1951 Chevrolet 3100

As seen on Season Two of FantomWorks

Owner Insight:

I bought my truck in 1982. I had been looking for a restoration project for some time and answered a “for sale” ad in a magazine. Eventually after many phone calls with the owner (not cell phone calls), my wife and I drove out of town to take a look. We bought it and drove it home 175 miles at night without incident. It has been used on and off as a daily driver throughout many of those years as I continued what I call a “rolling restoration”. Antique trucks make up a small segment of the antique and vintage car restoration business/hobby and back in 1982 there were a lot less folks in the reproduction parts business than there are now. You really had to scour the junk yards in hopes of finding a good donor vehicle which you could strip for parts. I found those days to be the most fun. It was on this truck, back in the day, that I first tried my hand at body work, welding, painting, and mechanical work to include engine, transmission and differential rebuilding. While things didn’t always work out as I had intended, I had fun and learned a lot.

I met Dan a while ago, shortly after he opened his first shop after hearing an ad on a local radio station. We continued to chat on occasion and I visited him on the grand opening of his current location. Eventually the time was right, and with the encouragement of our sons, Dan I talked through the details and the truck was turned over to him for the final and complete restoration that was due. I’m not too proud to say that some of what I had done was “not quite right” (NQR) and Dan had to “redo” some of my work as well as help with issues I did not have the skills to deal with. In the end it’s all good. I’ve got a great looking and great running antique truck, made a bunch of new friends and had a blast doing it. If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t change a thing. My son has already brought his 1970’s muscle car by for some work, and I’m already talking to Dan about another project I have in mind. To all my friends at FantomWorks who have helped with my truck, thanks and keep up the good work.

–Craig C.

Explore the Project Galleries

Arrival

Strip & Metal Fab

Mechanical

Body & Paint

Detail & Trim

Finish

The 1948-1953 Chevrolet Series 3100 half-ton pickups benefited from a redesign that took Chevy trucks into a new era of comfort, convenience, and style.

Chevy’s restyled “Advance-Design” trucks were introduced in 1947, well ahead of its first new postwar cars, and little changed in appearance through 1953. The basic intent was to provide more room and comfort for occupants.

The cab, described as “Unisteel Battleship” construction, was larger in every direction. New extra-wide doors swung open on concealed hinges and extended down to cover the sills. Glass area grew considerably via a wider windshield, side windows, and backlight — Chevy called the result “Observation Car Vision.”

Features of the 1948-1950 Chevrolet Series 3100 half-ton pickup included advances such as interior door locks, better steering, and a roomier cab. Interiors were more colorful than ever before on a commercial Chevrolet, and the dashboard was functional and more glittery.

Mechanical conveniences included interior door locks, a large steering wheel, new steering geometry for less effort, more conveniently positioned foot pedals, an accessory radio, roomy glove box, and full needle instrumentation.

The 1948-1953 Chevrolet Series 3100 half-ton pickups also featured “four-fold ventilation” through the easy-crank-down side windows, cowl-top ventilator, foot-operated floor vent, and a fresh-air inlet on the curb side of the cowl.