1954 Chevrolet 150

1954 Chevrolet 150 Handyman 4 Door Station Wagon In wading through dozens of print ads and brochures for the 1954 Chevrolet line, the 150 Handyman was quietly promoted under the more heavily touted Bel Air Townsman and 210 Handyman station wagons. As the most economical of the line, the 150 would find its niche in its namesake, that is, oftentimes a work vehicle rather than family cruiser. One brochure reads, The six passenger all steel body has four doors for extra convenience. And the rear seat folds flat to give you a wide, level floor for extra cargo. We see where you're going, Chevrolet. For consignment, a 1954 Chevrolet 150 Handyman 4 door station wagon with a title verified 82,384 actual miles. That old adage of the little old lady driving to church is true with this one and it's been owned by our consignor, (who is not a seasoned senior), since 2014. In between those two owners, the family had the engine rebuilt and the need for leaded gas was eliminated and a quick paint job was applied. Exterior Shoreline Beige presents as off white and it must've taken a few gallons to cover this large wagon and its slick top. The 15-inch wheels also carry the color for some nice coordination with dog dish hubcaps and a shine that picks up nicely on the shoulder line trim, the door handles, and the parts of the bumpers that wrap around. Before the influence of Ferrari on the '55, there was this up front, a bold, chrome, toothed grille, robust bumper with torpedo like bumper guards, and bright headlight rings, all in good shape. With some slight pitting, the half bird/half plane hood ornament surges forward over the classic Chevrolet crest on the nose. Out back, the vintage wagon shows an almost barn like design, flat like a wooden fence flanked by oblong tail lights in chrome nacelles at the end of the pronounced rear fenders. Imperfections include cracking paint, chipped paint, touches up scratches and chips, surface rust on panel edges and all along the piano hinge in back. Interior Let's start in the back where the doors open clamshell style and reveal a bright red carpeted mat on the cargo area flanked by maroon vinyl on the sidewalls and inner fenders. The material on the tailgate shows its age with cracking and peeling. Each door panel sandwiches a beige insert between a textured maroon strip and a smooth one and all doors are in good condition with the driver's showing some definite use. Our vinyl bench is torn on the side, but the sitting surface is otherwise intact and features added three point seat belts. The rear bench is a lighter shade of red, has no beige accenting, and presents in good condition, also benefiting from added seatbelts. The patina and originality is evident on the beige steering wheel and the two tone dash with an offset speedometer and vertical gauges in twin, oval housing. The red loop carpet shows some appropriate age and the liner of the driver's footwell is cracked with age. The headliner is in excellent condition and the windlace that surrounds the driver's portal is frayed. Drivetrain Under the hood is a driver quality 235.5 inline six cylinder with a 1-barrel carburetor and rated at 115 horsepower. Behind it, the 3-speed manual routes power via a torque tube to the rear axle with 3.70 gears and received a newer clutch in 2018. The radiator was re-cored and an electric fan with manual switch was added. The car was also converted to 12 volt. Undercarriage The underside is clean driver quality with minimal and typical surface rust, a film of oil on the pans and front crossmember, and some residual oil on the rear differential. The brakes are now power assisted and the fronts were converted to disc while drums still occupy the back. A single exhaust flows through a stock style muffler and suspension consists of coil springs up front and leaf springs in the rear. There is some surface rust and worn seals on the bottom of the doors. Drive-Ability It's three on the tree