“All in the Family” ’54 is all-in for 250-mph runs
By John Gunnell
Chevrolet’s post war Advance-Design trucks are very popular for their looks and their utility, but performance is not a strong suit of these when they are left original. They can be made to go fast and you’re going to see one that was fast enough to be put on display at the Performance and Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in Indianapolis. But first, let’s review the history of these hardworking haulers.
The Advance-Design models, which were built thru 1954, entered production on May 1, 1947. They were wider, lower and longer than previous models. Among major changes was an “alligator jaw” hood that was hinged at the cowl. A modern touch was integral headlights. Five horizontal bars, bowed in their centres, formed the Chevy grille, which housed the rectangular parking lamps between the outer ends of the top two bars.
A turret-top cab and a larger two-piece windshield were used. Inside factory-spec half-ton pickups was a 56-inch-wide bench seat covered with a leatherette material. The pickup box (actually called a “dispatch box”) consisted of side assemblies and an end gate. The Advance-Design box was two inches wider than earlier Chevy truck boxes.
By 1949, Advance-Design trucks were old enough to start making changes of a substantial nature. The overall appearance and mechanical make-up were largely the same, but the annual updates were the most dramatic yet seen in the series. The cabs were now flexibly mounted to the frame at four points and had a pentagon arrangement when viewed from above. The method of retaining door weather stripping was changed. Grooved retainers spot-welded along the front, top and rear of the opening were used in conjunction with a doorsill weather strip held in place by retainers and screws.
Starting in 1954, a new cross-bar grille was seen. As in earlier years, stock Chevys came only with an in-line six-cylinder engine. As a result, customers didn’t usually think of speed or power as features of a 1954 Chevy 3100 pickup. Instead, these rigs were designed to provide contemporary economy, rugged reliability and long-lasting durability
David Pilgrim, of San Marcos, Texas, wanted to tweak that image by turning his 1954 Chevy half-tonner into a true high-performance machine. That’s why he swapped in an Automotive Specialists Duramax diesel V8 racing engine and bolted four turbochargers on it. At that point, the truck was immediately transformed into a Bonneville Salt Flats racer.
Why go to so much trouble building a hot rod ’54 Chevy pickup when so many other alternatives are available? The answer to that question lies in the fact that Pilgrim’s dad bought the truck new and learned how to drive on it. It later became the shop truck at his Harley-Davidson dealership in San Marcos, Texas.
Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop in Gadsden, Ala., built the black pickup, which was then tuned up by S & S Diesel Motorsports. The trick was to modify the torque curve to slow it up and tweak the horsepower accordingly. With this state of tune, Pilgrim got a decent start at Bonneville for his Pilgrim & Stubbs Land Speed Racing Team. The truck is currently running over 100 lbs. of boost, which makes 1,000-hp runs a realistic possibility.
In addition to a Duramax Diesel V8 and four Comp turbochargers, the 1954 Chevy 3100 truck has a Liberty Equalizer seven-speed clutchless transmission and a custom Art Morrison C7 Corvette independent front suspension and four-bar rear suspension.
The truck has been owned by Pilgrim since he was a teenager. Dubbed “Old Smokey,” the Chevy races at Bonneville and Texas Mile events. David is shooting for 250-mph runs at the Bonneville Speedway in Wendover, Utah.
