After World War II, automakers were interested in building newly styled trucks as well as cars. Trucks had always played second fiddle to the car business, but that has definitely changed. Chevrolet didn’t even start producing trucks until 1918, almost 100 years ago, but by the mid-1930s, Chevrolet was producing half of all of the American light-duty trucks. When World War II started, Chevrolet had manufactured more than 2 million trucks.
General Motors was the first manufacturer to bring out newly designed trucks after the war. The “advanced design” Chevrolet trucks launched in 1947 and were produced through 1955. They were bigger, stronger and sleeker than prior models. The cab was 8 inches wider and 7 inches taller, so sitting three people inside became more comfortable. Previously an option and considered a luxury, a heater and defroster became standard for the first time. But these were work trucks, and the truck business was booming. In 1949, Chevrolet assembled 345,519 trucks.
There were no engine options in 1949. The standard engine was a 216-cubic-inch engine with a three-speed manual transmission. There were two cab models, the standard three-window cab and the optional five-window cab. The two extra windows, marketed as “Nu-Vue Rear-Corner Windows” were curved glass (very spiffy for the day), giving the driver better rear visibility. The truck sat on a 116-inch wheel base and had a 6.5-foot box with the fenders outside of the box. The half-ton pickup was designated as the “3100” model. Antioch resident Guy Worth, a law enforcement officer for 42 years, and his son, Chad, have made a show truck out of a very tired work truck.
“I was going to Clayton Valley High School in Concord from 1968 to 1970. I was taking auto shop and wood shop. My graphic artist teacher, Mr. Ellis, had an old blue ’49 Chevy truck for sale, and it was just beat up. Everywhere you looked there was a ding, a scratch or a dent. It was just wore-out. It had belonged to the Clayton Valley Lumber Yard and was a work truck. I paid $125 for the truck and took it home and started working on it. It was my first vehicle.”
Mr. Ellis had installed a 235-cubic-inch six-cylinder engine from a 1953 Chevy truck. As a result of his auto shop classes, Worth was able to check the engine and learned of a valve problem, which he got corrected.
“I drove that thing for years — to high school, to college, and I used it as a work truck doing side jobs hauling trash to the dump.”
When the father-son restoration plans were being discussed about 17 years ago, “we thought about making it into a hotrod and putting a Chevy V-8 in it, but we decided to keep it stock. The truck comes apart in big pieces, the fenders, side panels, door panels, hood and bed. I took everything apart and took all the parts to Scotto’s Auto Body in Antioch.”
Each piece was sanded and prepared for painting. The parts and panels were painted 2004 Corvette Victory Red with four clear coats applied and brought back to Worth’s home.
“I began assembling it myself. I did everything from the cab back to the rear bumper. Then illness set in, and I had to stop working on the truck. My son, Chad (who was living in Boise, Idaho) came down and helped me.”
Sadly, Guy Worth was diagnosed with brain cancer.
“The reason I wanted it painted red was because my goal when I retired from law enforcement was to buy a red Corvette with saddle tan leather interior, but illness hit and that went out the door.”
Guy and Chad took everything to Antioch Muffler, which had become a hotrod shop. They did everything forward of the cab that Guy could no longer do, including installing the doors, hood and fenders as well as installing the rebuilt engine.
The truck is clearly better than when it rolled of the assembly line. It now has a curved, one-piece windshield, an original-style radio (but with Bluetooth), white sidewalls tires, all new glass, chrome molding around the windows, a saddle tan leather interior and a beautiful wooden truck bed. About the only thing that gives a clue that at one time this was a basic work truck is there is still only one inside sun visor. Worth estimates he has about $33,000 invested, which is probably a little more than the current market value, but he feels it was money well spent.
“What really got me going was I came down with this illness, and the doctors gave me a timeline. I put getting this truck put together on my bucket list and to get it done before I kick the bucket.”
Mission accomplished, hopefully with many years to spare.
Have an interesting vehicle? Contact David Krumboltz at MOBopoly@yahoo.com. To view more photos of this issue’s vehicle, visit mercurynews.com and search for “David Krumboltz.”
