We see a few Chevrolet “Advance Design” pickups here at Barn Finds, and their condition ranges between spotlessly clean and some that look ready for the crusher. This 1951 model is a long way from perfect, but it is also a project vehicle where work stalled after the owner completed some of the more complex tasks. It has been sitting for years, and the owner has decided that the time has come for it to head to a new home where someone can complete the work he has started. Located in Brainerd, Minnesota, you will find the Pickup listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has raced to $5,250, and since it’s rocketed past the reserve, that new home is mere days away.
The Seacrest Green Chevy is a complete vehicle that offers a lot of promise for its next owner. It has a few issues, but none of these are insurmountable. These include sourcing and replacing some of the glass, while the timber and joiner strips in the bed have deteriorated beyond the point of no return. All of the exterior trim is present, and it all appears to be in a restorable state. The buyer will need to choose which path they are going to follow with the 3100. If they intend to retain it as an unrestored survivor, the plated pieces won’t need to be touched. It would also make a sound basis for a custom, rat rod, or restoration project. The panels have collected a few minor dings and dents over the years, but there’s nothing that would be classed as horrendous. There is a healthy coating of surface corrosion, but as you are about to see, rust is not an issue that will cause the buyer sleepless nights.
These old Chevrolet pickups have a few weak points when it comes to rust problems. They include the lower cab corners, kick panels, outer cowl, and floors. This 3100 wasn’t immune, but those problems are no more than a memory. The owner replaced all of these areas with fresh steel, and he has taken an approach that indicates how he had planned to proceed with the build. Once all of the new sections had been welded into place, he painted them in the original Seacrest Green but avoided covering too much of the original paint beyond the repair zones. It seems that he had planned to keep the vehicle as original as possible, and that is still an avenue that the buyer can explore.
The Pickup comes equipped with its original 216.5ci 6-cylinder engine, although the 3-speed manual transmission has disappeared. This six would have pumped out 92hp and 176 ft/lbs of torque. Neither figure is startling, but it is the torque delivery that made the 3100 such a capable hauler. It hits its maximum at a touch over 1,000rpm, and the delivery remains constant to beyond 2,000rpm. That means that owners didn’t have to row them through the gears because they would pull cleanly from very low speeds quite happily. As well as the lack of an original transmission, the Pickup has no brakes. It might take a bit of work to return the vehicle to a roadworthy state, but the owner is including some components that can help this project. These include a 235ci motor and a 4-speed manual transmission. The larger engine won’t bring any additional power to the party, but the torque figure will jump to 182 ft/lbs. That isn’t a significant improvement, so if the 216 is in decent health, the buyer might choose to simply bolt the 4-speed behind it.
When we take a look inside the Pickup, the interior is a bit of a surprise packet. It looks like it wears an older seat cover, but the door trims are new, and many of the painted surfaces have been refreshed. It is tidy and serviceable, and it doesn’t appear that any components are missing. There is no reason why a buyer couldn’t use it untouched. However, I can’t say that I find the black paint to be particularly attractive, so I would probably change that at some point. If the exterior remains largely untouched, I would find it hard to resist returning the interior painted surfaces to their original color, replacing the seat cover, and installing a new mat on the floor. A spotless interior would offer a striking contrast to the exterior, but that is a matter of personal taste. Your approach could be quite different, and it is these varying opinions that make the classic scene so attractive.
With classic pickups continuing to grow in popularity, solid examples will always generate interest when they hit the market. This 1951 Chevrolet 3100 has already attracted 26 bids, and there’s still plenty of time left on the listing for more action to occur. With its rust issues now a distant memory, this is a project that a new owner could tackle in a home workshop. It offers a variety of paths for the buyer to follow, making it an attractive proposition. I hope that one of our readers can buy this classic because I would love to see the finished product.
I could see a very enjoyable summer working on this old girl. Looks to be a great deal for a truck out of a very nice area of Minnesota. Envious of the next owner.
If you want to make it a little more versatile, there’s a kit available to retrofit a T5 behind the old Stovebolt.
The new owner is fortunate that the 4 speed has the hard to find torque tube adapter on the back. I had a ’51 Panel truck that I changed over from the 3 speed, after 150,000 miles it was pretty loose, to a 4 speed from a 1 ton, open driveshaft truck. I searched for over 6 months to find the adapter plate for the torque tube. This is a great truck. I sold mine with almost 200,000, all with 216 ci engines albeit two of them. :)
My dad and grampa bought me my first car, a 49 Chevy deluxe cab 1/2 ton. Should truck with four new tires and five spoke mags with the grey spokes and polished outer rim. Gave $400.00 for it back in 76.
I’d grab the 235 and install a T-5 behind it. The 216, I believe, has babbit bearings… where the 235 has insert bearings… better technology in the long run. I’d lose the front turn signals on top of the fenders and enjoy it basically as is!
I agree wholeheartedly with the 235 suggestion. The 235 in my first car, a 59 Chevy Biscayne 3 speed on the column, lasted for 300,000 miles without touching the engine in any way. My Dad drove it from 1959 when he bought it new until he gave it to me in 1969. I drove it for three more years before selling it to a co-worker at the 300,000-mile mark who drove it for another 5 years until it pretty much rusted out from under him. But that motor was still untouched with over 400,000 miles on it.
Regular oil changes in the old military-style oil filtration system attached to that engine kept the superior bearing technology you mentioned in that 235 in superior condition long after most other sixes bit the dust.
Yea 235, t5 5 speed, sand er down and blow a single stage green paint job on her. Most of these come to us with bad wood in the bed, do it yourself job of you can buy a kit, depending what level u want to take it to. Real nice truck!!
Good luck and happy bidding.
Cheers
GPC
I have a 48 with a four speed, torque tube drive train. Came from the factory like that.
Did this truck ever sell?