If you are one of the many “patina” fans we hear about, we sure have a truck for you! This 1953 Chevrolet 3100 truck is being offered for sale here on eBay, but you’d better be quick as the no reserve auction is ending soon! Bidding has only risen to $2,375 at this point and the story-telling truck is located in Anderson, South Carolina, which was a charming little place when I bought a TR7 there in the late 1980s.
Based on the 1975 date on the license plate, this truck had been off the road for more than 10 years before I bought the TR7. And based on the visible rust, dents and general, well, patina of the body I’m guessing it didn’t live a soft life before then, either. Two different colors of paint show, with what I suspect is the original aqua color starting to make a comeback against the later blue. But the rust is coming up fast on the outside by the rail!
In some places, the rust is winning, like the bed floor here. What’s really interesting here is that as best as I can tell from brochures and current parts books, this is a replacement metal bed as the original would have been wood slats. I welcome any of you vintage truck experts chiming in here, though.
Some of you may have noticed the VW bus in the background of one of the pictures above. While the seller doesn’t have any of those listed for sale, they do also have a Barn Finds worthy 1988 Saab 900 Convertible listed as well, also at no reserve, and also going for <$2,500 as I write. Perhaps you could share some transportation costs with a Swedish car fan?
The seller notes that the truck has rust in the floor pans and that they need to be replaced. To show the full extent of that, they have pulled up the mat in this shot, and then…
…taken a close up of the ground. ‘Cause that’s all you can see here. I guess Mother Nature has saved you the trouble of cutting out the old pan!
The engine turns over freely but the seller states they haven’t tried to start it. Given the toughness of these inline 6 engines, I suspect it could be running rather quickly, however, there has to be some reason that the truck was taken off the road so long ago. Are you interested in finding out why? Members, how about sharing your best picture of a vehicle with patina in the comments — and the rest of you, please consider subscribing to keep the site open and let us see your pictures, too!
As much as I dislike that word, I’d have to think people that use that term, have their limits too. This is nothing more than a rust bucket that’s been sitting outside in the elements since most of us were in grade school. At least paint it clear.
Far as membership goes, I too urge non-members to consider joining. Not for the creators, who are surely millionaires by now,,( cough),,,but for the writers, who do a lot for us to enjoy, especially in times like these. We breeze through these posts, some we don’t even look at, but I know, it takes hours of research sometimes, and I for one, appreciate it. I mean, I’m not the only one that revisits old memories here( that Honda 50 stole the show). If faded paint and a few rust holes equals patina, my truck should, by rights, be worth $10g’s. Mmm, hmm, how come it never works out that way in the real world?
I agree with you about the membership. I just recently joined and have reallly enjoyed reading viewers comments. I for one am not a purist. While I will never be able to own one of these classics (retired military, and living on social security) I have driven some of them back in the day. I don’t care if a car has a few dings; that just means the car was driven and enjoyed. And that’s the bottom line for me. How I wish I had some of the cars from back then! Isn’t hindsight great.
Thanks for the kind words, Howard. BTW, I just picked up some Triumph TR6 bodies for my period T-Jets if this thing ends and you ever want to come over to NC. Be careful, though, ’cause you’ll end up coming home with a real one, just bring a way to get it home.
Also, do you have a slot track now? If not, drop me a note at tr6driver at yahoo dot com and I’ll fix you up.
Hey Jamie, sorry, now that I have my dual sport bike, the British roadster has gone the way of common sense. Thanks for the offer, but I have no business in a Triumph on Social Security. While the slot car track is tempting, I’m wondering if it’s as much fun as I remember?
Howard, up to you :-) Let me know if you decide to try it.
Nice write up Jamie.
Patina is a subjective thing that always seems to get comments here (me included). I have to say that, for some unknown, psychological reason, I seem to be ok with rust and dents on a truck but am kind of repulsed to see it on a car.
Any shrinks out there want to pick my brain?
I get it. I feel the same as you. This would be cost and time prohibitive for a restoration, for me.
As far as I know all these pickups had wood slats in the floor of the bed. Over the years they have been replaced by or merely covered over with metal or plywood or anything else that was handy at the time.
Excellent work, Jamie. But… you’re either coming up fast on the outside or you’re by the rail. Can’t be both.
Can you tell I’ve never been to a horse race? Thanks, Max! (seriously).
Yes, I am a member and the daily addiction is fed wonderfully. Thank you for the work…
Thanks, Glenn!