Vehicle Description
Vehicle to be offered for Auction sale January 19th - 22nd, 2017 at Russo and Steele's 17th Annual Scottsdale Arizona Auction at the Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Please contact us for more information.
By 1947, civilian vehicle production was back in full swing and many all-new postwar designs were well under development and readied for launch by the various American manufacturers to a hungry postwar market. Light-duty trucks were no exception. While Dodge and Ford rolled out new designs for 1948 and Studebaker followed for 1949, General Motors beat them all to market with the May 1947 release of its all-new truck designs. Twinned with their GMC stable-mates, the new Chevrolet Advanced Design models featured smooth styling, Unisteel Battleship construction, improved visibility, and a quantum leap in comfort.
Their significantly larger cabs were eight inches wider, with three inches more shoulder space, and measured a foot longer than before. Seats were now adjustable from front to back and accommodated three adults abreast. Wider doors utilized hidden internal hinge assemblies for a cleaner look enhancing the smoothness of the rounded over stylistic theme. The heater and defroster now drew fresh air from the outside. Visibility was drastically improved with considerably greater glass area by virtue of a wider windshield, side windows, and backlight, with Chevrolet advertising copywriters heralding these advancements as providing Observation Car Vision.
Interiors featured several color choices, and dashboards were more attractive and functional than ever before. Welcome convenience, security, and safety items included inside door locks, a large new steering wheel, revised lower-effort steering geometry, repositioned foot pedals, a useful glove box, full needle-display instruments, and an available radio. For 1947-1949, the sole power choice was the 216.5 cubic-inch Thriftmaster OHV inline six. From new, these sleek and stylish pickups were a hit with buyers and they continue to lend themselves extremely well to the customizer's touch.
This outstanding 1949 Chevy 3100 pickup is the product of a professional 6-year build, featuring a flawless steel body and exceptional paint. Inside the flawless recessed firewall and engine bay, power is delivered by a professionally built small-block Chevy 350 equipped with polished Aluminum heads, plus intake manifold and carb - all from Edelbrock - plus a March performance pulley system. Goodies include tons of billet and stainless steel, plus braided hoses. Spend gases are removed via ceramic coated headers feeding a dual exhaust system with Delta Flow mufflers. A Walker radiator with custom steel shroud and electric fan keeps the truck running cool in the Arizona heat. Power is delivered to the pavement by a Turbo 350 automatic transmission and a Ford 9-inch rear end. Chassis updates include a Heidt's front suspension, power rack and pinion steering, and power disc brakes.
The Chevy's curvaceous body was shaved, prepped, and finished in Corvette Torch Red and beautifully accented by a Horkney Custom Cherry wood bed with stainless bed strips, a recessed billet fuel-filler door with a custom Rock Valley stainless-steel fuel tank, a custom rolled pan, and sequential tail lights. In addition to cold Vintage Air, amenties include power windows, tilt wheel, Dakota Digital Gauges, remote door poppers, a custom bench seat with built-in storage underneath, and a killer Custom Auto-Sound stereo with 8 woofers. An outstanding, pro-built custom ride, this 1949 Chevy 3100 pickup runs and drives extremely well and marks a thrilling find at auction with all the work already done. Hop in, turn the key, and enjoy
