For Sale: 1946 Chevrolet 3-Window Pickup in Ft Worth, Texas

The best resto-mods are the purest: they look mostly stock on the outside, but offer modern performance and all-day comfort underneath. This 1946 Chevrolet 3-Window Restomod pickup truck is a perfect example of a modern restoration done tight. At first glance, it's a beautifully restored old pickup, but under the hood there's a 5.7L LT1 V8 engine, an automatic overdrive transmission, and all the performance and comfort of a newer machine. Coupled with a handsome, leather-clad A/C interior in the cab, this all-steel vintage hauler is one of the coolest early Bowtie pickups we've ever featured.

Although WWII was technically over in 1946, American automakers still had pre-war cars and trucks they needed to liquidate after a long hiatus where they were pressed into service of the war effort. So, if you've ever wondered why trucks like this '46 model look eerily similar to the '41-'42 models, now you know. We happen to love that there was an extension of the AK Series model run, because these beautiful 'Art Deco' haulers are some of the coolest pickups ever designed. Torch Red paint is always a wonderful choice for an old pickup, and it work exceptionally well on the 3-Window design. 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, with a glistening, miles-deep paint job that really pops under our photo-booth lights. A lot of these Chevy pickups were worked to death out on the farm, but by the looks of the laser-straight and evenly gapped sheet metal it seems this one lived an easy life since day one. '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. The bumpers were deleted and there's not a ton of chrome or brightwork contrasting the red finish, but you do get a highly polished waterfall grille up front, chrome hood trim, and those bright, flashy wheels. Out back, the oak bed is as clean as a dance floor, with beautifully finished wood separated by chrome slats. It looks so darn good you'll think twice before filling it with dirt, although it's certainly still capable of hauling half of Home Depot away with you.

Inside, the basics are a lot less basic than they were in 1946, with fresh materials found throughout the cozy cab. 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 still in place - although it's now upholstered in plush tan leather - and the original metal dash has been painted and restored, but not overly modified. Inside the chrome gauge panel ahead of the driver is a full set of white-faced Dolphin gauges, including a digital/analog speedometer. A leather-wrapped banjo three-spoke steering wheel is mounted on a tilt column, so the driver can get comfortable behind the wheel, and a Lokar-style floor shifter is just a short reach away. Options include a Vintage A/C unit that was neatly installed under the dash, power windows, and a Kenwood AM/FM/CD/AUX head unit that manages the upgraded speakers tucked away in the kick panels. Plush tan carpets replace the original rubber mats and help insulate the cab, and the custom headliner above was bespoke-built to match the seat.

The original six-cylinder engine and stump-pulling gears are long gone, replaced by a rebuilt, fuel-injected 350 LT1 V8. The motor has plenty pop, although the primary goal wasn't tire-shredding horsepower, but rather comfortable cruising without disturbing the character of the original vehicle. And in that regard, it is extremely successful. The engine runs without a fuss, inhaling through a modern fuel-injection system up top and exhaling through a great-sounding dual exhaust system with Flo-Pro Max mufflers underneath. The engine bay was designed to show off, with a smoothed red firewall and matching inner fenders, plenty of polished and chrome pieces on the block, and a big aluminum radiator with an auxiliary fan that keeps it all nice and cool. Managing that added power is a modern 4L60E automatic transmission with overdrive, and it spins a durable 10-bolt rear end that cruises effortlessly at high speeds. A TCI front suspension sets the stance and plants the truck on the road, there are upgraded shocks and springs throughout, and the power rack-and-pinion system and power front disc brake system means this Chevy has great road manners. Chrome Cragar wheels add plenty of flash and wear staggered 275/60/15 front and 235/60/15 rear blackwall radials that fill the fenders perfectly.

If you're attracted to an original truck but would like to have one with a wider operating range and the comforts of a modern machine, here you go. With only 15k miles on the build, this '46 Chevy Restomod is ready to work for years to come. Call today!