1946 Chevrolet 3100

Description

The best resto-mods are the purest: they look stock, but offer modern performance and comfort. This 1946 Chevrolet 3100 pickup truck is a perfect example. At first glance, it's a nicely restored old pickup, but under the hood there's a modern 350, an automatic transmission, and all the creature comforts of a newer machine.

Two-tone paint is always a wonderful choice for an old pickup. We can all envision a truck just like this, which years ago was working in a field with a denim-clad farmer tossing hay bales into the bed. Today it has been restored to better than new condition, including that dazzling tan over brown finish that's so nice, you'll be afraid to throw anything sharper than a pillow into the back. A lot of these were worked to death, but this one seems solid and clean, so it was probably not a farm mule and survived its working years completely intact. '40s pickups have become collector's items in their own right, combining timeless good looks with great drivability, and this one seems to have distilled the essence of that idea into sharper focus. Most of the chrome trim has been painted to match the body, yet it looks exactly right, especially with a few well-chosen pieces of brightwork like the grilles in the hood and taillights. The bed is made of nicely finished oak, and there's a hidden hitch out back, so this truck can still earn its keep doing some hauling.

Inside, the basics are a little less basic than they were in 1946. Although the goal was to make this a truck capable of cruising like a modern vehicle, the builder didn't want to lose the flavor of a vintage machine. So there's a bench seat, now upholstered in two-tone tan cloth and vinyl, and the original metal dash has been restored, not modified. Beautiful white-faced gauges from Classic Instruments are fitted into a custom dash panel that's a perfect fit in the old Chevy's dash. An under-dash A/C unit hides in plain sight thanks to some clever metalwork and entertainment is via an AM/FM/CD stereo. You'll also appreciate the tilt column topped by a vintage-appearing steering wheel from Grant, as well as a column-mounted shifter for the TH350 3-speed automatic transmission, which was not available in on any Chevrolet in 1946.

The original six-cylinder engine and stump-pulling gears are long gone, replaced by a rebuilt 350 cubic inch V8. However, the goal wasn't tire-shredding horsepower, but rather comfortable cruising without disturbing the character of the original vehicle. In that regard, it is extremely successful. The engine runs without a fuss, inhaling through a 4-barrel carburetor up top and exhaling through a great-sounding dual exhaust system. Up front, the suspension is from a late-model so it rides and handles a lot better than a vintage pickup should. A durable GM 10-bolt rear lives out back, and carries a more street-friendly set of gears so this one can cruise all day at highway speeds. Color-matched steel wheels with hubcaps and trim rings and wearing 225/70/15 whitewall radials give it a vintage hot rod look.

So if you're attracted to an original truck but would like to have one with a wider operating range and all the comforts of a modern machine, here you go. Call today!