Lew and Linda Rice’s 1948 Chevy Pickup
Photos: Mike Slade, Story: Blacktop Media
It was a balmy August afternoon when a brand new forester green Chevrolet 3100 pickup found its home on the farm just east of Baltimore, Maryland. Two owners and 63 years later Lew purchased the well used work truck for a thousand bucks. He had a vision to retire this old worker and make it a gem of the blacktop.
It took 9 years working on all the mechanicals in his home garage. Lew’s buddy, a Viet Nam Vet worked on the chop and then passed away from complications due to Agent Orange. Junior’s body shop completed the body in 5 years. This isn’t Lew’s first rodeo. He has a variety of classic Corvettes under his belt as well as a ’49 Merc custom and a ’91 S-10!
The interior is nowhere near the original work truck aesthetic. This is purely form over function. The white on white with black accents was done by Sapp’s Auto Interior. Overhead and floor consoles show the functioning of the nicely detailed 350 crate under the hood and BM Sport shifter for the 350 Turbo trans. No doubt running great, you can see all the work in the rolled front and rear pans, 5 1/2″ chopped top, frenched headlights and ’89 Cadillac tail lights. Fit and fitment is down to a tee and ready to roll.
