One cool Chevy

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/09/2010 (5741 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For 1946, Chevrolet truck production was split into two categories. The first was considered an "interim series" built from September 1945 to May of 1946 that basically saw a continuation of the regular 1942 model’s prewar styling and mechanicals. Beginning in May 1946, the "late series" was officially considered the first postwar offering and although the styling was the same, there were new colours available, the park lights were repositioned atop of the headlamp pods and chrome side trim, bumpers and grill were now available.

 

While many considered it more of the same, there were both visual and mechanical changes General Motors had made during their five-year wartime production of military trucks that were used on the late series, making them stronger and more durable. This gave Chevrolet no engineering delay in bringing new vehicles to the general public and meeting the needs of supplying a growing America with much-needed new trucks.

Andy Clark of Beausejour had planned to get a vintage truck for a retirement project and he did; it just came a little early. "A 1946 Chevrolet half-ton came up for sale and it was a rush deal that I wasn’t ready for, but I bought it," says Clark. It was 1997 and Clark was living in Calgary at the time, when the truck, a solid partial restoration that someone had started, became available. As any vehicle enthusiast will tell you, "you snooze you lose," and this was a deal that was just too good to walk away from.

With the truck in hand, Clark started out by doing many of the smaller restoration tasks and purchasing some of the harder-to-find and more expensive parts to complete the rebuild. While that seemed to fit in better with the pocketbook, it was still a hard road to follow. Not having a garage to work in and amassing all of these new parts, it was like a project in limbo until Clark relocated to Beausejour. With room and a roof to work under, things looked brighter until the first setback came. He found the rear fenders he had for the truck were actually for a 1947 Chevy and very different from what he needed for the 1946. New fiberglass rear fenders purchased from The Old Car Centre would easily take care of that problem.

While the body restoration progressed, Clark boxed in the stock frame rails and installed a Mustang II style rack and pinion front suspension from Macgyvers Rod & Custom, including 11-inch disc brakes and gas shocks. In back, a 10-bolt Chevy rear axle was mounted with the leaf springs moved inboard of the frame rails to lower the ride height. It rolls down the road on a set of 15-inch GM rally wheels and Goodyear radial tires.

For the body, Clark turned it over to Jamie Johnson in Garson for a full prep and paint. Johnson bathed the truck cab and box in a dark green and the fenders in a lighter green, both colours from the VW paint pallet. The box received the full oak plank treatment separated by stainless steel bed strips and custom rear tail lamps from a ’37 Chevy. The fuel tank originally rested under the seat in the Chevy truck and Clark wanted to free up some storage space in the cab, as well as add some range to the truck’s cruising capabilities, so he installed a 21-gallon stainless steel fuel tank directly under the truck box just aft of the cab.

For power, Clark replaced the original in-line six-cylinder engine and manual transmission with a four-bolt main, 350 cu. in. V8 from a ’69 Chevy and a Turbo 350 automatic transmission from a ’67 Chevy half-ton. The engine was fully rebuilt and features an Edelbrock high-rise aluminum intake manifold; Edelbrock four-barrel carburetor, H.E.I. ignition and Blockhugger exhaust headers leading to a custom dual exhaust system. A Walker aluminum radiator helps keep the potent small-block cool on even the hottest days.

Inside, Otto’s Upholstery finished the interior off in a two-tone grey cloth with a comfortable bench seat, I-did-It tilt steering column with a Billet Specialties Revolver series steering wheel, VDO gauges along with a Lokar shift lever and handbrake.

The truck received a complete new wiring harness from EZ-Wire and also features Specialty electric windshield wipers, Dakota Digital cruise control and Vintage-Air system to keep the cab cool during those extended rod runs. Other extras include tinted glass, power brakes and dual side-view mirrors. The Chevy pickup still retains its crank-out front windshield and all of the chrome and trim are original to the truck.

With the restoration completed in 2009, the truck has been a hit with enthusiasts wherever it goes and most recently returned from a Back To The Fifties jaunt that saw Clark down to Minneapolis and back with no problems on the road. A member of the Tailgate Association of Manitoba and the Manitoba Street Rod Association, Clark is looking forward to attending the many cruises and shows to come. While its acquisition may have been a little premature, Clark has taken his time and transformed the once utilitarian pickup into a comfortable cruising machine that’s hard to beat from any angle.

While 1947 would see Chevrolet introduce their all-new "Advance-Design" truck series with their "Unisteel" cab styling, many still favour the bold appearance of the ’46 model as a street rod favourite.