William Bevins' 1952 Chevy 3104 5-Window Stepside -- A great restored old truck

Here are a few pictures of my '52 Chevy 3104 series 5-window Stepside pick-up which I finished in April of this year.

There are a couple unique facts about the truck. It was built 38 miles from my home in Flint, Michigan in 1952. It has 15,644 total original miles on it since new. Also, the original wood used when manufactured was re-installed by me. The vent windows were eliminated (I like the earlier windows and trim better). It has full stainless exhaust. The seat is original.

My truck originally was bought new by my uncle, who passed away some time ago. Then my Dad become the new owner. When my Dad died in 1994, I became the owner. I owed it to them to make her into a little lady. It took 12 years to accomplish that. One of the biggest reasons for taking so long, I went for three years without touching it, because I had open heart surgery (getting five by-passes) and that took considerable strength from me that has never returned.

Now, I am not an amateur at body repair or painting. I owned my own bumpshop for many years (30+). After that, I went to work for GM Engineering Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. I worked on many concept cars and trucks there, also a few NASCARS, (notably Dale Earnhardts, #3 for the Daytona 500 race -- which he won). It was the 50th anniversary of NASCAR and all cars had to have a color change. Dale's black #3 was painted red, white, and blue. Proudly, I was one of the two painters to paint his car. For the real kicker, I got to drive it from the semi to the paint shop, with security in front of me and following me. Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was my hero in NASCAR drivers and it will never be the same without him.

My job there also entailed getting all make of GM cars ready for auto shows and painting pilot models.

I did a complete frame-off restoration in my shop. I replaced many of the panels, complete floor replacement and made the cab corners. Some panels were made making a pattern and wood dies. I would hammer-form and make my own parts.

It is an all metal-truck, as I metal-finished every square inch of the truck. The only fillers I used were lead. I did replace both cowl sides to include the inner panels, replaced full floors, formed my own L-R cab corners then used lead on them. The rest of the metal was picked and filed straight. I taught metal finish at the GM Engineering Center several years after having the body shop. All the work and painting was done by me and I have documented it as well.

I didn't care for the Fulton outside visor since the truck is rounded and the Fulton visor didn't look right. So I altered a rounded visor from the '49-'50 Chevy passenger car and it did the trick. I did have to work a disappearing peak into the visor to match the truck cab. Then I made a mini bowtie out of stainless steel on a bridgeport machine.

Pickups-N-Panels did a magazine article when I wasn't even half-way done with it.