Mar 28, 2024 • For Sale • 11 Comments
In the Same Family Since New: 1951 Chevrolet 3800 Project
Disclosure: This site may receive compensation from some link clicks and purchases.
Get Daily Email Updates:
Click here for more optionsAuctions Ending Soon
1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1Bid Now2 hours$7,100
2003 Porsche Boxster SBid Now3 hours$6,500
1966 Lincoln ContinentalBid Now5 hours$500
2000 Jaguar XJ8LBid Now4 days$1,250
1977 Datsun 280ZBid Now5 days$275
Comments
I would work on getting back on the road for just a survivor/ driver then maybe upgrade to modern Hot rod
About this truck, I would restore to original but possibly install a mid 50’s V-8 change automatic and change rear if I wanted to drive it on highways! Or I would not mind restoring it with all original drivetrain if only local or farm roads. Price? I would try to negotiate a little lower but these solid trucks are getting very rare indeed! the more work you do yourself the better off as far as costs go!
sorry just not restoring I guess if you got it running and had a small farm you could us it for hauling hay
Here’s a trip down memory lane. Back in the day these outnumbered 1/2 ton pickups. Small farmers used them to haul grain. Put some extension boards on the box sides and you could put 80 bushels in one.
The first 216 I ever overhauled came out of one of these. It endured 60K miles worth of abuse before the driver brought it by the shop and said: “‘Der’s a ‘knuck’ in Sa ‘inchun’.” He was a Hutterite working for a local farmer. The owner wasn’t very happy when I phoned him and told him that two rods had failed. However, he came in and picked up the driver and told us to continue with the rebuild.
He was down for about 4 days then he got it back with a new set of rings, all (6) rods re-babbitted and less noise. I never saw the driver again; I suspect he was taken back to the colony and dropped off, never to be seen again.
Lots of these at home. I still can’t figure out why the majority of trucks back then were green, with some dark blue and a smattering of red and gray in the region…
Geo—is that 9 foot bed?
I think that all the 3800s had 9 foot beds. If not fully 9 ft, they were all of 8.5. Back in the day, we had Chevy, GMC, Dodge, Ford and International, all doing similar jobs around the farm. It seems to me that the Fords were 8.5 but the rest hit the 9 foot mark…
I’ve always liked the 3800 series over the 3600 or 3100 – think it’s just the proportions. I’ve owned this 50 3800 for about 35 years. About 25 years ago I needed the PTO cover plate from the trans and it’s been sitting open since then. Pretty sure it’ll need a trans, I have a 4 SPD from a 68 C20, think it will be a direct bolt on. Just need to do it.
3800s are not terribly fun to drive. With no load there’s no give in the springs. I think my rear gears are 5.13, so you can’t easily out drive the steering or brakes, but you don’t often take it out for a pleasure cruise!
I would think you might be able to do the same trick to help the ride as some folks do on Diamond one tons: pull a leaf or two out of the springs?
I owned one of these for a short while about ten years ago. Not too big to drive aroune. Mine was a well used west coaster too. I ultimately sold mine and went older! I now own av 1940 International D2.
Good luck with the sale.
It almost seems that all of the trucks like this that I remember were this green color and I thought it was a standard color. I can’t recall seeing a red one.
It is interesting that there were 12 colors. Maybe people in 1951 took what trucks the dealers had on hand and very few were special ordered. I wonder what percent were forester green in color.
I’ve read that GM used the dark green paint on all these trucks unless another color was ordered. Another interesting fact about this era truck, is that all the Chevy 3100(half tons) were built as short beds. To get a long(8′) bed you had to get a 3600(3/4 ton), or buy a GMC as they offered both bed lengths on their half ton trucks. The long bed GMC 100 half tons are pretty rare; I’ve had mine since 1980 and I’ve seen less than 10 others in the wild in all these years.
Just bought this, good price. Will be left all original, clean up the paint a bit, mechanicals and new seat cover. Clean it all and ENJOY. Also different gearing for better driving. Great truck! Great history!