1950 Chevrolet 3100 Pickup Truck
Nowadays an integral part of American popular culture, the pickup truck came to be thought of as the 20th Century equivalent of the cowboy’s horse. Once viewed as strictly utilitarian commercial vehicles, they were seized on as ideal candidates for customising and hot-rodding in the post-war era. Today, like so many fashions that start in the USA, they enjoy a cult following worldwide. Having introduced its first pickup in 1918, Chevrolet overtook chief rival Ford, albeit briefly, as the USA’s number one producer in the 1930s thanks to its policies of technical innovation and aggressive marketing. Chevrolet was among the first to offer synchromesh transmissions and hydraulic brakes on its pickups, as well as an extensive range of colours.
Family isn’t just about blood relations. In the truck enthusiast world, when you spend a lot of time with people based on your mutual interests, you create bonds that are incredibly strong, and those people become more than just friends. The tale of Chad Fincher’s 1950 Chevrolet 3100 pickup is that kind of story. It starts with a gift from a blood relative, his grandfather, whom he admittedly had been bugging about the truck for over a decade. After a small restoration project on it in the ’90s, the truck had been sitting and Chad had his mind set on building it to new standards. He decided to leave the paint as is to give a nod to his grandfather’s restoration work on it. While it has imperfections, it was a great start for what was about to become a laid-out farm truck.
Year/Make/Model: 1950 Chevrolet 3100
Chassis:
Boxed and powdercoated stock frame with rear bridge notch
Front Suspension: Custom Lowboy Motorsports upper/lower A-arms, 1995 Chevy C1500 spindles, Slam Specialties RE-6 air bags
Rear Suspension: Custom Lowboy Motorsports dual wishbone 4-Link, Slam Specialties RE-7 air bags, Viair 450c compressors
Brakes: 1995 Chevy front disc conversion
Engine:
2005 GM 5.3L LS swap, Dirty Dingo belt drive brackets, Aeromotive fuel pump, Corvette fuel filter/regulator, Hooker ceramic headers, Borla dual muffler exhaust, Custom Lowboy Motorsports aluminum fuel cell
Transmission: 2005 4l60E
Rearend: 1970s Chevrolet C10 12-bolt, custom-length, one-piece driveshaft
Body:
Painted blue during 1990s restoration project, raised wood bed floor, custom farm-made rear bumper, LED taillights, relocated gas filler behind tailgate
Interior:
Classic Instruments gauges, Old Air Products air conditioning, Grant steering wheel, custom built/shaped bench seat, black Symphony Vintage vinyl with replica Impala inserts on seat and door panels by BW Upholstery, black German square weave carpet, one-piece ABS plastic headliner
Stereo: Kenwood amplifiers, 10-inch shallow-mount subwoofer and 6.5-inch component speakers. Bluetooth-only receiver. Custom enclosure built and audio installation by Creative Audio Werks.
Wheels & Tires:
Wheels: 15-inch steel
Tires: 205/70R15, Goodyear skinny whitewalls
Now that the truck Chad fondly calls “Ole Lady” has been finished with the major modifications he wanted, he says it felt great to show his grandparents the changes that were made to it. He expects that the Chevy will give him enjoyment and memories for years to come. The nearly 70-year-old pickup has made it to shows all over the Southwest including Lonestar Throwdown in Texas. In the time since its debut, Chad has been asked hundreds of times if the truck was built on a Chevy S-10 chassis like many others of this body style. His response is always the same. He says that in their conversations at the start of this build, he and Todd from Lowboy Motorsports wanted to prove that it could be done on the stock frame—so that is exactly what they did.
