My Favorite Ride: Distracted by the rich patina of an old Chevy pickup

Laura Lane, The Herald-Times
·2 min read
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The textured patina on this vintage Chevrolet 3100 pick-up developed over decades.
The textured patina on this vintage Chevrolet 3100 pick-up developed over decades.

As often happens with old cars and trucks, this half-ton 1949 Chevrolet 3100 was neglected a lot of years, parked outside uncovered winter after winter.

Rust set in and the engine fell apart.

The truck ran great when the current owner bought it in 1978, but this time last year it was clear a decision had to be made: refurbish the old relic, sell it or haul it away for scrap metal.

The Bloomington man who owned the truck opted for fixing it up, even though the technical knowledge and time required both were lacking. With help, a lot of it, from a neighbor, months were spent making the truck roadworthy after many years being stuck in "Park."

This 1949 Chevy 3100 has been restored and is on the road.
This 1949 Chevy 3100 has been restored and is on the road.

It needed a new radiator, a clutch plate and in the end, a new engine out of a 1950 version of the same truck.

Instead of gift certificates, sweaters and house slippers, the owner received presents such as hubcaps, a window pane and upholstered seats for Christmas and his birthday.

That giant fender!
That giant fender!

The truck runs great, and it's found a new inside home; it seems the owner cleared out his garage to make room for a truck he bought 44 years ago because it reminded him of one on the farm where he grew up.

Chevrolet produced 345,519 trucks in 1949. The 3100 Series offered pickups like this one, and also panel trucks, canopy express trucks and Suburbans. A new Chevrolet 3100 pickup cost about $1,200.

A truck design introduced in 1947 featured what was called an "alligator" hood with horizontal grille bars that concealed the six-cylinder, 90-horsepower engine. The design stayed pretty much the same through 1954.

The hood on a 1949 Chevrolet pickup truck
The hood on a 1949 Chevrolet pickup truck

I saw this truck parked outside in a neighborhood last month and, captivated by its lovely patina, ran my hand across the hood and took some pictures.

The owner agree to tell me about the truck, but insisted he could not be identified in the story. Oh well. I'm sure he's not a fugitive from the law or any such thing. Pretty sure.

The writer discovered this 1949 truck parked in Bloomington and inquired about it.
The writer discovered this 1949 truck parked in Bloomington and inquired about it.

I'm just glad to know this great old pickup is out of the weather, for the first time in decades. Because winter, it's headed this way.

Have a story to tell about a car or truck? Contact My Favorite Ride reporter Laura Lane at 812-318-5967 or llane@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Old Chevy pickup gets taken inside as bad weather threatens