It’s amazing how one minor issue can see a classic vehicle being left to languish in a barn for countless years. That is the fate that befell this 1953 Chevrolet 3100 Pickup. A minor mechanical malady saw it spend many years sitting forgotten and neglected. It has now been returned to good health, and it is ready to be driven and enjoyed by its next lucky owner. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, it has been listed for sale here on eBay. The Pickup has created plenty of interest, and strong bidding has pushed the price along to $8,000. However, the reserve has not been met.
Before we look at the overall condition of the Pickup, I’d like to address one potential question. Now, I could be wrong on this, and I am happy to be corrected if I am mistaken. The Chevy has been advertised and titled as a 1953 model, but I have a feeling that this could be wrong. The Serial/VIN on the title doesn’t seem to gel with the information that I have on these numbers for a 1953-model. I am willing to believe that there has been an error in transcribing the Serial Number at some point and that the first two characters should be “KP” rather than “KB.” That has led me to believe that this is actually a 1952 model 3100, and the badge on the hood, while not a 100% guarantee, would also tend to support this belief. What are your thoughts? Anyway, I know that we have readers who feel that the word patina is over-used, but you would have to admit that this is a vehicle that has it in abundance. The Juniper Green paint has worn away quite heavily, revealing bare steel that now wears a coating of surface corrosion. The owner says that beyond that corrosion there is no rust, although I think that there might be a few minor spots just beginning to appear in the rear cab corner on the driver’s side. Otherwise, the floors and the rest of the body look to be nice and solid. It appears as though the owner has treated the corrosion to prevent further deterioration, and to preserve the vehicle’s “aged” appearance. The panels wear a few very minor dings but are essentially pretty straight. The timber in the bed has rotted and will need to be replaced at some point if the Chevy is to be used for its designed purpose. The grille also sports some damage, but the rest of the chrome looks like it is in decent condition. The glass also looks quite nice, with no evidence of cracks or major scratches.
The Pickup was used on a regular basis by its original owner until it was laid low by a failed starter. As so often happens, the Chevy was parked in a barn, and the owner never quite got around to fixing the issue. The vehicle then sat for many years until it came into the possession of the current owner. He proceeded to perform a long list of mechanical work, including replacing the starter, and the 3100 has now roared back into life. It features the 216.5ci six-cylinder engine, backed by a 3-speed manual transmission. As well as replacing the starter, the owner also installed a new valve cover gasket, a new water pump, all new hoses, new tires, a new battery, rebuilt the master cylinder, rebuilt the original carburetor, and reconditioned the fuel tank. The end result is that the Pickup now starts and runs smoothly, and it seems that it is ready to resume a life of active duty.
The presentation of the interior is in keeping with the character of the rest of the vehicle, although the seat has been treated to a new cover. Once again, it appears that the owner has applied a coating to protect the aged appearance of the metal, and it all looks very serviceable as it currently sits. There is no reason why it couldn’t be used immediately, but from a personal perspective, I would be very tempted to install a rubber mat on the floor to protect the existing steel from any rubbing which might cause the corrosion to become active once again. It would also be tempting to recondition the wheel, as it does have a number of obvious cracks. It could be left as it is, but now that it has started to crack, there is a real chance that it could deteriorate quite quickly if left to its own devices.
This Chevrolet 3100 Pickup is a vehicle that is dripping with character, and I’m sure that there will be plenty of our readers who would be happy to drive it untouched. I’m also sure that we have a solid collection of readers who would use it as the base for a rat rod or a custom project. From my perspective, I would be tempted to fully recondition the interior and replace the timber in the bed, but leave the rest essentially untouched, because I think that this work would provide a really nice contrast. Everyone will have their own ideas on this one, and it will be interesting to see what your thoughts are.
Buff it, Clear Coat it, Tune it, & Enjoy It!!
Leave the paint alone, Like Tucker said, clear it, maybe satin
Put a new crate powertrain in it, and make sure the suspension is solid
Than away you go
Some things are better left alone
It’s hard to believe that the engine bay is that much clean, I don’t mean clean by dust but rust or anything else. Very nice tempting pickup!
No wonder the hardware store was out of rattle can clear. Well, Could be a ’53, I think it’s a ’52. I read, ’53 had “3100” on the hood, but who knows. Nice little truck, same old thing, it’s a 1953 Chevy. I see oil coming out the gear shift, very common when these were wound out on the highway. Resto-mod central.
My ’53 3800 has that numerical badge on the side of its hood.
Couple of things stand out: firewall looks either repainted in a first class way, or original paint that is completely untouched and preserved, leading me to think that other than being sun baked, this was a pampered vehicle. Looks to me like it has already been clear coated or oiled.
I’m sure that’s a ’52 model; the ’53 had 3100 on the hood sides. But I also say that Chevy was pushing trucks out the door so fast that things got ahead of them. It could be a late ’52 which might have been sold as a ’53. It doesn’t matter all that much because there was little difference otherwise. The engine is the correct babbitt-pounder but I’m sure that it’s running a 4-speed manual; the 3-speed was column shift.
I like this truck but it’s way out of my budget. However, if I WAS able to swing it. I’d be inclined to at least give it a respray and fix the grill. That’s plain ol’ RUST on it. Clear-coating it just drives the rust inward where it gets really nasty. Give it what it deserves and drive the hell out of it. It will haul what ever you want anywhere you want, and come back safely although not too quickly. But then, who wants to drive one of those at 80 anyway?
The push-button door handles give it away. They were new for ’52.
Nice as is. I’d leave it alone and use it.
Geomechs is correct; floor shifted Chevys of this era were 4 speeds, with first being a granny gear.
Handsome. Replace the grill, bed wood and maybe respray the interior and DRIVE.
The patina haters will find that this will go for much higher than they think because people are actually paying for the way it looks now and not factoring in a re-paint.
I agree. And anyone who thinks clear coating it will somehow invigorate the rust has forgotten what rust needs to spread. It needs oxygen and water, those two things are blocked out by the clearcoat. Problem solved.
Two words: Icon Thriftmaster!
Nice truck. Paint is a personal thing. 216/4 speed=work truck. I really love the 54 model with one piece windshield better, to say nothing about the upgraded 235 engine that was in my dads.
God bless America
I learned to drive on on this era of Cheverolet Trucks ,on the farm before I was even a teen ager. What’s not to love about this truck. I think if I actually saw it in person, nothing could stop me from buying t.
Push-button door handles, “Chevrolet” badge on hood. If the hood is original, this can only be a 1952 model. The 1951 model has pull-down handles.
BFD. Another old Chevy pickup. Why does this one look like someone
armor-all’d the sheetmetal?!
I know the 216 was last used in cars in 1952, but not sure if they went another year in trucks.
The 216 soldiered on for ’53. There was a running change toward the end of the production run where they changed to the full pressure 235. Of course the Corvette had the new engine from the get-go. I shudder to think of the disaster they would’ve had if they decided to use the old babbitt-pounder in that…
Wow! The poor old girl was parked because the starter gave up the ghost? Pop& I ran an auto electric/general garage back in the day & those old foot pedal starters, 9 times out of 10 it was just the solenoid switch that failed. Very easy fix unless you’re simply not “mechanically inclined”! Ha Ha Ha! Very cool Chevrolet though……
Clearcoating patina is nearly as bad as having your classic wrapped in faux rust vinyl. Looks like the seller even went after the engine with the clearcoat. If you’re going to have a clapped out looking sleeper, then just have one. If you’re going to paint it, then paint it right. OK…I feel better now.
I bought a ’51 half ton panel truck with 140,000 miles on it. We drove it another 100,000 miles. At some point the 3 on the tree shifter just fell apart and locked up in first almost every shift. My wife got very tired of me sliding underneath and hammering the shift rods lose. I was given a 4 speed out of a ton truck. Do you know how hard it is to find a 4 speed of that era with a torque tube back plate?
I finally found one that had been running a Chevy powered sawmill!
It was a great truck but in the 60s and 70s the Smokies stopped almost weekly, “Hippy Van”.
Hippie van. I could tell you a heck of a story about my cousin, his van, a couple of hippie-type friends and the border crossing. It’s hilarious but unfortunately it would likely get censored.
to Geomechs,
When we bought the panel it had “Sleep In, Eat Out” in 6″ high letters on both sides. We spray painted over that immediately. It must have been used by a hotel/dining establishment. :)
The guy we bought it from, after counting his money, said he wouldn’t drive it across the street. We drove it coast to coast. It did use 30 quarts of oil, bad rear main seal.
Restore, Restore, Restore!!!! Please, make it look like it just left the factory!!