The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre 1955 3100 1st Series (restore as restomod) (CA)

Over 12 years ago, I restored a 1955 Chevy 3100 (1st Series) - it took me 5-years. A year later, it was stolen in front of my home. Three weeks ago, I finally bit the bullet and purchased a new one (see images). I bought it at auction (Bring-a-Trailer), and it is currently being shipped from the Seattle area to Santa Monica, CA. I should receive it sometime in early September, 2026. As I am waiting, I am considering options for this project and hope to get feedback from you.

For example, I am considering a complete resto-mod, starting with a bolt-on chassis. I know of Art Morrison and have been in touch with them. Seems pricey to me, and I have met other resto-mod people who advise to find a local fabricator who can develop the same/similar product at a lower cost. So, does anyone have advice or experience with Art Morrison versus going local to achieve the same/similar results. Happy to share my vision for specs. To be clear, my goal is not to build a hotrod or a frankenstein-looking truck. Rather, I want my truck to ride like it was built in 20267 but to look like a 1955 model. Also, I am not interested in speed. This will be an every-day driver with reasonable gas mileage and lower than average maintenance requirements.

Any/all advice is welcome.

Beautiful truck. Sorry to hear about the first one.

You asked for opinions, so hope you're ready to get what you asked for. Here's mine -- That *IS* a beautiful truck. Its a shame you feel like you have to molest it.

If you want to bolt sheet metal onto a more modern chassis (which results in a frankentruck, actually), why don't you start with a truck that isn't as beautifully restored as that one?

I have no driveability issues with my (mostly) original, unrestored truck. No, it's not as comfy as a modern vehicle. When I want comfort, I drive a modern vehicle. I like my old truck *because* it is an old truck and I have to have some skill to drive it safely and adequately in modern traffic. That's the appeal for me. To each his own, and its your truck to do with as you see fit. But personally -- I hate to see a nicely restored truck like that get butchered up into a franken truck that won't be worth what you paid for it as is and will never be worth what you are about to spend on the butcher job. And you will probably not get the comfort and driveability you are seeking.

There will be others who will support you more and tell you what you want to hear. And that's fine. I'm not one of them.



Just do yourself a favor and drive it around a little *before* you start hacking on it. See if you like it as is. Take a moment to enjoy the compliments you will get. You might change your mind ...

John

That is a beautiful truck and I'm sorry to hear about your plans for it.

Reasonable gas mileage: If you want to achieve more than around 13-15mpg, you'll need a new engine, transmission, and rear end.

Not interested in speed: The truck will cruise comfortably as-is at 55-65 mph.

Lower than average maintenance: What vehicles are you taking in to account to get an "average" maintenance number? I use my truck all the time and I do almost zero maintenenace on it at all. I greased the suspension last week. That's the only thing I've done on it in the past 2000 miles.

Frankenstein-looking truck: An AD truck with a modern frame, modern drive train, modern suspension, et al is the very definition of a Frankenstein truck.

There are plenty of AD trucks for sale with the modifications you describe already done. Why not buy one of those? If you want to build your dream truck yourself, find one in a field somewhere that you can gut and build from scratch to your liking.

Thank you, Peggy.

John: Thank you. And, yes. I plan to drive it for some time (prob 4-6 months or more) before making any changes. I remain open to driving "as-is" even longer, but my experience with my last '55 1st Series was not always positive. Because I want to drive and enjoy it every day, comfort and ease-of-use are most important to me. I hear you.

Otto: All fair comments. When I tried to resto-mod my last truck, it was a real fixer-upper, and that was part of the larger problem. To have a truck that would match my needs, I need to start with a truck that is not fatally flawed. The better the foundation, the better the outcome. But, I get your point. And, as I mentioned earlier and posted to John, I plan to drive it for some time before making any changes. Again, thank you.

Welcome back Jaison. Just a note that your post better fits here in the WC as it's really a reintroduction of yourself and introduction of a new truck to the community. Looking forward to seeing and hearing more on your experience with driving the truck as you decide future plans. It is a beauty just as pictured IMHO.

Should you decide eventually to follow the different path you mentioned, please start a new post in the HiPo Shop to ask your questions related to planned changes as that's the better forum for those topics.

Once again, welcome back.

John & Otto pretty much nailed it. If it was mine, I wouldn't do a thing to it except enjoy it. It looks like a gorgeous truck!

Dan: Really appreciate your guidance. Thank you.

Rich: I welcome any/all feedback. As you can see (above), in my responses to both John & Otto, the plan is to enjoy it for awhile before making any major decisions.

Jaison -
When I saw the pictures of your truck I knew you were going to run into a tough crowd here. Can’t say that I blame them , despite the fact that I drive a ‘54 resto that was bare frame 5 years go.
The thing is , when I acquired my truck it was an abomination modification that was not roadworthy and was basically a parts truck. I rescued it , and now I have a fun daily driver , Camaro drive train , etc.
That said , I personally could not bring myself to cut up that beautiful ‘55 series 1 that you are about to take possession of.
Not what you wanted to hear , and of course it is your truck , so …

@Waveski: I totally appreciate your feedback (and similar comments from others). I also restored (restomodded?) a 55 1st Series awhile back, and it was a mess when I started. In the end, I didn't enjoy the daily driving as much as I would have liked. So, I am leaning towards a contemporary chassis, motor/trans, etc. That said... the whole purpose of this post is gather input, and I don't intend to do anything for awhile. Feel free to offer any/all advice. And, have a great weekend.

Hello Jaison, what a beautiful truck. Great score.👍 Welcome John

How about this idea?
Drive this one for a year. If the previous owner put as much effort in restoring the mechanical aspects as he did to the body/paint and interior, chances are you will enjoy it.
If so, go out and buy another truck with great sheet metal for much less money and have that built on a modern custom frame.
There should be a two Stovebolt truck ownership minimum in my opinion. Otherwise I don't think one is truly serious about this hobby...
Add several smiley faces here. Apparently I am too stupid to pull that off today.

Two Stovebolt minimum???
Geez , the one project darn near killed me…

I agree with everybody who responded. Your truck is too nice to carve up. Drive it and enjoy it while you search for another candidate to build into your dream truck.

@John (JLucas): Thanks for the warm welcome.

@52Carl:One is enough for me (and my wife would kill me). Also, garage space here in Santa Monica, CA, is a premium, and my last experience was awful. I spent 5-years rebuilding a dream truck, only to have it stolen in front of my home. While the "dream" was great. The reality was less ideal. I had a lot of issues with it, which led me to believe that a daily driver needs more than just a restoration. But, I don't plan to do anything for awhile. And, before I make any big decisions, I plan to gather lots of feedback. So, thanks.

@Phak1 (Phil): Thanks for posting. I don't plan to do much for awhile. I can't afford the time/attention and storage for 2 projects. But, I do plan to make the most of this one.

Everyone... I just want to offer an update. My truck has arrived. The previous pictures were from the Bring-a-Trailer website, as part of the auction details. These pictures (attached) are from my truck, after delivery. As expected, everything looks great. This is a truck that was handled gently and brought back up to a high standard of restoration. As suspected, driving a 1955 suspension with a 70+ year old technology is fun. But, like any vintage vehicle, the quirks are clear. Driving during the day is a "cruise" (I am going slowly and don't plan to exceed 40mph for awhile or at least until I've worked out the kinks). Driving at night is somewhat problematic. The wiring jiggles and cuts in/out when crossing any bumps in the road. This will be a daily driver for me, because I adore it. And, just as with my last truck, the compliments (as I drive around Santa Monica) are constant. People have cheered me by the side of the road and chased me down the street to offer praise. I am very happy with the initial experience. However, my inclination remains. I do believe that a real daily driver (or day/night driver) requires reliability, stability, and performance (more than the truck currently offers). So, while I won't make any big decisions for a while, I am thinking of swapping basic elements to ensure what I need. In that vein, I welcome additional feedback. I will recall my initial post (above) that includes considerations of a new chasis, engine, trans, etc.

That is the one thing about trying to do shop stuff without a shop. Some of us are kinda lucky with having that luxury to spend years messing with something, closing the door when your work day is done.

I have been working on my ‘rusto-mod’ project for over 7 years. Parts from over 6 different trucks. A stock frame with C4 corvette suspension, engine and trans grafted in. Looks of an aged original, but a modern driver.

I have no guilt building my monstrosity, adding more modern comforts. It was a pile of parts to start with. We can give you suggestions, but it’s up to your enjoyment is what matters.

We only get a certain number of revolutions on this rock, and you should just do you.

@ChipO: Thanks. It's been fun getting back into this group and reading the feedback. I don't have a shop or a door to close, and I likely won't really turn a wrench (though I'll do what I can). So, this is all about being pragmatic, while still trying to respect the make/model/year.