Frame Off Built 3100 Pickup Supercharged 350

If you're in the market for something fun that's guaranteed to hold its appeal for a long time, it's hard to go wrong with a classic truck. Over the last year, we've seen four 'Advance Design' Chevrolet trucks roll into our RK Motors Charlotte showroom and none of them has lasted more than ten days. This supercharged 1948 Chevrolet is an awesome combination of classic truck virtues and all out performance at an unbeatable price.

Coated in new bright red paint, this 1948 3100 retains its utilitarian good looks and features added touches that make it a hot rod in farmer's overalls. Up front, the iconic 50s Chevrolet design language consists of a great looking grille that appears to be original, traditional round headlights trimmed in chrome and a new, curved chrome bumper. Above the grille the high peeked hood displays a classic chrome “Chevrolet” emblem that incorporates red and blue inlays and sits on a centered trim piece that runs back to a divided windshield. In the middle of the body, like-new glass is trimmed in great looking stainless which complements chrome windshield wipers, chrome rear view mirrors, chrome door handles and a passenger's side lock cylinder with a stylized stainless cover. Behind the cab, light varnished bed planks are held down by stainless skid strips and look natural against the red body and curved rear fenders. At the back of the truck, an embossed Chevrolet tailgate sits between wrapped chains which hang above square tail lights that function perfectly. At the bottom of the truck, another new chrome bumper is free of dents and imperfections and combines with a left fender mounted filler cap to break up the sea of red paint. The body work on this truck is better than anything that came out of GM in 1948 and, with this killer new red paint job, it's sure to gain many fans at a local car show or on a summertime run to the grocery store.

Raise the hood on this '48 Chevy truck and in place of its original Thriftmaster 235 inline six cylinder you'll find a completely natural looking small block Chevrolet 350. At the top of the motor, a polished Demon carburetor wears a small round chrome air cleaner, is fed by stainless fuel lines and feeds a Holley Procharger supercharger. Below the supercharger, a pair of polished aluminum valve covers match polished aluminum wire looms that hold black Accel Super Stock wires. Behind the intake you'll find an Accel HEI distributor and in front of the engine, a 63 amp alternator, a polished AC compressor and an electric fan sit behind a heavy duty radiator. The details are all there and make for a truck that is ready to be driven to the next cruise night. Fresh red paint flows from the body to the engine bay, all belts and hoses are in good shape and a correct horn even occupies the right inner fender.

Crawling underneath this truck reveals a solid undercarriage that is free from damage caused by Mother Nature and run-ins with other cars. At the rear, the truck retains its original solid axle, leaf springs and power drum brakes. Up front, the truck benefits from a conversion to a double A-arm set up with coil springs, shocks and power disc brakes. Behind the engine, an unbreakable Turbo-hydramatic 3-speed transmission sends power to a sturdy rear end through a solid driveshaft. Exhaust is handled by a stainless system that bolts to long tube headers and travels through dual inlet and outlet mufflers. At the corners, 15 inch Chevrolet Rally wheels feature a fresh coat of silver and wear smooth stainless center caps, stainless trim rings and 225/60 front and 275/60 rear BF Goodrich T/A tires. There is nothing too fancy under here, just a functional and reliable set up that is ready to go anywhere and not afraid to get dirty.

Inside the truck, a restored interior mixes modern elements with traditional 40s design. The bright red from the body is present on the dash and contrasts well with gray seats, gray upper door panels, a gray headliner and a gray floorboard. The seats and steering wheel were taken from a 90s Chevrolet and are much easier to live with than the trucks original flat bench and huge, thin-rimmed wheel. For better visibility, Beede gauges have been installed in the classic red dash and display a speedometer and readouts for the engines vitals. Below the dash, controls and chrome trimmed vents for the trucks heat and air conditioning system are housed beside a steering column mounted boost gauge for the supercharger. At the top of the dash, a Proform shift light is canted toward the driver and sits above a modern cassette deck and streamlined chrome dash trim. Behind the steering wheel, a column mounted shifter sits next to a cool transparent gear selector. Featuring a nice mix of traditional appeal and modern comfort, this well-done interior is the perfect place to spend a Sunday afternoon taking in the sights.

This 1948 Chevrolet 3100 is a highly drivable truck that follows a simple but proven formula. Take classic good looks and mix a lot of power with nice modern conveniences to get one extremely fun vehicle that can be enjoyed as it was meant to be enjoyed. With its supercharged motor and bright red paint, this truck will be welcome at any classic car event you attend but it certainly won't last long in our showroom. Call today!