ASHFORD SPINNING WHEEL INSTRUCTIONS

The 1948 - 1953 Chevrolet Series 3100 half-ton pickups benefited from a redesign that took Chevy trucks into a new era of comfort, convenience, and style.

Chevy's restyled "Advance-Design" trucks were introduced in 1947, well ahead of its first new postwar cars, and little changed in appearance through 1953. The basic intent was to provide more room and comfort for occupants.

All Advance-Design pickups had a new bench seat accommodating three persons, instead of the old separate seats -- and for the first time the seat was adjustable for leg reach.

The cab, described as "Unisteel Battleship" construction, was larger in every direction. New extra-wide doors swung open on concealed hinges and extended down to cover the sills. Glass area grew considerably via a wider windshield, side windows, and backlight -- Chevy called the result "Observation Car Vision."

Interiors were more colorful than ever before on a commercial Chevrolet, and the dashboard was functional and more glittery.

Mechanical conveniences included interior door locks, a large steering wheel, new steering geometry for less effort, more conveniently positioned foot pedals, an accessory radio, roomy glovebox, and full needle instrumentation.

The 1948-1953 Chevrolet Series 3100 half-ton pickups also featured "four-fold ventilation" through the easy-crank-down side windows, cowl-top ventilator, foot-operated floor vent, and a fresh-air inlet on the curb side of the cowl.

Light-duty trucks in 1947-1949 came only with a 216.5-cid six; later ones may be 235.5-cid, formerly used in heavier trucks. For 1950, the 235.5-cid engine got a redesigned cylinder head, to become the "105 Hi-Torque" six.

Changes through the period included gray (instead of body-color) inner grille bars for 1949; vent wings, a lower rear-view mirror, and elimination of left-hand cowl vents for 1951; pushbutton (instead of rotating) door handles for 1952; and a slimmer hood nameplate for 1953.

Collectible Pluses of the 1948-1953 Chevrolet Series 3100 Half-Ton Pickups

* Sleek styling
* Plenty of examples to choose from
* Strong collector support
* Pickups lead all other body styles in value

Collectible Minuses of the 1948-1953 Chevrolet Series 3100 Half-Ton Pickups

* Not strong as an investment
* Some body trim parts are very scarce

RO-RO (Roll-on/Roll-off) is the system of carrying wheeled cargo that are driven on and off a ship or train on their own wheels.
This scene is from Indian Railway (Konkan Railway), shuttling between Mumbai and Mangalore where the road traffic is horrible. Trucks which would otherwise take close to 72 hrs by road now cover the same distance of 900km in 16 hrs by piggybacking on a freight train.
Advantages for the Trucks are :
- No wear and tear of the Trucks
- No fatigue on the drivers
- No hassles of bribing the cops at all the check posts
- Short travel time
It is really funny to see the truck drivers lazily sitting inside their vehicles, playing cards
and passing time. Looking forward to Indian Railways introducing this system for carrying cars too. The only way to take a nap behind the steering wheel !!