autoevolution
 

1949 Chevy 3100 Restomod is Worth As Much as a Fully Loaded New Silverado

The 2019 Silverado is the kind of full-sized truck that ticks all the boxes any self respecting workman could need, along with looks that wouldn't make it out of place parked alongside posh, luxury SUVs that their clientele like to drive. But in a game of top trumps, This 1949 custom modified Chevy 3100 has the new Silverado beat fairly easily.
Chevy Truck 21 photos
Photo: NFI Empire
3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup3100 Pickup
In its day, the 3100 occupied essentially the same market segment the Silverado does today. Making for the perfect work truck for the spry, young contractor to get from job site to job site in as much comfort as late 40s technology would allow.

Dubbed the Chevrolet Advanced Design, as humorous as it sounds seven decades later, this was actually a fairly advanced truck for its day. The two-door wagon version would become the basis for the Suburban of the period.

In its heyday, the 3100 came with one of three options of inline six-cylinder engines, as big, burly V8s had yet to cement their place at the top of full-sized pickup lineups by this point. Today, this 238 cubic inch (3.9 liter) engine has been fully rebuilt and is ready for as much cruising, hauling, or whatever you plan to do with, assuming you go out and purchase it.

Being a resto-mod, the engine is far from the only thing that's been breathed on by the people who restored this truck. Gone is the stock rear end. In its place is a more modern nine-inch rear end from a Ford, of all places. The standard transmission is now replaced with a 400 Turbo with a Lokar shifter.

Power brakes, power steering, and a four-link suspension all around ensure that this truck stops and corners relatively similar to a modern pickup. Except for this time, there's nowhere near as much weight. Autocrossing? Anybody?

The front end out of a Mustang II may not have been much to write home about in its original form, but inside this custom truck, it's more than enough for what's needed. A custom exhaust allows the engine to breathe efficiently and give that classic muscle car rumble in a package with a bed big enough for a few full-sized mattresses, at the very least. We doubt you'll want to haul anything more abrasive in a truck this nice.

The look is tied together effortlessly with a set of four Ridler 695 gray 18-inch wheels that wouldn't look out of place on a muscle car with an engine twice the size as this one. But luckily it's all in a package that suits it quite well. For the nearly $80,000 NFI Empire of East, Pennsylvania, is asking for this truck, it's a toss-up whether a fully loaded new Silverado would be any better than what we have here for you today.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories