So here's my story on the 54 3100. I bought this while I was laid up after a near fatal motorcycle accident last August this was kind of a a rehab project for myself as I was off work for five months.
The truck was bought basically in boxes from a family in Oxnard who had owned it at least since the early 90s. The young man I bought it from had no time for it as he had a couple of new young ones. He had inherited it from his father, I believe it lived here as a working farm truck. It had holes rusted through the sides of the bed and the rails were rotted. It had a hole rotted through the front cab corner passenger side and the front passenger fender
was pretty wrinkled but over all the bones were pretty solid.
So after about a month or two of reteaching myself how to weld, hadn't welded since high school in the 70's, the bed was finished. I bought a cheap paint gun from harbor frieght and some not so cheap primer and paint . Through the magic of youtube and alot sanding I painted the bed and replaced the oak. Turned out ok.
So i continued to the cab and frame. The frame had surface rust so I just cleaned it up as best I could and painted it with POR gloss black. I also did the inside of the cab with POR 15. The cab parts were pretty shot so I bought new knobs, cables, etc. from LMC, The Filling Station, and Classic parts.com.
By the time I got to the cab and front fenders I was getting pretty good at body work and paint. I did alot of hammer and dollly work on the fenders so I was able to save all the body parts except the front grill, splash gard and hood latch panel. There was minimal bondo use.
As for the mechanicals All I had to do Is rebuild head. The previous owner had the engine engine built complete with new pistons but it sat so long the valves were sticky. I rebuilt the front end, including king pins, drag link, tie rod ends, and stock drum brakes , new wheel cylinders . It has a new stock master cylender, good luck finding a banjo fitting for that, and brake lines. The original carb was super cleaned and rebuilt by Guarantied Carburetor out of Florida.
So, long story longer, 98% of the truck was done in my country garrage and kept stock. Net return, a semi rehabed old body, a great looking, driving stock 54 chevy 3100, and a awsome new 2 stage compressor.
http://s1056.photobucket.com/user/skybound1/slideshow/1954%20Chevy%203100
