What do you do when it’s time to slow down from the frenetic pace
of motorcycle racing? Buy a V8-powered Fifties pick-up, that’s what …
Words and photography: Paul Bussey
It doesn’t matter whether they are in mint original condition, concours, Rat look, or heavily customised and rodded, the pick-up truck is universally accepted by enthusiasts in any guise, and right now they are hugely in vogue, perhaps more so than ever before. Tony Angelico is not your average American vehicle enthusiast; in fact ever since his teens he’s been thoroughly imbued in motorcycles, which culminated in him owning a Harris Magnum Four which was a real head turner. He was also heavily involved in sidecar grasstrack and circuit racing, not as a spectator, but as an active team member, hanging off the back of the sidecar for optimum weight distribution. He’s raced all over the UK and Europe and in the process has broken just about every bone in his body that you can break, without actually shuffling off the mortal coil, though he’s come close a few times! A few years ago in the interests of self-preservation Tony decided that it was perhaps time to think about retiring from motorcycle sidecar racing. He’d done everything there was to do in the sport, and spent years racing at weekends and then spent every evening during the week rebuilding the engine and preparing the bike for the next race. ‘After a year of retirement I was absolutely bored senseless and needed a new hobby and interest,’ he recalls. ‘I also wanted to do something that would include my new partner Fi, so she could get involved too. I said to Fi that if I didn’t soon find something to occupy my leisure time then I was going to go mad, I could only sit in the garden relaxing in a deck chair during the summer months for so long!
‘Wally Poulton my tattoo artist and huge fan of American cars suggested to me that I purchase an American truck and start going to rallies and shows. I’ve rarely ever owned a car, it’s always been pick-up trucks that I’ve needed to transport bikes to race events or to tow a trailer. I narrowed it down to either purchasing a brand new GSXR 1000 or an American truck! I’ll also admit to being a huge fan of the V8 engine, and it doesn’t really matter too much about what’s wrapped around the outside of it.’
Tony decided to go for a late-Fifties style pick-up truck, naturally with a V8 engine, and an important factor was that he wanted to maintain it himself - he’s never happier than when he’s tinkering with engines. He drives a modern van every day for work, so he definitely wasn’t looking for a modern truck. While the adage says ‘Never purchase the first vehicle you go to view’ Tony didn’t take any notice and did just that!
He admits to not knowing anything about American vehicles at all, so when he went to look at a 1957 Chevrolet 3100 Stepside as advertised in Classic American he was ostensibly on a wing and a prayer! However, he immediately got a really positive and encouraging response from meeting the seller Steve James in Hampshire, whose brother Paul’s Shelby Mustang was featured in Classic American. ‘The brothers were true enthusiasts and were living their dream of owning American vehicles and one rainy Saturday I found myself crawling under this Chevy,’ recalls Tony.
‘Straight away I knew this truck was exactly what I was looking for. It had been imported from California in 1995, was highly original in many respects, very much in the Rat look guise and the straight-six engine had long since been replaced by a V8. I absolutely loved it, Steve was extremely honest and told me that it required a little work and pointed out what to look for and generally spent some time explaining the finer aspects of the 3100 model. I absolutely loved the truck, purchased it the following Saturday and drove it home, with my partner Fi trying desperately to keep up with me on the motorway. The speedometer was a bit dodgy so I didn’t quite know how fast I was going but it turned out I was cruising at 80-90mph!’
Tony loves the truck’s highly patinated finish - it was the total antithesis to his racing bikes which needed to be turned out in concours condition for every race meeting. He’d never driven a LHD vehicle before, but took to driving his Chevy like a duck to water, with no power steering either! The exact size of the engine is unknown. Tony thought it was a 400cu.in. but has since been advised this is unlikely. He does know it’s Chevrolet, the transmission is a four-speed manual, and the rear axle is from a Camaro.
He particularly likes the truck’s period charm - it’s not the easiest thing to drive, but that’s all part of the appeal for him; he doesn’t want it to drive like a modern car. ‘The furthest distance I’ve driven is to the New Forest for a camping holiday and after three hours behind the wheel I’ll admit I was reasonably tired,’ he grins! ‘At slow speeds it’s quite hard work, but once you’re rolling it’s fine. However, I do plan to upgrade the brakes and have ordered a front disc brake conversion kit which I think is a prudent move especially as I drive the truck extensively during the summer months.’
Tony has completed several jobs since acquiring the truck which have included rewiring the tail light assemblies, fitting a new mechanical fuel pump, front shocks and battery etc. Having been so actively involved with working on motorcycles for so many years, he relishes the challenge of improving his 3100 no matter how small or large the task. He loves its mechanical simplicity and views ownership as very much an ongoing project and is quite amused when folk ask when he’s going to respray it. ‘The truth is that I don’t need to paint it, I don’t want it all shiny, I’d have to start buying polish then,’ he asserts with a grin! ‘I can use it when ever I want and never have to worry about it getting scratched and dented. It transports my son’s motocross bikes, it goes on the run to the tip, runs to retail parks, the supermarket, just about anywhere. I’ve been quite surprised at the availability of spare parts and that they are reasonably priced too.’
Tony’s attended a great many shows with his partner Fi, often camping over for the whole weekend, and has found them to be wonderful social occasions that they can both enjoy together. They love the camaraderie of being surrounded by like-minded enthusiasts and enjoying a few beers in the evening too! After spending years of frantic busy weekends racing bikes which can be very intense and mentally draining, in comparison the rally field is so much more relaxing. ‘I don’t need the adrenalin rush of racing anymore, I don’t need to be hanging off the back of a sidecar at 150mph at Brands Hatch, I now get my kicks in a completely different way with my Chevy,’ he says. ‘Folk keep asking me if I want to sell it. I’ve no intention of parting with it. My ultimate dream is to keep the truck looking exactly the way that it is now, but to fit a supercharger to the engine, without cutting any holes in the bonnet!’
