Short-Bed Half-Ton Advance Design: No-Reserve 1949 Chevrolet 3100 Pickup























Today in Riegelsville, Pennsylvania, the annual Fall Roll Out car show took place, marking the end of the car show season in Pennsylvania for the year. With that, the point of emphasis in terms of the automotive scene shifts from the show field to the shop. One vehicle I've been interested in building (on top of all of the projects I already own, no less) is an Advance-Design pickup, and this 1949 Chevrolet 3100 short bed would be a cool project. Find it here on eBay in Cavalier, North Dakota, with a little more than three and a half hours left to bid.




















After a full redesign in 1947, Chevrolet's full-size pickup trucks (nicknamed Advance Design) received a minor update late in the 1949 model year. The Thriftmaster and Loadmaster names were swapped for numbers based off of cargo capacity: 3100 (half-ton), 3600 (three-quarter ton), and 3800 (one-ton). This 1949 Advance-Design pickup is a 3100 model, and is one of 1,037,600 trucks built for 1949. Resplendent in a patina'd light blue, there a few dents and minimal rust, but otherwise this truck is fairly solid. The back window glass and passenger-side window glass is missing, and the wood in the pickup bed is shot. I would repaint the truck in light blue and build it up as a restomod similar to this truck here. 




















Taking a peek under the hood, a 216 Stovebolt inline-six resides under this truck's hood. Rated at 92 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque, the seller makes no mention of whether or not the engine runs. Backed by a three-speed manual transmission, the engine appears to be fairly complete, but as previously mentioned running condition is currently unknown. I would either build up the 216 with some speed parts or source a Vortec LL8 DOHC I6 from a Trailblazer or Envoy and swap it in. I would also swap the three-speed for a TKO 600 five-speed manual for its overdrive capability, and box the suspension with modern components.




















Taking a peek inside, the interior is arguably the roughest and most incomplete part of the truck. The door panels are missing, the radio is gone, the seat is wet and shot, and the gauges and dash need restoration. The dash and gauges are at least there, and the seat frame is largely solid. The column-mounted overdrive is cool, and the floors are fairly solid. I would restore the interior and upgrade it to modern components in a stock dark gray interior. Overall, this truck needs restoration, but is largely solid and complete. I would build it up as a restomod and take it for some spirited driving, autocrossing, and show-attending. What are your thoughts on this short-bed Advance Design half-ton pickup truck?
Location: Cavalier, ND 58220, USA

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