The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Is a 3100 more valued than a 3600?

Just wondering. We bought a project 1950 Chevy with a 3100 badge on the hood, but with 8 lug heavier suspension. The minds at Stovebolt think that somewhere along the line, either the hood or emblems were swapped and that the truck is truly a long bed 3600.

Does this diminish the value?

Is the only difference between a 3100 and 3600 bed lenght & suspension?

If I had donor 3100 suspension, should I consider swapping it on to the truck?

Thanks - Dickson

Condition usually sets the value for a particular truck. Now that is said its "my opinion" that there are more folks looking for the "pickup" to fix up as a daily driver.
I love them all, and would like to have a big truck but I also know some of the parts, depending on what year, can be hard to find. However, if I saw a big truck in nice shape I'd wouldn't hesitate to offer or pay a fair price.
To be honest, I don't think there are enough big trucks swapping hands to get a good feel for it. Depending on CONDITION they usually go for less money......in "my opinion".

.....now lets see what the rest of the guys say!!

Yes as Alvin posted. The 1/2 ton's are more marketable than the
3/4 ton trucks simply because the rear suspension and drive
line parts are harder to find.
If the drive line has a center driveshaft support and an open
drive shaft from the support on back then it's a 3600. the
frame is also heavier in the 3/4 ton and at the rear
it's "narrower" than the 1/2 ton. Yes I said the frame at the
rear is narrower on the 3/4 ton than the 1/2 ton.

If you're thinking of trying to turn a 3100 into a 3600 then
what you will end up with is an abortion that will be worth
less than either one of them.
If it's a 1/2 ton that you want then keep looking till you find
one.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I own a 3600 and as a rule I would say the 3100's sell for more because they are smaller (fit in the average garage), are easier to find some parts for, and tend to be more available as a rule in many different conditions. You see a great deal of them hot rodded, a like number completely restored and a significant number of project trucks in between. It is a matter of choice, I like my 3600 and bought it to restore. The idea of swapping components is problematic, everything on the frame is different on both trucks. You would be better off to pick one or the other. As to your truck being a 3100 vs. 3600 run the data plate number through the Vin Buster in the Tech Tips section. My guess is if you have 8-lug wheels you have a 3600 truck.

Open drive line? My 1953 3600 certainly was not built with an open drive line.

Denny's description is correct, it states open drive line after the center support.

That's right Harry, if your stock HO52 rear axle in your stock
3600 don't look like this, then it taint stock:
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/121488063
Your stock '53, 3600 drive line is only enclosed
from the center support forward.
Denny G

whatever the case you will spend more money either way than you will ever get back out. You aren't going to MAKE money on this project, so the word VALUABLE is relative. If you like it that is the important thing.

I'll second (or third) the suspensions being a pain in the rump to find. I'm at a point now where I'm going to swap the rear out from tire to tire and put a 4 bar in instead of the leaf springs.

I am going to be trying to make this into a daily driver, so lower gearing is a must for me. As far as value goes, I paid $2500 for it and I think I stole it for that price. The guy I bought it from redid from the cab forward on the outside and rebuilt the original 216. He said that he paid $2500 for it to the original owner just to get it out of the field it was in.

All in all, I'm looking at putting another $5000 at least into it to get it to my daily driver. And that's before I start swapping out the front end for a Mustang 2. If I were to put a total of $10k into it, and was asked to sell it for that price, I don't think I would. But that's because I've already turned down offers for it for double my money already. Even if I was offered the $135k that was discussed in the 'Spoon section, I think I'd turn it down.

Thats good advise
if the data plate comes back as a 3100 then you have more issues then just the wrong hood badge.

Because of the open driveline & 8 lug wheels, I'm 99% sure it's a 3600.

It's a very clean, rust free truck, so well worth what I paid for it.

Just curious about what the "market" difference between 3100 and 3600 trucks is. Thanks guys. Dickson

If you satisfied that's the most important thing. Price depends on demand and for the most part the demand is for the 1/2 ton models. The dollar difference would be hard to put a number to in my opinion.

Are all 3100's three speed on the column or do you have to go to a 3600 to get four speed on the floor?

rfalk -- cool question as I'm working on that Tech Tip now.

Unless you are talking a '47 (3-speed on the floor), all 3100's and 3600's (from '48 through '55 1st Series) are 3-speed column shifts. You have to go to a 3800 (1-ton) to get the floor shifted 4-speed.

v/r
John

Where did that come from John????? Maybe I'm not understanding
the question, but.....about half the 3100's and almost all of
the 3600's that I've run across have an SM420 four speed.

And the 3100's had 4.10 gears and the 3600's had 4.57 gears.

Denny Graham
Somewhere north of Sandwich, IL

This page shows the 4 speed as optional in 3100.

That's correct Charlie, a 4-speed very well was an "Option", which was
ordered on about half the 3100's out there. But that still doesn't mean that:
"You have to go to a 3800 (1-ton) to get the floor shifted 4-speed."
or that "all 3100's and 3600's (from '48 through '55 1st Series) are 3-speed column shifts."

I hate to correct the Boss but then again we don't want to get
any missinformation started, do we??? I've been wrong before so
if I'm wrong this time, then please correct me.

Denny Graham
Somewhere north of Sandwich, IL

Agreed here Denny. The more correct statement would be the standard transmission is the 3-speed but the optional 4-speed is a very common upgrade of that time. Here in the west I have never even seen a 3600 with the column shift three the 4 speed is/was the preferred way to order or spec the truck. I would also agree that about 1/2 the 3100's here are equipped with the 4-speed. I like Denny purchased my truck from the original owners family and it was factory original with the 4-speed. Here on this 1950 salesman order book you can see it was a $50.00 option, I think option is the key.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/8335509814/in/set-72157631872034068

I've got a 3604 with a 3 speed column shift. Unless of course you're telling me that the vin on my truck isn't right (which is a possibility, I know). Was there a long bed option for the 1/2 tons?

There was no long-bed option for 1947-1955 Chevrolet Advance-Design 1/2 ton pickup trucks. So, there was no short-bed nor a long-bed in those 1/2 ton trucks (those terms are meaningless in those years).

3100 and 3600 trucks came standard with a 3-speed transmission (as posted above). A 4-speed transmission was a factory option (as posted above). The 3800s came standard with a 4-speed.

GMC New Design (47-55) 1/2 ton trucks in those years had a long-bed option in the 1/2 ton trucks (model 102 vs model 100 - in all ND years?).

Gentleman,
Sorry if I created confusion with my question. I am a newbie and am searching for a 5 window to restore. My preference is a floor shift and I wanted to know if I needed to narrow my search to certain models to find that option.

If I find a column shift truck to restore and wanted to convert to floor shift, I assume I could find a like year 4-speed transmission and switch out? Or, is it more complicated than that?

Thanks, bob

You are correct, Bob

Swapping 3-speed and 4-speed transmissions that were used in those years is not particularly hard to do. They must, however, be transmissions set up for the enclosed driveshaft.

Do not think you caused confusion. This is how you (and all of us) learn about these old trucks.

You are correct, of course. I should have remembereed, after spending a whole afternoon changing out the center member to get to 4.10. Thanks.

And if your the purist,weld up the holes that the column shift has in the steering column.Or you could get a column out of a 4 speed truck.


Tim

John's comment on three speed transmission is correct for standard equipment on 3100 and 3600 trucks. However, the 4-speed was a factory option on both 3100s and 3600s.

I was looking for a 3600 just because they are different, and was lucky enough to find one. the 3600 is about 500lbs heavier , has heavier springs and rides a little stiffer than the 3100, and also because of the 4.56 it rides and runs more like a heavier truck, the 4 speed includes a low granny gear and folks have told me it will pull stumps and even plows. the 3600 is also harder to find and therefore more unique. the longer bed (about 10 inches longer) gives it a different look. its kind of like having a big bolt but not as hard to find parts. I have just completed the mechanical restoration and really had no problem getting parts or fixing it with all the good advice we get here!
obviously i am biased and to each his own but if you get a chance to rebuild a 3600 you won't be sorry. By the way denny, thanks for the info on fixing the tranny ball joint leak.

Well I agree because I've only seen 2 3100's with the three speed. The four speed is way more common in this neck of the woods. 20yrs ago I could of bought an original 1952 3speed 3100 for $2500, the truck had been in that family since new & looked like it came off the show room floor(minus a few dings).I kick myself for not buying that truck. It's still in the area but only see it once or twice a year.