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Karl Nelson's1953 Chevrolet 3100 1/2-Ton |
21 November 2006
# 1728
From Karl :
This is my mid-life crisis. Instead of a Maserati, I bought a 1953 Chevy truck last year. I bought it from a good family friend, whose Father bought it slightly used in the '50s and then used it on the farm. I saw it tooling around my home town while I was growing up, usually in second gear. I would venture to say that it has rarely been driven in the winter - I know it sat in the garage in most of those winters in the '70s, and it was last registered around 1982. After that, it sat in a shed in Austin, Minnesota, where I found it.
I am from Minnesota and I've been sort of tracking the truck for many years. I have known the owner and his family all my life. The owner had not been so enthusiastic about selling his Dad's truck, but finally decided to get rid of it -- prodded by his wife. I was there. They were both happy that the truck went to someone they know. The price was reasonable and it was a good time for me to take on a hobby.
This 1/2-ton truck is in pretty good original shape, original paint, original floor in the bed, original motor, about 65,000 miles. Last summer (2005) after I bought it, I parked it in my brother-in-law's extra garage (what a tolerant soul) and went through the brakes and had the head overhauled. I also put in a new radiator, shocks, tires, and recovered the seat. Then I shipped it to our home in Sweden. There is a huge interest here for American cars from the '50s, but these old trucks are still a novelty.
These pictures of my truck were taken by a friend. They were taken on Midsummer Day this year 2006, and the light here in Sweden can be pretty stunning late in the day. The young boy's name is Måns Olausson, the older boy is my son Erik. The pictures were taken my Mån's father Per.
This truck has its share of small problems. The original wiring is not entirely dependable. The motor is due for a major overhaul. But it starts pretty well, I trust it enough to drive it locally. Check out more pictures on my web site!
You've got a great site!
Karl Nelson
"Organbuilder"
Bolter # 11172
Lidköping, Sweden
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