BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED EARLY '55, 292 6-CYL W/ CAM, 700R4, AC, PS, PWR DISCS, SUSP

1955 was a carry-over year for the Advance Design pickups, mostly due to the all-new models in showrooms, yet the older style soldiered on just in case. This lovely 1955 Chevrolet 3100 5-window pickup is not only the beneficiary of all those factory upgrades, but also plenty of others to make it an ideal combination of old and new.Styling was an evolutionary thing, and in 1954, Chevy gave their pickups a 1-piece curved windshield that updated the truck's look quite a bit. The bed rails are now flat, so it looks a bit sleeker, and there was a bit more chrome to dress things up. Wearing a very handsome coat of charcoal gray metallic paint, this truck has an honest look that'll fill you with nostalgia but still has a modern twist. Quite honestly, we rarely see them this nicely restored, but with prices on the move you'll probably see more of them in the future. Fit and finish are exemplary and nothing was altered from the stock specs on the exterior save for the color. The grille is beautifully polished, as it was when it was new, and dress-up items like the chrome bumpers, hood emblem, and even polished headlight rings give it a flashier look. And as with most restored pickups these days, there's a spectacular wooden bed floor that has been given a dark stain to accentuate the modern-tech look you see everywhere else on the truck.The interior is basic pickup truck fashion of the mid-50s, with a handsome bench seat upholstered in gray cloth and a surprisingly attractive dashboard. The most remarkable feature, however, is the column-shifted Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, which was added as an option in 1954 and only a small fraction of trucks were so equipped (this one now sports a 700R4, but the feel is the same). You'll note how much roomier it makes the interior feel and the steering column and angle of the wheel make it feel far more comfortable from behind the wheel. The gauges are from Dolphin: big, bold, and nicely detailed while the doors are a nice combination of steel and cloth upholstery for a bit of contrast. Heaters and radios were optional, but this truck carries an under-dash A/C unit as well as an AM/FM stereo radio that make it far more user-friendly on the road.Upgraded with a 292 cubic inch inline-six engine with a mild cam, the truck now carries a host of period upgrades that make it feel a lot stronger than you'd think. It's a surprisingly strong engine for a truck and with a finned Offenhauser valve cover and matching air cleaner, it looks racy under the hood. You'll also note a custom intake manifold and oversized carburetor, which make the old six really sing, and a split exhaust manifold helps add power as well. It has also been upgraded with an alternator and 12-volt electrical system. The 700R4 4-speed automatic transmission shifts well and makes this truck easy to drive under any conditions and with improved gearing, it's actually better on the highway than its manual transmission siblings. The front suspension is a Fatman Fabrications A-arm setup with coil-overs and rack-and-pinion steering, while the rear still hangs on leaf springs so it won't balk at carrying a few items home from Home Depot on weekends. 4-wheel disc brakes are a welcome up grade and it rolls on handsome Torque Thrust wheels and staggered 15-inch blackwall tires that give it just the right look as an old pickup.This is a very high-grade pickup with a superb restoration and a lot charisma, not to mention a very desirable list of features. Call today!