By Rob Fortier – Images by Tommy Koppinger
I’ve always been a huge fan of the Advance Design series Chevrolet and GMC 3100 pickups—especially in a traditional or lowrider style. General Motors’ ability to keep styling characteristics similar between passenger cars and light-duty pickups was key in the 1930s on through the early 1950s, and the ’47-55 First Series are no exception.
With the help of All American Hot Rod, based in Phoenix, which acquired the project as a rolling chassis and rusted-out cab from Chris Koehler, they hit the proverbial nail on the head with his ’53 Chevy five-window, with a perfect mix of classic style and modern accents, none of which distract from the truck’s natural post–Art Deco factory design. It features a Chevrolet Ocean Green exterior, a TMI-based distressed brown premium vinyl interior, and owner-crafted custom hardwood bed features (flooring, cargo trunk, and side panels), with the requisite wide whites on painted steelies fitted with baby moons and trim rings. A perfect classic combo.
The modern touch comes in the form of a 5.3 LS by Schwanke Engines backed by a GM 4L60E and a Quick Performance 9-inch rear end. Suspension-wise, All American Chassis contributed the Viking coilover-equipped IFS and four-link, each corner set up accordingly with 15-inch wheel-appropriate Classic Performance Products power disc brakes. Inside, along with the heated TMI bucket seats, you’ll find Dakota Digital instrumentation and Vintage Air’s Mark IV underdash A/C system (blended nicely into a custom center console) along with a Custom Autosound head unit and Lokar shorty shifter.
Built for style … built for racking up miles … Chris Koehler’s 3100 is just plain cool!
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