1953 Chevrolet 3800

1953 Chevrolet 3800

This one-ton stake bed truck was a labor of love for the prior owner, ho got it, nd its history, rom his Uncle. The original title copy (see photo) shows the truck was first purchased by the Hickory City Schools in Hickory, C, ack on Sept. 30th of 1955.

The truck remained with the school, nd saw regular utility use up until the mid 70's, hen it was retired to indoor storage prior to being purchased by the previous owners Uncle at a County School Board sale. The truck was still operational, nd was driven and enjoyed for twenty odd years until personal issues caused the truck to be parked and stored yet again.

The last owner purchased the truck from his Uncle in 2000, nd brought it down to Florida to make it "as-new" again, nd create a reliable show truck that could be driven and enjoyed again. The truck was completely disassembled, own to the last nut, asher, ood slat, nd wire, nd everything that could be cleaned, erviced, enewed, nd reused on the truck was set aside.

The engine had seen the end of its journey, nd could not be rebuilt with the level of reliability needed, o it was scrapped, nd a 235.5 in-line Chevrolet 6 cylinder engine was sourced, tripped, nd rebuilt from the internals out to go inside the truck. This 235.5 OHV six puts out 112hp and 200 ft. lbs. of Torque. It has been dressed with a couple of chrome items for appearance.

At speed, he truck cruises right along with no issues, nd is really happy in that 45-50 mph sweet spot. It is a great truck for local and in-town use, nd would require a rear gear ratio change if you wanted to drive it regularly on the interstate.

LMC, rothers, ar-K, nd other companies were sourced for any OEM or replacement parts that were needed, nd the receipts folder included with the truck has most of them in it. The chassis was completely stripped, edia blasted, nd prepped for a new coat of black paint. All of the suspension components, prings, heel cylinders, teering parts, nd other underside pieces are all either new, r fully refurbished original parts.

The chassis is clean, ainted, nd finished out like stock, nd would need only a good wash jobto make it look even better than it already does. It shows light oxidation on some of the metal, ut it simply scrubs off with a brush.

The 4-wheel drum brake system on the truck was refurbished from front to back, nd carefully adjusted to stop the truck with minimal fade, ander, ulling, r drama. Wheels are factory steel rims, ainted cream beige, nd have chrome trim rings and center caps on them. The rims show light markings on the outside edges from mounting the tires, nd the chrome units look like new with no damage.

Tires up front are Futura Scrambler LT sized LT245/75R16. They are clean, amage free, nd have just over 4,100 miles on them.

In back, set of Futura Enforcer M/T tires was installed, ize LT245/75R16 as well. These are mud and snow style tires that are pre-drilled for lugs for farm and field use. The lugs are not included, nd none were ever installed, ut it was a nod to how they used to set them up in the old days. Rear tires also have just over 4,100 miles on them since new.

The wood on the bed of the truck was completely removed and replaced with custom cut wood in the exact size and style as the truck originally had. The wood was treated before being installed and still shows wonderfully, ith no dry-rot, amage, r issues of any kind evident. All of the slats were new, s are the joining brackets, nd they are all made of galvanized steel that has the normal patina you would expect. The prior owner painted them black, hen realized that galvanized steel doesn't hold paint very well, o there are still a couple spots of black paint on them!

All of the door handles, xterior trim, right work, eadlight rings, nd surrounds were replaced with OEM new parts. The fuel filler cap is older, nd shows light patina, s do the 3800 emblems on the sides of the truck. All lighting from and back is fully functional, nd the trucks entire electrical system was completely replaced with all new components during the restoration. This includes wiring, use panel, onnectors, nd wraps.

Glass on the truck is in exceptional condition, nd has no chips, racks, r damage. The vent windows show light laminate issues on the edges, s does a few millimeters on the edge of the rear window, nd that is about the only issue.

Windows roll up and down with ease on all new fuzzies, nd the doors and windows seal tightly thanks to all new weather stripping and moldings. The truck was painted black in a high-quality two stage PPG finish that looks wonderful, nd really helps show the clean lines of the original body.

The body is all original steel, nd there are no signs of bondo or patch panels. In fact, 4"x 4" felt covered magnet sticks toevery steel surface on the truck. All new interior panels for the doors and headliner were sourced from LMC and installed, nd they show very well, ith only light signs of age evident.

Dash is clean and shows great, nd all of the gauges are new in the cluster. These include FUEL, IL, EMP, nd BATTERY. The only non-functional gauge is the fuel level, nd there is a NEW GAUGE included but not installed in this auction. Rubber floor mat is in very good, ndamaged condition.

Gas, rake, -Brake, nd starter pedal rubber covers are in very good, amage free condition. An "EVERLASTING" vacuum assist turn signal control is mounted on the factory original column, nd it looks and works fantastic! Factory vacuum operated wipers work as they should.

The steering wheel is original to the truck, nd is showing cracks where the spokes meet the center cap. It was retained for nostalgia, ut you can buy an new one if you feel the need to replace it.

The factory installed deluxe heat and defrost unit functions as it should, nd is in great looking condition. The ashtray opens and closes easily, nd has been used at some point in the trucks almost 60 years, ut not anytime recently! No smoke odor, nd no other odors for that matter. Glove box opens and closes easily, nd the cardboard lining is in exceptional condition.

The seat is a factory original frame that has been refurbished, ith a new seat spring/padding unit, nd new cover. It looks and feels wonderful, ith no tears, eam pulls, amage, r issues. The emergency brake works as it should, nd the cowl vent control arm works as it should as well.

Overall, his is a great looking truck that would be just as happy in a car show as it would be hauling produce tothe local farmers market.

The truck is sold as is with three boxes of spare parts. You also get a stack of receipts from the restoration, opies of catalogs from the companies who stock parts for it, he original owner's manual, he original title and original service procedure guide for the series, complete specification and equipment manual, nd one ignition key.

The truck is presently at a secure storage facility in Birmingham, labama. Due to some personal health issues, put it up about two years ago, here it has been parked ever since. It's too good a truck to just sit there...it needs a new home.

If you have any questions about this great old truck, lease call Scott at 615-594-8657.