My 1954 3100 restoration
 

Hey guys, id like to introduce myself and my build. My name is Kyle, I'm from south Jersey. I'm 28, and iv been a gearhead since I was about 11. I have always been real into the corvette world and iv owned a 94 corvette for the past 9 1/2 years. I joined the marine corps in 2012, and got out in the summer of 2017. right after I got out I started getting the idea of buying an old truck. I have wanted to restore a vehicle since I was young, and iv done pretty extensive work on my vette and a few Camaros that have been through my family. I wanted to find an old AD truck that I could drive around for a while and maintain with the intent of eventually doing a full frame off restoration. so I went shopping.

The Truck: after shopping for a while and not really finding anything in the middle ground, I was only finding complete basket cases, and well redone trucks. I finally came across this 54, local to me. owner said it had been sitting for two years but he was able to get it running. I went and checked the truck out, found It running very rough. also didn't have brakes. I was a bit indimidated by some of the cab rot, but iv been doing night schooling for welding, and figured I could handle it. we came to a price that I was ok with,i rented a trailer and brought her home!

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

Once I got the truck home, I immediately dug in. as I said my original intent was to get it up and running, and enjoy it for a while. I didn't want to immediately start with a big project. so I installed all new brake lines, master cylinder, wheel cylinders, brake shoes, and all hardware. I also replaced the rusted out gas tank, fuel lines, fuel pump, and rebuilt the Rochester carb. I had the truck running but it stumbled really hard when throttle was applied. the truck had been updated to 12v, but whoever did it did a real hack job to the wiring. so I proceeded to rebuild the generator, distributor, redo the ignition wiring, change plugs wires and other ignition related pieces. when I went to install the distributor, I pulled the valve cover off and found 2 snapped rocker arms and 7 bent push rods. the truck was really only running on 2 or 3 cylinders! appears as though some of the lifters were stuck, and I guess the new owner got it running again without any sort of pre checks. this left me wondering what my next step would be.

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

after not really touching the truck for a few months, I was left with a decision. rebuild the motor, drop it in and drive the truck for a while like I intended. this would have been the quickest and cheapest route to get back onto the road. but at the same time, I'm sort of a perfectionist and I knew I wouldn't be happy dropping a new motor into the old mess of a truck. so I started expanding the scope of the job. new wiring harness. paint the frame and firewall. go through transmission ( it was grinding a bit when I drove it). wasn't sure where to stop. and slowly began to accept the fact that the only way I would be fully happy was If I did the frame off. so then I began to plan. first step was redoing the garage. its a two car garage with the corvette in one spot, and a disaster in the other. it was all open studs, poor lighting, little storage. I'm a union carpenter by trade, so I proceeded to sheetrock and paint the entire inside. I hung up some free cabinets that I received. I made a workbench for my toolbox to fit under, with a stainless steel top, 32" tv, and multiple outlets. I ran 240v electric and set up a 60 gallon air compressor to power my sandblasting cabint. added some shelving. added new LED lighting. got rid of a lot of stuff and prepared the garage to accept a restoration. here are my pre restoration pictures.

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

more

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

the worst part of the truck, is the two front corners. I will be replacing sections of the floor, cab mounts, inner and outer cowls, and other pieces throughout.

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

and finally, my plans for the truck. I will be keeping the restoration fairly close to stock. this is not the original motor, its a 235 out of a car and has the 848 head. but I will be rebuilding this motor, and keeping most things stock. the only things I plan to upgrade right now are 12v system, alternator, hei ignition. other things like 3.55 rear gears, turn signals. the original color is a dark blue. I really like red but I feel like I see to many in red. as of right now I'm leaning towards a dark green but that is not set in stone. I'm undecided on interior colors, but I'm thinking a combination of body color and black. I will stay with white wall tires. I do higher end woodworking on the side, so I plan on doing something a little special for the bed. chrome front grill. I'm sure theres a few other things I haven't thought of, but my goal is to have an occasional driver that still has the feel of a truck from 1954.

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

engine shots

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

two weeks ago I started the disassembly of the truck

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

and heres where I stand at this point. I pulled the cab off, built a dolly for it, moved the vette into a new temporary spot, and got the chasis rolled into the garage. I have a spare room in the basement so all the body panels, seat, gas tank, and other parts that are being used at the moment are stored out of the way. I made up a list of patch panels for the cab and plan to start cutting into that soon. the front cab mounts collapsed, but my door gaps are still great. so my plan is to get the new floorboards in, replace the front mounts, rebuild the rear shackles and door hinges, and mount the cab back onto the frame. from there I will replace the cab corners, inner and outer cowls, door sills, and a few other pieces. then once the cab is structurally sound and my door gaps are fit well, I will have the cab sandblasted, make any final repairs, and cover it in an epoxy primer. from there I will restore the rolling chassis, replace the cab back onto the frame, and continue the build from there!

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

Welcome...
thanks for your service....
looks like you got some work ahead of you...

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

Welcome! I look forward to seeing this projects updates

Thank you for your service!

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

I'm a little late in the game but welcome aboard. Why do you think your '54 engine came from a car? The valve cover says truck (front fill) and they were basically the same. I'm in Michigan just north of Toledo, Ohio and have a few '54s. They can be hard to find!

Good luck and keep at it.

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

blonde women and rusty trucks, I cant resist throwing money at either.

keep it up!

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

LOL, you can drop the "blonde" and "rusty" in my case

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

Look at that grin on your face! that's what it's all about

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

That has always been my experience when truck shopping: either unrestored rust buckets or expensively finished street rods - nothing in between. Looks like you got a great start.

Re: My 1954 3100 restoration
 

Good start. Lots of possibilities. Welcome.