Hi all! I'm new here and wanted to share some pictures and info for my '55 1/2 3100. I just acquired this beauty a couple of weeks ago now and I'm enjoying the process of bringing her back to tip-top condition.
Here are some pictures of the truck I took on the drive home (yes, I drove it home!):
Pic 1 Pic 2 Pic 3 Pic 4 Pic 5 Pic 6 Pic 7 As you can see, it's got a nice straight solid body. The body has been well cared for (for the most part) over the years, and there is relatively little rust and deterioration. There are some rust bubbles showing up along the bottoms of the doors and front fenders (typical). Unfortunately the previous owner didn't shelter the truck very well in Louisiana, and it's seen a fair amount of rain since it was last restored in the late 80's. The underbody is in suprisingly good condition and the cab floor and steps only have a bit of chipped paint and surface rust.
When they restored the truck back in the late 80's they did a nice job, and opted to keep it very original. In fact, it was such a nice restoration that the owner decided to keep it as a show truck. I do not know if it won any awards, but it was featured in a 80's antique car magazine called Classic Chevy World, Issued April 1987, Vol. 13 No. 5. I have a copy of the magazine page below:
Classic Chevy World 1955 Chevy Truck I'm not going to copy the whole description here, but it basically covers a brief history of the truck up to 87. According to the description, the exterior color is same as original (mariner blue), which was only offered during the 55 model year for this truck series. The truck was originally used to haul dairy creamer products in Nebraska. Parts of the truck were chromed during the original restoration (bumpers, headlight bezels, grill). It took 10 months to restore back then, and after that it was shown at the Chevy International Convention in Bloominton, MN, 1987.
The 80's restoration is showing it's age today, and much of the rubber seals/bushings/moldings are cracked and deteriorated. It looks like the windsheild and side glass is all orginal, and it is starting to delaminate and bubble around the edges. I'm guessing the big rear glass was replaced in the last restoration because it doesn't have any bubbles or delamination in it.
The chrome pot metal parts are pitted, but not beyond repair/rechrome. The 80s pine bed replacement is completely rotted through and will need to be replaced.
Inside the cab it is all original or NOS replacement. Original steering wheel, gauge cluster, AM radio, turn signal, heater/defrost controls. The original seat was recovered in the 80s, but is still original. For the most part, all gauges and knobs work fine. Exceptions are the speedo (not sure what's wrong), AM radio (missing speaker), and throttle "T" cable (disconnected/seized). Also the knob on the "TEMP" control is broken on the heater controls.
Mechanically, everything worked great on my drive home with one exception. The fuel lines had rust in them, and the fuel filters clogged during the drive, so I had to do a road-side fuel line flush and had to swap fuel filters at an Autozone.
The truck has the original 235 engine in very good condition. It seems to be leaking a bit of oil at the seams, but compression is fine and it barely burnt ~1/8 of a quart over the >1000 mile drive home. It has original style canister oil filter, oil bath air filter, points distributer, generator, starter, etc. Even the wiper motor is a working pneumatic motor. The 3 on the tree lacks a 1st gear synchro (takes a LOT of getting used to). The starter is a push-pedal starter, and without a working throttle knob it was a chore at times to start and idle on cold mornings. The parking brake cables were frayed/snapped which I'm replacing now. It has drum brakes all around and operate fine with the single cylinder master cylinder. Engine mount rubber is decayed and will be replaced soon. I also have a carb kit on the way. The carb has a very slow fuel leak so I'm replacing all the gaskets/seals.
All told, the drive went very well. I was pleasently suprised to find out that I avereaged 15 mpg. Not shabby at all.
My goals for the truck are to keep it as close to original as possible without sacrificing safety. The truck currently does not have seatbelts, so I will be installing some lap belts soon. Oddly it passed the Texas safety inspection without them. I guess they aren't required for these older vehicles.
I'm debating on whether or not to upgrade the brakes with a disk brake conversion, but for now, the drum brakes seem to be operating just fine. I'm also thinking about upgrading the rear-end ratio to get a more highway friendly ride. The truck drives up to 60 mph without huffing and puffing too much, but it would be nice to get it up closer to 70 for some of these long AZ highways. I'm guessing that I may need to upgrade the rear end if I want to do this.
Anyways, she'll never see a drop of rain again if I can help it, and she'll also be my weekend driver. Gotta love AZ for it's lack of rain!
Here is a full album containing all pictures I have to date:
Other Pictures
