Sometimes it can be difficult to determine whether a classic vehicle is truly popular, while at other times, it can be glaringly obvious. It seems that the latter is true with this 1954 Chevrolet 3100 Pickup because it has already attracted 31 bids since it was listed for sale here on eBay. It is located in Great Bend, Kansas, and all of this action has pushed the price to $9,150 in a No Reserve auction.
This old Pickup wears a coat of many colors, but hiding under this rainbow should be the original shade of Commercial Red. The panels look remarkably straight, but the big news with this classic is its lack of rust. There has been a repair in the driver’s side front floor, but the rest of it appears to be surprisingly good. These old things can be quite prone to problems in the floors and lower cab corners, but there is nothing evident with this classic. Repairing those sorts of issues is neither difficult nor expensive, but if you don’t need to expend the money and effort, that is never bad. The owner has restored the wheels and added trim rings, and these provide a striking contrast. He admits that he cracked the windshield during installation, but he includes a new replacement for the buyer to fit. He’s decided that he doesn’t know what he’s doing on that front, so he doesn’t want a repeat performance. This looks like it should be a straightforward restoration, but if the buyer wants to retain the Pickup’s existing character, I could understand that decision.
The person who applied the existing Blue paint to this 3100 was pretty thorough about it. It’s fairly normal for this sort of work to merely involve the exterior panels, but they did all of the door jambs, the dash, and every other interior metal surface. Once again, this looks quite serviceable, and it has no immediate needs. The seat cover is free from significant wear or damage, while the wheel seems like it would present well with a bit of TLC. The gauges are crisp and clear, which means that I can’t see any reason why it couldn’t be used immediately. If I were to buy this Pickup with the intention of leaving the exterior untouched, I would still be tempted to restore the interior. This is not a difficult task, and with fresh paint and a new rubber mat on the floor, I feel that it would offer a striking contrast to the exterior. The windshield will have to come out anyway, so that’s the chance for the buyer to wave their magic wand in there.
Powering the Pickup is a 235ci six-cylinder engine, while a 4-speed manual transmission is bolted to the back of this six. The owner says that while the engine block is of 1954 vintage, the cylinder head hails from a 1953 motor. He states that this swap increases compression and allows the 235 to produce additional power. I’m not sure about the validity of this claim, so I’ll leave it to our knowledgeable readers to enlighten me. I’m always willing to learn, so this is your chance to play the role of teacher. Exhaust gases exit the motor via a split manifold and a dual exhaust which the owner claims sounds amazing. He also says that the Pickup runs and drives well, with a transmission that shifts smoothly and brakes that will stop it on a dime. The vehicle appears to be comfortable cruising at around 50mph. The owner says that it will go faster, but it doesn’t feel as comfortable or happy. The buyer might consider swapping the rear end to improve this situation, but, once again, this is not a necessity.
Every time that I’ve looked at classic pickups like this 1954 Chevrolet 3100, I’ve wondered whether the bubble will ever burst. I’m becoming convinced that it never will and that they will continue to increase in popularity and value with each passing year. The downside of this trend is that they are becoming less affordable to anyone searching for a decent example on a budget. If you fit that mold, this is an auction that you should probably keep an eye on. With No Reserve to consider, there is a remote chance that this one could be one of those increasingly rare affordable examples. We can always hope.
Interesting place for a spotlight above the B pillar, have not seen that before.
My dad had one back in the 50’s. His was pale yellow with brown interior. 235 with granny 4 speed. It was the first year for one piece windshield and flat bed rails on the sides. The spare tire was mounted on the drivers side of the bed between the cab and rear fender with a notch made in the fender. Gas filler was on the passenger side with the tank behind the seat. It had 16″ wheels with straight front axle. His had a am radio in the dash and heater core under the passenger side dash. The battery was under the passenger side floor board and was a 6 volt negative ground system. He had a large heavy duty Bardon bumper on the back. That’s all folks.
God bless America
My Grandfather had a 54 as his daily driver. I always wondered why GM mounted the coil upside down. More than once I helped stranded drivers when the coil wire had fallen out.
Just waaaay to much money. Unless you want to drive it like it is and that is waaay to much money for it. I’ve been dealing and restoring AD style pickups, and even a panel, for 25 years and this one needs a lot of work and money to make it a nice daily driver. But alas, to each his own if you just have to have it.