If you’ve ever had any doubts about just how desirable classic pickups are, then you really need to look no further than this 1948 Chevrolet 3100 Short Box Pickup for confirmation of this fact. It is being offered for sale in an auction that initially opened at $2,000. Solid bidding has pushed this figure up to $7,376 in what is a No Reserve listing, while there are currently 205 people who are watching proceedings. If you feel like joining the party, then you will find the Pickup located in Waukon, Iowa, and listed for sale here on eBay.
It wasn’t that many years ago that I would’ve been looking at a vehicle like this, and my fingers would be itching at the prospect of grabbing hold of it and restoring it to its original state. Now, I look at this one and from a personal perspective, I just love what I see. I will not use the “p” word, but it has that by the bucket full. As far as rust issues are concerned, there is one very small spot in the lip of the driver’s side front fender, but not only has this been treated, but it looks like it is the only spot in the vehicle. The cab floors appear to be close to perfect, while the cab corners, lower fenders, and the sides of the bed seem to be free of any issues. Even the tail-board, which can be prone to both rust and dings, looks to be in great condition. The owner has given the panels a coat of clear, and it emphasizes the aged look of the vehicle. All of the glass is free of cracks or major problems, while the exterior trim and chrome carry the same aged look as the rest of the 3100.
To get the Pickup up and moving, what you get is a 216.5ci 6-cylinder engine, and a 3-speed manual transmission. Not only does this engine run, but it doesn’t blow any smoke, or make any odd noises. The clutch and transmission work exactly as they should. The owner supplies this YouTube video which provides a comprehensive walk-around, while it also shows the classic Chevy running and driving. From what we can see and hear, it all seems to be really positive. The owner has been driving it locally, and it seems that there are no problems with the way it runs and drives. That’s not to say that there aren’t one or two things that will need to be fixed before serious driving is undertaken. The Pickup is currently running of an auxiliary fuel tank, as the original will either need to be cleaned or replaced. More importantly, while the front brakes work well, the rear brakes currently don’t operate. I would be addressing this before I was tempted to take the Pickup out onto the open road. Having said that, I had a friend some years ago who owned and drove a car with a similar issue. She always said that as far as she was concerned, if the front of her car stopped, the rear was bound to. If it didn’t, then there were probably bigger problems than the brakes to contend with. I always used to graciously decline if she offered to drive me anywhere.
The owner of the Pickup has been driving with the interior in its current state, and there’s no real reason why the next owner couldn’t continue this trend. It might just be a matter of throwing a blanket over the seat to improve comfort, but if it were me, I would probably make a few changes to the interior. The upholstery on the seat and the headliner are both looking pretty tired, and both could stand to be replaced. The dash is complete, and it could essentially be left exactly as it is with no problems at all. However, if I bought the Pickup, I would be very tempted to restore the interior, as I think that it would provide a great contrast to the current exterior appearance. A new cover on the seat, a rubber mat on the floors, a fresh headliner, and a repaint of the metal surfaces would have quite an impact. Of course, all of this is personal preference, and your ideas could be very different from mine.
I look at this 1948 Chevrolet 3100 Pickup and have no problems understanding why it has generated so much interest. It is a solid vehicle that offers a load of possibilities, and I’ll be interested to know if any of our readers feel inclined to bid on this one. If they do, I wouldn’t blame them at all.
Why isn’t this near me?!?!?!?!?!?! I need one…… :( :(
I also really want a 60s beetle, but that is completely off topic… :)
Perfect choice, Chevy Guy-This is magnificent! But the current price of $7,700 with 22+ hours left for bidding makes one realize what Howard A.and others have been saying for awhile-it’s bordering on ridiculous in that you’ll have to refurbish the interior, refit a new gas tank (fuel system?) and probably refit or upgrade the brake system after doing a mechanical once-over for imminent issues of any old ride. But if you can pay you get to play…..
May have to stick with finding old(er) motorcycles!
Yup, i agree… This is way to much for me now…. I need one at the most 3500 bucks. I don’t know if that price is ridiculous or what..
God Bless America!
Sorry, that was confusing… I meant can you even find one for 3500 bucks anymore.
Wow this thing is nice. Looks like the 216 Babbitt pounder stayed together for 71 years with out a oil filter. Tells me they were great engines. Dream time is over but would love to have it.
With that body so clean, it would only take a couple of weekends to address the metal issues and get it ready for paint. Yes, paint. Because I like a truck to be a truck. Two tone that thing, dark green with black fenders. Single stage enamel. Nice and simple.
Doesn’t need to be a show truck. But I do like to have a vehicle be useful.
Also, that price is what it is. People will pay whatever they choose to. Thankfully these are much cheaper locally in the $2-3K range.
I hope someone wins it that loves it,…but just to be clear, I am with Vegaman, needs painted badly,……rust by any name is rust…..call it whatever you like, and like whatever you desire,……….but don’t try to glorify it and use a fancy term.
……………IMHO
I’m with vegaman and RB. paint it in a couple weekends work. Single stage paint job. Fix the brakes in a few hours, new cyls etc. Go easy on the Babbitt pounder and it will serve you well. Highway speeds will kill it. great cruiser for someone! Good luck to the new owner!
Cheers
GPC
I’m definitely in the respray-it camp. Single-stage from the local hardware store and have at it. Yes, fix the rust first. That engine sounds pretty good. I’d be tempted to clean it up and give it a touch-up. Other than that, drive it. I admit that this one sounds better than the one in my ’49. This one has an extreme rarity in that the door handles are completely horizontal; you get one of them more than two or three years old and the handles are already starting to sag. These are a classy truck fixed up. Just about any color looks great. Myself, I would probably repaint it that calf-scour yellow with dark brown fenders. Fix the gauges!!! I cannot emphasize that enough. I’ve seen more serious electrical problems come out of ancient guage clusters than the entire harness. They’re fairly easy to work on and I have seen some good dial decals along with odometer numbers available for reasonable prices; you don’t really have to remortgage your house to pay for them.
Calf-scour? Sounds scary geo.
LOL! If you grew up on a farm you likely experienced sick livestock, and consequently, know all about calf scours. And yes, it’s scary…
My long deceased bil had a 48. The trans was non-synchronized. Him not being a gear head always ground the gears when shifting, but he only used it for occasional trips to the dump. My dads 54 was full syncronized and much easier to drive.
God bless America
I agree too!!! Paint the truck!!! It’s in good shape body wise and needs to be brought back to its former glory!!! Do the mechanicals and drive the tires off it!!! Great find and an original 70 year old motor!!!
Hard to argue with any of you folks. It’s good stuff like this that brings out the best in all of us. Great truck!
sold-$8600.
Endless amounts of time on the net may find you something, Chevy Guy. At your budget it’ll take some looking and time in the shop,once you found something worth your time and effort.
Here’s a couple link of what is typical on the nearby Craigslist for instance..
https://reno.craigslist.org/cto/d/sparks-1961-chevy-apache/7036821866.html
https://medford.craigslist.org/cto/d/blue-lake-ton-chevy-flatbed-dump/7034210627.html
Keep looking and don’t give up.