surfaces of the bulging fenders and
bulbous hood. The bed is framed in right angles but the rest of the
truck, including the cab, is a series of rounded edges and curved
body panels. A wide running board connects the pontoon fenders, and
a glossy flat bed cover looks like a pool of dark red water. Struts
help lift the cover and under it we find honey colored wood planks
and aluminum rails in beautiful condition. Two sides of the
windshield cants to a center point while the rear quarter windows
add not only a classic five window design, but great over the
shoulder visibility. 15-inch Cragar wheels ride the corners.
Overall, the paint is in fantastic shape, and we did note some
scratches, chipped paint, and a ding that is also missing some
paint.
Interior
The gray door panels are a nice and simple design but do show some
usage and might benefit from a deep detail. The modern leather gray
seats in a 70/30 bench configuration are in very good shape and
include an armrest console that doubles as a storage bin and cup
holder. The street rod steering wheel shares the column with the
shifter and gear indicator and it all fronts a body colored dash
with two main gauges, while classic metal grating covers the rest
of the upper dash. Below it, Vintage Air has been added along with
an AM/FM/CD radio with AUX and USB, all on an added lower dash
extension piece in black. A parking brake is floor mounted in the
center and all surrounded by low pile gray carpet in good condition
matching the condition and color of the headliner above.
Drivetrain
Under the big hood, a spectacularly clean GMPP ZZ383 stroker crate
engine rated at 450 horsepower and fueled by a Holley 4-barrel
carburetor. The built 700R4 4-speed automatic transmission behind
it can handle 500 horsepower and holds a B&M Holeshot torque
converter. Power brakes are on board too, with disc up front and
drums in the rear.
Undercarriage
All clean and mostly dry underneath, we see one drop of oil on the
rear differential and that's it. Scattered surface rust is there
and components are dry and free of grease and road dirt. The
condition of the wood underneath is almost as good as in the bed
and most metal underneath is painted flat black. For suspension,
the truck has coil springs in front and leaf springs in the rear.
Headers begin the dual exhaust process which runs under the truck,
encounters a pair of FlowMaster mufflers, then turns to the sides
and exits in front of the rear wheels.
Drive-Ability
A prime of the carb and a turn of the key and the 383 fires up with
a raucous roar that is satisfying to the ear. The truck has
excellent acceleration, good braking, a comfortable, well lit cab,
and better than average visibility with those corner windows.
Tracking was straight and turn in on this truck that sits low on
its haunches is very good. All functions available on the truck
including lights, horn, gauges, A/C and more, all worked as they
should. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions
were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee
these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
Here is a spectacular classic truck with a potent stroker engine,
great paint, and everything you'd want in the interior, including
A/C! Americana automotive at its finest, a rust free truck that
probably looks better, and packs more of a punch than it did 77
years ago when it was your average post war pedestrian work truck.
If a classic truck is on your radar, be sure to add this to the
list.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
