Photo: East Coast Classic Cars
Generally speaking, car owners dread rust and are willing to do whatever it takes to keep the thing away from the metal of their vehicles. And then there are the ones who not only let it run its course but even try to make it a part of the builds and eventually earn a buck by selling them.
And we’re not talking here about those people who dig up vehicles from where ever in various degrees of decay. We’re talking about those who have made a name for themselves by fitting modern hardware inside otherwise unassuming, decrepit bodies, and often time selling them for more than the price of an average European car.
There is a term for this kind of build. Since they came about around the 1940s, we call them rat rods – cars and trucks that could easily go to the drag strips and impress a crowd, but look as if they’d been found in a barn somewhere after rotting away for decades.
And here’s one now, in the form of a pickup truck that is a perfect fit for our special coverage this February. We found it waiting for a new owner on East Coast Classic Cars, wearing a price tag of $18,500.
The body is that of a Chevrolet 3100 from 1951, an Advance-Design whose telltale lines can still be seen under the layers of peeled brown paint, dents and scratches, and the abundant rust found on pretty much every square inch of the metal. The truck's brownish appearance continues inside, where the unknown garage behind this build went for brown seats and door panels.
Despite the way it looks, the truck hides under the hood a powerplant one would expect from a custom ride: we’re talking about a 350ci (5.7-liter) V8 of undisclosed power, worked by means of an automatic transmission.
There is a term for this kind of build. Since they came about around the 1940s, we call them rat rods – cars and trucks that could easily go to the drag strips and impress a crowd, but look as if they’d been found in a barn somewhere after rotting away for decades.
And here’s one now, in the form of a pickup truck that is a perfect fit for our special coverage this February. We found it waiting for a new owner on East Coast Classic Cars, wearing a price tag of $18,500.
The body is that of a Chevrolet 3100 from 1951, an Advance-Design whose telltale lines can still be seen under the layers of peeled brown paint, dents and scratches, and the abundant rust found on pretty much every square inch of the metal. The truck's brownish appearance continues inside, where the unknown garage behind this build went for brown seats and door panels.
Despite the way it looks, the truck hides under the hood a powerplant one would expect from a custom ride: we’re talking about a 350ci (5.7-liter) V8 of undisclosed power, worked by means of an automatic transmission.
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