This 1948 Chevrolet 3100 Rat Rod Pickup has had the dimensions of a stock 3100 massaged in the creation of this ride. For starters, it has had the cab chopped 4 inches. Then the builders shortened the bed to four feet long. A '34 Chevy grill of chrome vertical bars leads the way. It was decided to roll with no hood behind it, and the fenders were also considered superfluous. That lets the 5.7L/350 cu.in. V-8 engine shine as an integral part of the overall effect. The transmission is a turbo 350 3-speed automatic. The door handles are shaved with electronic door poppers taking their place and a set of custom running boards were fabricated with some diamond plate chosen to trim out the bed. The tailgate has Chevrolet embossed in it and a custom treatment to the lower panel with dual custom exhaust tips peeking out from underneath. Spray it all flat black for that bad boy look, and set it on Boyd Coddington wheels, and you have one sweet looking ride.
Use that door popper and check out the craftsmanship of the interior. The flat black exterior is nicely complemented by the tan leather inside. The door panel itself is simple with vertical bars pressed into the panel. But go ahead, have a seat in that nicely trimmed out and comfortable power leather driver's seat and wrap your hands around the beefy 3-spoke steering wheel mounted on a tilt column. Check out the dash with a speedometer in the center flanked by modern gauges on either side to keep track of oil pressure, water temp, voltage and of course fuel level. Mounted in the console in front of a couple cup holders and power window switches, is a Panosonic AM/FM/CD/Bluetooth/iPod compatible unit for your listening pleasure. A console for storage doubles as a nice armrest and tying it all together is tan carpeting and a tan headliner that makes it all look fantastic.
The engine that features so prominently in the look of this rod is a nicely dressed out 350 cubic inch powerhouse. A polished scoop style air filter feeds cold air to the Edelbrock carb and intake. Ribbed and chromed valve covers have a Chevy Bowtie in orange featured on them. A chromed alternator adds its splash of flash and Hedmen headers look great and sound great as they bend and twist their way between the frame rails on the way out to Flowmaster mufflers. The frame itself is borrowed from an '82 S-10 that was shortened for the project, so there is a modern control arm suspension up front with power disc brakes to assure good handling and braking ability. Out back, a 4-link rear end works together with a 10-bolt rear end with 3.73 gears installed to get the power to the ground. Those Boyd Coddington wheels mount some healthy 315/70/15 in the back with 165R15s in front.
This vehicle has a tilt steering column, power steering, power windows, turn signals, wipers, heater and air-conditioning; all of which work as they should. There is no spare tire or car jack.
The manufacturer's date on the tires is 2202. The rims are in good condition with no scratches. The exterior black paint is in fair condition with a few cracks.
It runs and drivers well.