Highly-sought classics can come in many shapes and forms, and one of the most coveted classic categories is that of older pickups. In the past, I’ve written about their growing popularity, and it is vehicles like this 1955 Chevrolet 3100 Short-Bed that stand up as proof of this. Located in Red Bluff, California, the Chevy has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has been quite frenetic, and with it now sitting at $4,100, the reserve has been met. When it comes to popularity and desirability, the figures simply don’t lie. So far 17 people have submitted a total of 33 bids on the 3100. In addition, there are also 176 individuals who are eagerly watching proceedings.
The owner of the Pickup points out that it didn’t start life finished in its current color, and this Teal paint appears to have been applied with a paintbrush. There are indications that it may have worn several different colors throughout its life, but I believe that it was originally finished in Bombay Ivory. The body of the vehicle wear plenty of scars and dings, but that is all part-and-parcel of life as a workhorse. It all looks repairable, and I don’t think that any panel replacement would be necessary. What the 3100 doesn’t have a lot of is rust. The supplied photos of the frame look really solid, while the prone areas such as the floors and the cab corners seem to have little more than surface corrosion. All of the external trim is present, but some of these will need some restoration. The front bumper is bent, but I’m pretty sure that the application of some brute force should return it to normal. It’s no great surprise that the wood in the bed has all rotted away, but looking around the vehicle, it appears that all of the glass is in good condition.
The interior of the Chevy is a pleasant surprise, because, in reality, it has no immediate needs. The dash is complete and unmolested, and like all of the painted surfaces, it looks quite tidy. The dash cap and headliner are both in excellent condition, while the seat wears a newer cover that appears to be free of rips or tears. The steering wheel has a couple of cracks, but I think that this could be restored quite easily. There is carpet on the floor, but I’m not convinced that this looks right in this particular vehicle. If I were to buy this Pickup, I might be tempted to refinish the painted surfaces if they didn’t respond well to polish, restore the wheel, and I’d also replace the carpet with a more durable rubber mat. Of course, your ideas might be very different from mine, and this is one of those things that makes the classic scene so interesting.
It appears that the mechanical configuration of the 3100 is original, meaning that we get a 235ci straight-six engine and a 3-speed manual transmission. With 123hp available, the 3100 had no real problems carting its rated ½-ton load. In fact, it was quite common for them to carry considerably more than that. Interestingly, the owner doesn’t provide much in the way of detailed information on a vehicle that has been parked for 30-years. However, he does suggest that it may be possible to get the engine running with a few hours of tinkering. To me, that sounds like the engine at least turns freely. Of course, it will undoubtedly take more than a little tinkering to return the Chevy to a roadworthy state, but I think that it is a definite possibility that the Pickup could be returned to the road without a major cash outlay.
This 1955 Chevrolet 3100 Short-Bed offers a world of possibilities to the next owner. Due to how solid it appears to be, there would be no reason why it couldn’t be returned to a mechanically roadworthy state, and then be driven and enjoyed as it currently stands. It could also make a pretty cool rat rod or custom project, while I think that more than a few people might be tempted to undertake a full restoration. With the ongoing growth in popularity of this sector of the classic scene, is this a vehicle that you would be willing to bid on?
You know, with as many as were sold, these will probably come out of the woodwork for years to come. Great find, a decent price, I think. I wouldn’t waste a cent on the original mechanicals. Update the heck out of it.
Agree with Howard but add paint to his list. One of the better looking of the early series.
Jeez…I’d buy it just for the cab corners!
Add the bonus of no chrome and it’s a beauty.
Get a repop fender and get it back to ivory….I think. Hate to lose the visual of the egg crate grille due to monochromatic treatment.
Hindered by shipping fees to NJ, but I love it.
Most likely grandpa’s truck that got parked after he did the front bumper modifications. There’s a lot out there – correct – but hard to find in this condition.
Painted with a brush brings back memories of an old fellow who lived in my small town in Texas. This was mid sixties, he had a 1950 Chevy 2dr sedan. He painted it with a brush every 2-3 years. The first time I saw it was painted green, the last time it was red with a white top. He passed away and the car disappeared.
A friend of mine said his dad painted an old chevy with a brush and gave it to him to drive to high school. He said he parked two blocks from the school so his friend wouldn’t see the car.
Nice ol’ truck because it’s unmolested as it has the 235 Thriftmaster
inline-6 coupled to the 4-speed on the floor (with Granny Low).
This is the preferred drive-train! Let’s hope someone buys this to
restore it as is, or restores it good enough to make it a terrific
daily driver, errand runner.
Anyone who knows me knows that I would do a driver-quality restoration in the original color and drive the heck out of it. That 235 and a 4-spd manual would take the likes of me anywhere I wanted to go, and at a reasonable speed. I often challenge those who want to change the engine/drivetrain to more modern components and ask why they refer to it as an upgrade; I tend to refer to that simply as CHANGE. For me, I’m in no hurry so why would I want to change what’s already there and in good working order to something that will cruise 10-15 mph faster? That six will do 55-60 and I’m happy. I can still go down the freeway in the slow lane, and I don’t get a lot of single digit salutes, especially from those who appreciate an old relic like this. Those A-HOs in the personal luxury cars that want to cause trouble are going to cause trouble with you no matter what you drive; I think those types have to take a course on being a jerk before they’re allowed to buy those inverted porcupines anyway…
I do admit that a slightly warmed-over version does look great…
Red Bluff is a nice town in the Northern end of the Great Central Valley ofCalifornia. There’s seldom any rust issues with cars from that area. My paternal Grandfather ( whom I never met) is buried there. We lived a few miles north in the Redding area. You’ll find a lot of these old pickups and cars around that area. This one has great personality. I’d keep the bent front bumper, gives great character.
God bless America
I’m a Hot Rod guy… however, a rig this solid and complete would tend to turn my imagination towards a mildly modified version. This body style is one of my favorites. I had a factory black ’57 back in the 70’s. It had a Camaro front clip, a Big Block with a 4-speed and American 5-spokes. This one would receive twin carbs, cast iron headers, dual exhaust with Porter steel packs, finned aluminum valve cover, side plates and air filters on the re-built 6 banger. A mild cam cut for torque and a Pertronics distributor would make all the power needed. I’d pop in a T-5 trans and a rear end gear, like a 4:11 or 3:73 ratio for more suitable highway cruising with the over-drive. I’d restore the interior as from the factory. The body would have to be restored as stock, painted, but I’d revert to the O.E. color with a satin finish. Steel wheels with chubby & tall profile tires and dog dish caps would make a rig I’d drive daily, including long as possible road trips.
We bought a 57 with the original drivetrain in it. Truck looks near perfect inside and out, but it was kind of hard to drive except for around town. So we are currently updating it to a 350 with a 5 speed transmission, power disk brakes, AC and a fuel tank under the bed instead of behind the seat. I believe it will be quite a nice driver as soon as it is complete… hopefully next week.
The 55 Chevy is my favorite!! And thanks geomechs for showing us what she could look like!!!
You’re welcome, Tim. I’ve taken pics for a number of years and with all the ones I have for this style, the only ones that are bone stock are Cameos and a couple of 4x4s; all the rest are full customs. Kind of like finding an original Deuce roadster…