Greetings!
I am starting my second restoration of my 1952 3100. There is a wealth of info and knowledge here, so I figured I'd join up and talk with y'all. Here's my long winded history....
My grandfather bought this 3 speed truck in 1958 from the local junkyard to replace his worn out model A Ford pickup. The original color was probably Armour Yellow. I can still see spots of it. The junk dealer sprayed it robin egg blue. The truck was used daily until 1970 when my grandfather bought a brand new truck. The 3100 was retired to farm only driving. As a kid, he'd take my sister and I out bouncing through the fields in it.
He gave me the truck in 1983. Money was tight for my family, so we had the local community college do most of the body work and a local guy paint it the maroon you see below. My father and I redid the bed in oak. My uncle helped us get it in driveable condition. I happily cruised it around our small Nebraska town for four years.
The summer before going to college, I thought I could hot rod the thing. I pulled the engine and set it down on the wood floor of our building. I rebuilt a SBC and slapped it in the truck with a floor shift 3 speed and 10 bolt rear. Later, I upgraded to a 4 speed. I never upgraded the brakes, suspension, or steering. As gas prices increased, I had to put the truck back in the barn for an extended stay. I got it back out when my daily driver died and I needed transportation to my first real job. I didn't want to buy a junker and figured it was a good excuse to get the truck out of the barn in Nebraska and down to KC. It's been running off and on since. The only smart thing I did as a teenager was to insist to my father to save the original drivetrain. I think we're going to go back to stock.
Stuart Malone
Last edited by Peggy M; 04/12/2025 11:48 PM.
