A Ruby Red Anniversary 1952 Chevy 3100 that Harkens Back a Generation
Automotive nostalgia has many forms. It could be the memory of the tired ’67 Camaro you drove in high school. Or your granddad’s GTO that he never let you drive. Or a neighbor’s old pickup that drove by the house every day. For Chris Tulley, memories of his father’s 1953 Chevy pickup are the driving force behind his stunning 1952 Chevy 3100 five-window truck.
“I drove my father’s ’53 five-window as a teen all over San Francisco,” Chris says. “That’s when I fell in love with that body style. When my father had to sell his truck, I had nowhere to store it and had to let it go.”
Four decades later his memories came back to life.
“After we retired, we had our 1952 Chevy built to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary,” Chris says. The 40th anniversary gemstone is ruby, which happens to be his wife Paula’s favorite color. So, the truck’s color (Lexus Ruby Flair Pearl) and name (Ruby) make perfect sense.
Chris and Paula called on Apicella Designs in Phoenix, Arizona to handle the makeover. The shop began with a TCI chassis, employing Ridetech coil-over shocks on the independent front suspension and four-link rear suspension. Wilwood 12-inch disc brakes with four-piston calipers bring the Raceline wheels wrapped in Continental tires to a stop. A 6.2-liter Chevy LS crate engine pushes 525 horsepower through a 4L75E automatic transmission to a Currie Tru Trac 9-inch rearend with 3.50 gears.
The heavily massaged body features multiple changes, many of them understated. For example, the footbox was extended to create more legroom in the cab. The cowl vent was removed, and the two-piece hood was transformed into a one-piece unit. Other under-hood modifications include custom inner fenders and an Absolute Sheet Metal core support.
In addition to straightening panels and perfecting gaps, the truck’s bed was modified to include a push-button tailgate and custom rolled pan. The front bumper was smoothed and tucked closer to the body. LED headlights from a Jeep lead the way, with a LED strip taillight between the tailgate and pan in the rear.
Inside the cab, the stock dash was modified to remove the ash tray and headlight switch, and the glovebox was relocated to allow installation of the Vintage Air A/C vents. TMI bucket seats were covered in Tribeca leather and separated by a custom console. A Sparc steering wheel tops an aftermarket tilt column, while Dakota Digital HDX gauges fit the stock instrument slots.
Ruby is no trailer queen. Chris and Paula enjoy driving the truck regularly, reliving the experiences of Chris’s youth, only in much more comfort.
Photos: Terry Lysak
