Too much, not enough, or just right? This 1946 Ford pickup embodies a lot of tricks, but remains totally streetable and even usable as a pickup now and then. On the other hand, with an old school vibe, an aggressive stance, and strong-running 460 cubic inch V8 under the hood, well, it's hardly an introvert. Either way, if you want to get noticed, this is the ideal tool for the job. The first thing you notice about this truck is that it's still all Blue Oval, not some mutant. It seems to highlight all the best-looking aspects of the truck, while simultaneously fooling the viewer into forgetting this was ever a working-class machine. It's stripped down to its bare essence, but that's the entire point. Finish quality is decent, and yes that paint is supposed to be satin not shiny, and while it does have some time and mileage on it, the traditional look will never go out of style. A '32 Ford grille up front disguises the truck's age, and the bed floor was raised to handle the dropped suspension and hide the gas tank pretty neatly. The tailgate is full of louvers and Model A taillights in bullet housings are both traditional and a fresh look. And check out the little stuff, like the way the headers follow the curve of the cowl, the big headlights, and the Vee'd windshield. Yet as traditional as the exterior is, the interior embraces minimalism with simple steel buckets with custom ostrich skin covers that are a lot more comfortable than they look. Aluminum door panels are subtly patterned rather than just flat slabs of metal, and the floor appears to be a trunk mat from a vintage Mustang. Dig the banjo steering wheel, the factory-style gauges from a later Ford as well as the vintage Dixco tach, and innovative touches like the Model A step plates as floor mats, the neatly integrated Hurst shifter, and the cup holders on the fabricated aluminum console between the seats. No heat, no radio, no nonsense that's going to break or slow it down, making this a pure retro rod that delivers a truly vintage experience. You want traditional? This Ford delivers. Simple is always better when you're building a rod you can drive, which explains the thundering 460 cubic inch FE motor up front. The engine bay is nicely dressed with polished aluminum on the Mickey Thompson valve covers and air cleaner, and gold engine paint and accents. With less than 1000 miles on the rebuild, it starts quickly and easily, even with the dual quads, which is probably thanks to the Duraspark ignition system. An oversized Champion aluminum radiator, headers with built-in baffles, and other traditional power-building parts, it should be plenty entertaining on the street with no worries about reliability. A Muncie 4-speed manual transmission feeds a Ford 9-inch rear, which, along with the rest of the frame, has been painted basic black to look properly heavy-duty. The front clip was replaced with a '70s Super Bell dropped axle and it features 4-wheel disc brakes for plenty of stopping power. Sand-cast Torque Thrust wheels are exactly the right choice and carry vintage-looking bias-ply whitewalls that look like they're off the cover of an ancient Rod & Custom magazine. This fantastic Ford is one of those customs that will keep your attention for a long time after you've taken it home. Call today!
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