With patina being all the rage today, taking something that looks old and filling it with fresh mechanicals is an awesome way to have your cake and eat it, too. The bodywork on this 1952 Chevy 3100 pickup looks like it's been working the back 40 for decades, but the slammed stance, updated running gear, and custom interior all suggest that it's been working out in its spare time. The bodywork is original, which is to say,... it hasn't been treated to a shiny coat of paint. The combination of green paint, chips and scratches, and bare steel gives it a look of great age, and if this one was out in a field with the weeds growing around it, it wouldn't look out of place. But that isn't to say that it looks bad, because we like the honest look and the faded graphics add to the well-worn, well-loved attitude. Looking closely, you'll see that the paint hides nothing, but the panel gaps are good, meaning someone spent some time intentionally making it look this way, and nothing has been shaved, trimmed, or altered. Instead, you get a look that will draw a crowd better than any restoration and a no worries finish that means this truck can go anywhere, any time without a second thought. Yeah, maybe the chrome is a bit too nice, but one can hardly call that a defect, right? There's also a real pickup bed out back, albeit with a cleverly raised floor to clear the suspension (more on that in a few minutes) and a beer keg strapped in to act as a fuel tank. They definitely nailed the look. The custom interior is all new and all amazing. No fake patina here, just funky patterns and upgraded features, plus a dash of style to make driving this 3100 a pleasure, not a chore. A bench seat wears fresh upholstery, with plain door panels to soften the passenger compartment a bit. Factory instruments are gone, replaced by neat-fitting Auto Meter gauges that look like they were born there, all framed by the steering wheel out of a later '50s Chevy passenger car. An AM/FM/CD stereo head unit lives in the top of the dash and comes with a remove, you know, in case reaching over there is just too inconvenient. Carpets on the floor help with noise and vibration, and while that shifter looks vintage, it's a modern Lokar unit connected to a TH400 3-speed automatic. It looks like a small block, but it's actually a 4.3 liter V6, which is actually ¾ of a 350 anyway. The added power makes this pickup more than just interesting to look at, and it makes enough torque to feel right in the vintage pickup. Fitted with an Edelbrock 4-barrel carb and a few vintage dress-up parts, it looks right under the hood; not too flashy, but just enough to let you know someone was paying attention. A big aluminum radiator keeps it cool and a set of long-tube headers dump into a custom dual exhaust system. The frame is from a late-model S10 pickup and it's a surprisingly neat fit under the vintage 3100, and brings upgrades like an independent front suspension, power disc brakes, and power steering. It's got an awesome stance thanks to lowering springs and blocks, and those Painted steel wheels with simple hubcaps are the right old school look. Modern whitewall radials complete the vintage vibe. An incredible illusion or just an incredible truck? How about both? If you want to attract attention, forget bright red paint and loud mufflers, this patina-covered pickup is the hot ticket. Call today!