In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the first Chevy truck, the Pick of the Day is one of the GM brand’s second generation, after the simple, buckboard-style 1918 One Ton had given way to a complete, closed-cab pickup.
The 1930 Chevrolet half-ton pickup has been completely restored to its original specs, according to the Volo, Illinois, dealer advertising the truck on ClassicCars.com, although the photos with the ad show some period-style embellishments have been added.
This Chevy has all its original running gear, which the dealer says has been rebuilt so that the truck is ready for vintage-style driving.
One advantage of the Chevy pickups of this period is that they were powered by six-cylinder engines while the ubiquitous Ford Model A trucks soldiered on with four-bangers. That was negated in 1932, however, when Ford made its new 60-horsepower V8 available for its next-gen BB pickups.
“You see lots of Ford pickups restored for show and tour today but rarely do you have the opportunity to own a beautiful ½-ton Chevrolet pickup, all steel with varnished bed and side rails,” the ad says. “This truck was recently frame-off restored, clad in high-gloss Hunter Green and black steel body and fenders. The interior is black leatherette seats and kick panels.
“The 6-cylinder engine was completely rebuilt; runs and drives excellent. A real head turner.”
The shiny varnished frame rails, pickup bed and interior details – including the beautiful wood-slat headliner – might seem over-the-top for this doughty work truck, although they do make the Chevy gleam. Its work days are done, but its job now is to look sharp at car shows and cruise-ins.
Despite the dress-up bits, the interior remains no frills as original, with a thinly padded, upright bench-seat back that makes my spine ache just looking at it. But the effort to make this Chevy authentic required that factory seating remain. Considering the essentially orthopedic seats in today’s trucks, I suppose people were just tougher back then. Or maybe they were used to being uncomfortable.
The asking price is reasonable at $17,998, especially since interest in classic pickup trucks has been booming among collectors and hobbyists.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day
looks like someone did a wonderful restoration job on this old beauty. Congratulations on a job well done. Some shots of the cab interior would have been nice too.