01 January 2014 # 3043

Owned by Carl Bush Bolter # 14803 Atlantic Beach, FL

1951 Chevy 3100 Shortbed

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From Carl :

This is my 1951 Chevy shortbed 3100 with the original 216 motor, original 3-on-the-tree shifter, and original 6-lug wheels.

I bought this truck in August 2007 in Millington, Tennessee, while assigned to the Navy Personnel Command. I spent two years in Millington as a geo-bachelor (my wife and kids stayed home in Florida while I was stationed in Millington). My lovely wife recommended I buy an old truck to occupy all my "free-time" while away from the family.

I first bought a 1953 1/2-ton from a gentleman in Dyersburg, TN, but could not get the vehicle registered as he had given me a title from a 1953 sedan. After a long and fruitless search for the truck's title, the seller offered to return payment for the truck.

The very next week, I found this 1951 truck advertised on the bulletin board at the Navy Exchange on base. I immediately called the owner, looked at the truck and purchased it that same day. This truck was cheaper than the 1953 and in better overall condition.

The individual I purchased the truck from had replaced the hood, doors and left-side fenders with those from a 1954 parts truck. He had intended to restore the truck, but his wife was injured in an auto accident and he needed to sell the truck in order to make his home wheelchair accessible.

The truck had the original seat covering and the interior had not been unduly molested (dash and radio opening have not been cut up). The truck chassis is nice and straight and, except for the hideous color, the body panels are solid and rust-free (don't let that little bit of surface rust fool ya ... purely cosmetic!).

Except for a few days on the back-roads of Tennessee for a drink or two at the Shake Rag watering hole, the truck sat in front of my hooch for the remainder of my time in Millington ... so much for "free time.".

In April 2008, I returned to Florida with truck in tow and have since conducted a frame-off “budget” restoration. I did all the actual deconstruction and rebuild myself, and farmed out all the things I have neither the talent, tools or time to attempt myself. My intent was to get the truck running as a daily driver beach-cruiser but, as the build progressed, I dug deeper into the wallet to satisfy my obsessive-compulsive disorder for doing things “right.”

I replaced the 216 with a 235 I found on Craigslist. The motor was out of an old panel truck which had rusted away around the motor. The seller poured some gas into the carb, hot-wired the starter, and the thing fired up!

I took the motor to Precision Crankshaft in Jacksonville, Florida for a complete rebuild. The motor now runs beautifully.

The tires that were on the truck literally fell apart at about two years into the build so, at that time, I pulled the axles, installed new bearings, inspected and re-lubed the differential, and rebuilt the drum brakes. I looked for a cheap set of tires just to see it through the remainder of the build and, whaddayaknow, found a set of Coker whitewalls at a garage sale on Craigslist. The tires were still in the original wrapping and are correct for the truck.

The only major change to the truck, as a safety precaution, was to install a power-brake booster and dual-chamber master cylinder so the truck will actually stop when I need it to.

My buddy, Bob Ramsey, installed the wiring harness and ensured the electrical system was A-OK. He also suffers from a bit of OCD and was absolutely meticulous in building the electrical system and securing all connections with watertight fittings. The electrical system, from front-to-back, looks like a factory install. Thanks Bob!

Besides the motor and the WWW tires, Craigslist also provided local sources for: a replacement hood; a “new-in-box” Chevy bow-tie tailgate; and two unopened boxes of Dynamat soundproofing for the cab. I got amazing deals on all these parts vice ordering from a commercial vendor.

My rebuild took three full years, working on the truck only one day each week (Saturday). The interior was made by Terry Brothers Auto Trim in Atlantic Beach, FL, while the excellent bodywork and flawless blue paint was performed by Auto Marine Industrial (AMI), also located in Atlantic Beach.

Reaching the end of my military assignment in Jacksonville in May 2011, and with orders in hand to a one-year tour in the Middle East, I pulled the truck out of the shop, put it on a trailer, and put it into storage for the next 12 months.

I returned from the Middle East in May of 2012, did some pre-op prep on the truck, got it fired up and have been enjoying driving it ever since. I still have a few bits and pieces to install to make the truck complete. My next upgrade is to install the Trique Mfg Altman Easy-Latches to allow my doors to close without having to slam them.

I did take a first place trophy at the very first Cruise-In in which I put the truck on display. I do prefer to drive it rather than show it.

I have lots of pictures of the rebuild and final results in my Dropbox folder, feel free to take a look.

Carl

Great write-up, great pictures. We have strong ties to the Auto Hobby Shops from various duty stations. Those experiences gave us the idea to start up this Virtual Garage and the concept of shared knowledge. Thanks for this contribution and thank you for your service to our Country (hubba dubba bubba guy! ). ~ Editor

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