Owned by Dave Bosley "David Sr" Bolter # 11403 Felton, Pennsylvania

1951 Chevrolet 3100 Five Window Deluxe Pickup

"Four generations and still not for sale!"

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From Dave :

My Family-owned 1951 Chevrolet Truck

In 1951, my Grandfather purchased a brand new 1951 Chevy 3100 1/2-ton Deluxe Model pickup truck from Wheeler Chevrolet located in Hampstead, Maryland. He considered this truck to be his pride and joy and kept the truck in pristine condition until he passed the truck down to my Father in 1965.

While the truck was in my Father’s possession, a canvas cover was made and placed over the bed of the truck. This was done so the wooden floorboards would be protected while he drove the truck to and from work for the next 14 years.

In 1979, as a high school graduation present from my Father, the Chevrolet was passed down to me.

My family always joked with me that this was the very first truck I tried to drive because when I was little, I apparently was playing inside the cab and shifted the truck into neutral. A neighbor saw the truck moving and had to chase us both down and stop the truck. Though I was too young to remember this, I do remember learning to never slam the truck door while the window is down.

It was not long after I was given the truck that I started to dissemble the parts. With little knowledge of bodywork, I had truck parts scattered throughout my parent’s garage, our house, and my bedroom.

As time went on, I started to lose interest and the Chevrolet was not getting close to being re-assembled. A few years passed before I finally got the “itch” to start working on the truck again.

There was also motivation from a neighbor constantly telling me I would never put the truck back together. I was determined to get the family owned truck back to its original condition.

In 1986, seven years later, the truck was finally re-assembled. Many milestones happened during those seven years. I had married my wife, Susie and together we brought our first child into the world. Happy to have a healthy baby boy, I was glad to have someone I could pass the family truck on to when he came of age.

Susie and I also brought a second son and a baby girl into the world a few years later.

With the kids growing up fast and getting involved in their own interests, I decided to do a complete restoration of the 1951 Chevrolet truck. The year was 2006 when I started this project. Down to every nut and bolt, the truck was going to be bead blasted, sand blasted, and everything else that needed to be done to make it pristine. I even had to re-design my barn into a garage, paint studio, and many other stations to make this transformation. With the help of a professional, who later came to be my best friend, we set to work. We used the Stovebolt site, along with others, to gather information that I had lost in the past. 

Today, all my children have graduated from higher education and are venturing off in pursuit of their own dreams. My wife and I could not be more proud of who they are becoming.

As for my dream of resorting the family truck, I feel as if I have succeeded. With hard work and the help and support of my family and friends, the 1951 3100 Chevrolet truck is completely restored while still containing the original wooden floorboards.

Admittedly, my restoration led my old Chevy into being a "Trailer Queen."

I have been involved with AACA and VCCA clubs. In 2012, the family Chevy won The Best Of The Best for 2012 with the VCCA.

Dave

This is a gorgeous truck. Dave submitted the picture for the 2014 Stovebolt Calendars. We couldn't stop there. We needed to hear the story. Impressive. You need to see it full-blown! Gorgeous. ~ Editor

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