1947 Chevrolet Series 3100 Pickup
Today's base pickup trucks have all the creature comforts available in consumer cars. But "back in the day" they were mostly bare bones utilitarian vehicles reserved for the working class and farmers. Today, those work trucks are seen as classics with their simple design, flared fenders, and tall, rounded profiles. The Advanced Design Chevrolet trucks, ('47-'55), were produced in big numbers but not broken down by gross weight. In 1947, 335,434 trucks were built and we're betting a good percentage of those were 3100's.
For consignment, a 1947 Chevy 3100 is a coat of purple paint and housing a 400ci V8. Here's one that's good enough to show and user friendly enough to run errands in. Its striking hue and lowered stance makes a bold statement and its staked bed has lots of possibilities. If you're considering a classic truck, add this one to your list!
Exterior
Grape Metallic is the color of choice here and you won't find many in this confident color. And of course, this was not an option in 1947. But the shiny paint looks great and is contrasted by the thick and wide chrome grille, the bumpers, and the headlight bezels. Chevrolet is emblazoned on the front followed by a polished metal midline that intersects the V-shaped windshield. The wood planks in the bed could use some restoration or leave as is and load stuff up! The stakes are in great shape and the taillight treatment here is a pair of simple oval lights mounted below the tailgate. The truck wears stagger sized aluminum slot wheels, (14 and 15-inch respectively), with wider tires in the back. There is a ball hitch, metal step plates, and two side mirrors. Imperfections include some curb rash on one wheel and very minor bubbling on three areas of paint, hard to see and not detrimental to the overall appearance of this purple shiner.
Interior
Another nice choice of color here as the Saddle colored panel on the purple painted door presents a nice contrast. The doors themselves and the painted metal dash will need to be included in your polishing routine if you want to maintain the current shine! The split bench seat is covered in the same saddle vinyl that is textured and in great condition. We note the ostrich also covers the back wall, the entire headliner, and down the A-pillars. A 3 spoke wood steering wheel and share the column with the shifter. Two retro Dolphin gauges sit in the purple dash, surrounded by brushed nickel rings. The rest of the dash is standard fare with a metal slatted speaker and glove box. A modern Sony head unit with AM/FM/CD is mounted under the dash. Low pile tan carpeting covers the floor and footwell walls smoothly.
Drivetrain
A 400ci V8 produced sometime between 1970 and 1973 is under the big hood. It receives fuel through a 4-barrel carburetor and sends power to the rear wheels via a TH350 3-speed automatic transmission and a 10 bolt rear. Power, yes power disc brakes are up front and power drums in the back. The engine bay is a clean, driver quality presentation and everything is easy to access.
Undercarriage
Driver quality clean under here as well with typical surface rust in places but nothing invasive with the exception of some flaking on the back bottom side of the cab and one other spot on the inner rocker. The dual exhaust travels a short distance from headers to stock style mufflers where it immediately dumps via chrome tips under the truck. Coil spring suspension resides up front while leaf springs are in the back. Dampness check reveals some fling marks from the front U-joint and some seeping from where the gas lines enter the gas tank.
Drive-Ability
A few presses of the pedal to prime the 4-barrel and a turn of the key and the truck fired up with a powerful sound through the short exhaust. There's no heat shields or sound deadening to hide the rumble and we love it! Onto the test loop we went, riding low like a car but sitting tall in the cab. We notice the engine is missing quite a bit so keep our time short. We note the horn and taillights are not working.
We now know this truck will need a bit of TLC, but visually it's a great looking truck in an uncommon color and striking interior! Good luck finding another one with this combo! This would make an ideal truck to take to the next level for a father and son type project, or keep it as it is, get that engine miss taken care of, and drive the heck out of it!
14EPG1406
14-Baltimore, MD Assy Plant
EP-1947 3100 Series
G-July Build
1406-Sequential Unit Number
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