1938 Chevrolet Pickup

1938 Chevrolet Pickup

In 1938, Chevrolet took truck design a step further by delivering a truck that wasn't just fully factory built but designed with style in mind. The 1938 model was designed by Chevrolet's newly established "Art and Color" department and wasn't simply made to be a utilitarian vehicle for farmers. This was a truck with style and is considered by many to be the most attractive and impressive looking truck of the early 20th century. Featuring a new redesigned vertical grille and front bumper along with swept fenders, the fresh styling of this truck was an important aspect in the evolution of old Chevy pickup trucks because it emphasized the importance of design.

This example of the 1938 HC has had many modifications including being stretched, chopped, powered and shaved. Bought for the consignor's son and finished up about 1.5 years ago then the son decided he didn't want a Chevy. So now this build, that reads like a textbook of streetrodding is awaiting you in our North mallway. Traces of the original art deco designs remain and have been homologated into the beautiful seen before you. Read on and prepare to be impressed...

ExteriorRetaining its original shape and design right out of 1938 all of this truck is steel with the bed being donated from a Dodge Dakota. All bathed in PPG basecoat/clearcoat black, with well minded gaps and just some minor inclusions on the doors. A chrome street rod front bumper is polished to the nines and sits just below a new polished street rod grille. Modified fenders with semi-frenched in LED headlights flank custom vented hood side covers and a modified one piece Powerlift hood and melt their way into extended running boards which then curve back up to form the original 1938 rear fenders. The all-steel truck body has been extended 16" and now presents in 5 window form with the roof being chopped 2.5 inches giving a very sleek look. Mounted between the rear fenders is a Dodge Dakota bed that has been narrowed 18" and fared to blend with the custom extended cab. A reinforced aluminum Powerlift cover with its small spoiler tops the bed and on the back is a power locking tailgate with heavy duty solenoids. Frenched taillights are on either side of the tailgate and just below, mounted flush in the custom roll pan are more red LED lights and quad chrome exhaust tips. 15" polished American Racing Torque Thrust wheels adorn the corners and are wrapped in BF Goodrich blackwall rubber.

InteriorA swing of the door and a nice charcoal plastic panel covers the doors. Contours and insets are pressed into the panel and a nice, padded orange armrest is on along with a billet style door release. Moving inside, late model powered overstuffed charcoal leather bucket seats are seen and are ergonomically perfect to fit any driver size. We note some age wear and wrinkling on both seats, but this patina adds a nice vibe. Nice black carpet floods the floors and a long handled Lokar shifter grows from the hump and is positioned well within the driver's reach. A new gauge cluster has been installed and housed a multitude of Stewart Warner gauges to monitor all engine vitals. Also mounted into the black steel dash is the controller for both the A/C & heat, a cleanly installed Sony AM/FM/CD player, both rectangular and rounded vent registers and switches for the 2 speed/variable delay wipers and power windows. A 3 spoke black rimmed steering wheel fronts this clean dash and is attached to a polished tilt steering column. Above is a tight black headliner and we note that shoulder safety belts have been added.

DrivetrainA press of the rocker switch in the glovebox and the Powerlift hood did its job and raised the hood forward revealing a not often seen rebuilt GMC inline 6 cylinder. This industrial gray painted 6 popper displaces 270ci and has a polished water cooled Clifford intake manifold topped by an Edelbrock AVS-2 500cfm 4bbl carburetor and a polished bird catcher style air scoop. Bolted to the back of this mill is a T.P.I. 700R4 4-speed automatic transmission which sends power to a 10-bolt rear axle with an unknown gear ratio. A shout out to the Accel distributor for lighting the fire and an aluminum radiator and electric fan to keep things cool.

UndercarriageDown below is a sea of black with nary a bit of even surface rust to be noted. A strong modified and reinforced extended frame provides the backbone for the black steel floor pans. An independent coil spring Mustang II style front suspension is seen along with a 4 link and coil spring rear suspension with air shocks. Power disc brakes have been added to all 4 corners for the ultimate in whoah factor and a Fenton header sends spent fossil to the rear of the truck via dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers.

Drive-AbilityHaving the luxury of driving all the vehicles that come through our doors has its perks but also disadvantages. Modified cars take some time to learn all the functions and switch placements. Lucky for us our consignor gave a well noted description, so learning all the various functions was a breeze. With a click of the remote the driver's door opened and I slid my frame into the well-fitting driver's seat. A twist of the key the 6 in a row came to life and provided a melodious tune from the dual Flowmaster system. On the test track the truck performed very well with capable handling, excellent braking, unlimited acceleration and all functions operating as they should. I must say having the extended cab gave me room to enjoy the power seat to the fullest and there is ample room for even a large statured gent as myself. A plus in this writer's opinion.

The advertising of the day may have been uneventful, however the build of this truck sets the standard for the tagline "Getting everything right." Certainly, the quality of build, attention to detail, and hours of painstaking metal work, researching and installing only the best, have yielded a truck that is functional and aesthetically pleasing. A wonderful driver, not a trailer queen, built to be enjoyed and daring to be different, you won't find another truck of this caliber at any local show. Enough said!

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display.This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.