TIME MACHINE TRUCKIN
by Seth Doulton
One of my favorite things to do is to close my eyes and pretend that I'm somehow
transported back in time to a specific place to check out old Chevy trucks, or any trucks as they used to be.
This month I would like to set the time machine for January 1954 and do some tire
kicking and comparison of makes and models, options and equipment.
Let's start with the Chevrolet 3100. Here are some facts and figures. They all
came with the 235 6-cylinder engine. Leaf springs front and back with eight leaves,
hauling a 1450 lb. capacity, 16 qt. Cooling capacity, 6-volt electrical system with a 17-1/2 gallon fuel tank mounted behind the seat. The 3-speed transmission was standard, but for a little more money, an automatic 4-speed or heavy duty 3 and 4-speed tranny was also available.
Standard equipment on the Chevolet was a standard cab (no corner windows),
painted front bumper, locking glove box, cab insulation, dome light, left hand outside
mirror bracket, right hand door lock, left sun visor, tool box, cowl ventilator and dual
wipers.
The optional equipment list went like this at an extra cost. Oil bath air cleaner
(two types - either one pint or one quart), a rear bumper, a larger clutch, two tone paint
options, vacuum operated crank case ventilation, deluxe cab with rear corner glass, tinted or clear glass, full and double acting pump; 40, 45, 50 and 55 amp generator; LH door key locks, LH long mirror bracket, RH short or long mirror bracket, one or two quart oil filter, chrome grille, heavy duty rear springs, ride control seat for standard and deluxe cabs, rear shock absorber shields, optional tires, and optional transmissions.
On the other side of town, Ford was building the F-100 truck with a new body
style that has been introduced the year before in 1953. The list of features and standard
equipment starts off with the brand new 132hp block V8, along with their 118hp 6-
cylinder. The 8- leaf springs had a capacity at the pad of 950 Ibs. front and six leaf on the rear at 1025 Ibs at the pads. The cooling system was an 18-1/2 quart. The battery was a 6-volt with a 35 amp generator.
The transmission was 3-speed helical synchro-silent. Available at an added price
It was a three-speed overdrive or a Ford-a-matic transmission.
The Fords had a 17 gallon fuel tank on the left frame rail. They also came
standard with bright hub caps, ash tray, gauges, glove box, manual choke, dual windshield wipers, right hand door lock, left hand sun visor, left hand outside mirror, jack and tools and the panels came with a rear bumper.
The options at an extra cost were rear bumper for pickups, custom cab, turn
signals, engine compartment light, heavy duty cooling system, fire extinguisher, hand
brake signal, heater and defroster, locking gas cap, right hand outside mirror, oil filter,
radiator grill guard, radio, reflector flares, spotlight, right hand taillight, tinted glass, tow hooks, windshield washer and dual electric wipers.
While a lot of these options were not mentioned in the Chevrolet option list, they
were available as an accessory from Chevrolet and added at the dealership.
The Dodge model B truck in 1954 was broken down in three categories: the
standard cab, deluxe cab and custom cab. Dodge had two V8 engines - the 241 and the
331.
The springs on the front were 7-leaf with a deflection rate of 228 lbs. and a
capacity of 900 lbs. each and the rear were 6-leaf with a rate of 242 with a capacity of
1200 lbs. each. The cooling system was a 15-quart system. The electrical system was 6-volt with a 45 amp generator. The standard transmission was a 3-speed but a 4-speed and a truck-o-matic fluid drive was available at an extra cost. The Dodge model B came with a frame mounted 17.4 gallon fuel tank.
The standard cab equipment list went like this: left hand sun visor, dual vacuum
wipers. At an extra cost an ash tray, tinted glass, dome light, rear quarter windows, and
horn ring were also available.
The Deluxe cab came with dome light, left side visor and dual electric wipers. For
some more money you could add ash tray, tinted glass and rear quarter windows.
The custom cab came with left hand arm rest, ash tray, dome light rear quarter
windows, left and right sun visors, dual electric wipers and tinted glass was available at an extra cost.
Last but not least was the International R-100. They came with a silver diamond
220 104hp 6-cylinder engine. The transmission was a 3-speed and an overdrive could be ordered at an extra cost.
The front springs had 7 leafs with a 1000 lb. capacity each and the rears were 6
leaf with a 900 lb. capacity. The cooling system was a 16-1/4 quart. The electrical system was a 6-volt with a 35 amp generator. The 15-gallon fuel tank was mounted under the left cab skirt.
Standard equipment was stop and taillights, front bumper, spare wheel (which I'm
sure they all had, but when you're talking about a bare bones truck or "Farm Truck", it's worth mentioning), air cleaner (another "wow"), front and rear shock absorbers (need those), and a jack and handle.
Optional equipment at an extra cost was a removable cartridge oil filter (1-1/2
quarts), chrome front bumper, painted or chrome rear bumper, recirculating or fresh air
heater and defroster, and increased load capacity tires.
This gives you an overview of the four most popular trucks of 1954. Of course
there were dozens of accessories available at the dealer level as well as some special
options from each company to personalize and build a truck for your needs.