How It Came To Be
T he 1954 3100 that we drove is significant because it's not a restored show truck--it's been a work truck its entire 49-year life. This truck was built in the Oakland, California, plant and was purchased in Selma, Alabama, by John Harris, my great uncle. Except for a month or two off for repairs or minor restorations here and there, the 3100 has hauled dirt, towed boats, gone on hunting trips, and helped people move from day one.
As a result, it's not completely stock. The original wheels were replaced with wider, 15-inch steel and 255/75 rubber. A cargo box was fabricated for the truck a decade or two ago. The engine and drivetrain are original, but the electrical system was converted to a 12-volt system in the 1980s. Astute truck spotters will notice the aftermarket foglights and custom trailer hitch, and the truck has been repainted twice from its original blue. There was some debate over whether the hood ornament is original equipment. A similar one was found listed as a dealer-installed accessory, but we're not sure if it came on the truck when new or was added later.
Other worn items include an inoperable speedometer, fuel gauge, and temperature gauge. A dead spot in the manual steering gear requires the driver to keep constant tabs on where response could be found. The vacuum-powered windshield wipers are painfully slow, but can be coaxed to work when the motor isn't under load. The floors seem to be the only parts that succumbed to the creeping rust that gets to old cars in soggy Alabama, and while they hadn't rusted through, their replacement is high on the to-do list.
Before starting the trip, we spent two days repairing worn-out brake cylinders and front brake lines and checking the usual maintenance items such as oil, coolant, belts, and hoses. On the morning of our departure, the old truck's choke cable snapped, so the choke had to be manually advanced for the duration of our trip, resulting in an occasional high idle. When idling high, the '54's torquey straight-six made throttle-less standing starts possible in all three gears.
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