Since their introduction shortly after World War II, Chevy’s Advance Design pickups have been some of the most popular cargo haulers of all. They were some of the first trucks to be styled rather than merely engineered, aiming for a target audience that didn’t limit itself to farmers and the trades. No, the Advance Design trucks were meant for the motoring public at large, and as such they were fun to drive, bulletproof reliable, and yes, extremely handsome. Today, they are more popular than ever, with prices inching up each year on restored examples and some of the most appealing custom vehicles you see at shows are based on the Advance Design pickups. If you want one vehicle that can do it all and do it well, you should be looking at one of these trucks.

Which brings us to this awesome 1950 Chevy 3100 pickup, which obviously isn’t stock anymore. However, the work that has been done has only enhanced that iconic design, leaving it instantly recognizable yet so much sleeker and more potent-looking. Draped in inky black paint and with a wicked stance that suggests speed and power, this is no garden-variety pickup.

The first modification you’ll notice is the chopped top, from which about two inches have been sectioned. Such a chop is more than just cut and paste, and there’s an extraordinary amount of work involved in getting the windshield rake just right and making the doors fit properly. It’s not a radical chop, just enough to give the truck a custom look, but it doesn’t eliminate the truck’s practicality—there’s still plenty of headroom inside, even for tall people. While they were re-shaping window openings, you’ll note they added a vee’d windshield, which eliminates the center divider and gives it a cleaner look. The hood was nosed and decked, with the original emblems and hood ornament removed, the door handles were shaved, and the headlights were frenched into the fenders, all traditional tricks that pay off big on this pickup. Viewed in profile, it looks long and sleek, yet remains an icon, attracting attention without having to make a lot of noise. No graphics, no stripes, not even any chrome—this truck has the look and it knows it.

That high-gloss paint is beautifully done and you already know that painting anything black means you need to get the bodywork absolutely right. As you can see from the reflections, this truck doesn’t have waves or ripples, and someone obviously spent a ton of time and money getting it flat and smooth. The paint is almost deep enough to swim in, and while it’s probably not quite show quality now that it’s been driven and enjoyed for a few years, it certainly earns my respect just because of straight it is. Check out the gaps, particularly around the chopped door openings and clamshell hood, all of which are tight without being crowded. The grille, bumpers, and mirrors are all drenched in the same black paint and the original tailgate has been punched full of louvers for a traditional custom look. There’s also a custom fabric-covered hard tonneau cover that lifts with a strap to reveal a finished cargo bay that’s still useful, complete with black painted wooden planks, polished stainless rub strips, and a full-sized spare tire, just in case. S modest tubular rear bumper provides protection and looks a bit more interesting than a generic fiberglass roll pan. Someone was sweating the details here.

The interior is completely modern, so you can forget about that ‘50s plain Jane sensibility. A custom tan leather bench seat replaces the original vinyl church pew and includes individual seat backs and a center arm rest, so it’s great for two passengers and reasonable for three in a pinch. All the creature comforts are included, ranging from power windows and locks (part of the remote entry system with electric door poppers), to a tilt steering column and cold A/C. The interior was completely wrapped in sound-deadening insulation, so it seals up beautifully and it makes the Alpine AM/FM/CD stereo system sound great. A polished billet aluminum panel holds a full array of functional VDO gauges, a look that continues on the passenger’s side purely for style points. You may note the Air Ride controls below the dash on the driver’s side, but they are not hooked up as the Air Ride system was removed in favor of a conventional setup that not only rides better, but sits right (the Air Ride components are included with the truck if you’d like to reinstall the system). There’s some minor wear on the leather and carpets, but nothing substantial and quite in line with the truck’s age and mileage. The cloth headliner is nicely fitted and provides a very finished look in a driver’s compartment that was once all about the basics.

For power there’s a tried-and-true 350 cubic inch Chevrolet L98 from a C4 Corvette. Virtually indestructible and bulletproof reliable, it’s a fantastic choice for a street rod. It’s plenty powerful to make the truck fast and fun, but if you just want to cruise, it’s happy to do that, too. Thanks to factory Tuned Port Injection, it starts instantly and idles smoothly every time and it’s one of those rare hand-built trucks where you won’t ever worry about hitting the road for a long trip. They paid attention to dressing the engine, skipping the usual shiny stuff and going with the same theme as the exterior: basic black. Cool Chevrolet valve covers, blacked-out accessories, and a few polished aluminum touches give you a clean engine bay that’s attractive without losing any functionality. Service access is good and you can still plug your scan tool into the diagnostic port for problem-solving. There’s torque available at any speed and thanks to a giant radiator up front, it never seems to get hot or grouchy when you hit those inevitable traffic snags. And yes, both power steering and power brakes are part of the package.

Underneath, it’s got a late-model subframe grafted onto the original 3100 ladder frame, giving this truck very un-truck-like handling. Front disc brakes are included, along with a giant sway bar, while out back a GM 10-bolt rear end hangs on monoleaf springs with coil-over shocks helping out. The transmission is a TH350 3-speed automatic with quick and seamless shifts, and thanks to modest 3.08 gears out back, this truck just loafs along on the highway. There’s a brand new stainless steel exhaust system with glasspack-style mufflers and turn downs just under the tailgate, so it has a fantastic sound that’s pure hot rod. Once the Air Ride was removed, they also invested a great deal of time getting the rolling stock just right, selecting custom-offset 17-inch Torque Thrust wheels with 245/45/17 front and 245/55/17 rear performance radials.

There’s a lot of very impressive work in this truck, not intended merely to make it pretty, but also designed to make it fully operational. You could comfortably drive this truck on the next cross-country Power Tour or blast it up to the local cruise night where it’s sure to be a hit. It’s not exotic, but it gets the basics right, which is something many custom builds neglect to do. Get in, turn the key, and it works like a real truck. Sometimes you really can have it all!