Full Custom 5 Window 3100 Pickup Truck 305 V8 TH350 AC Chopped & Shaved Body

“Clean” is one of those words used so often in automotive culture that it's almost lost all meaning. Everything from Ridler cars down to primered Hondas are subjected to a once over and an approving nod before that dreaded descriptor rears its ugly head again. Unfortunately, dropping the word all together poses some problems. What else could we call a creation like this incredible 1948 Chevrolet pickup? Sanitary? Tidy? Nah…this thing is clean. Probably even clean enough to reinvigorate the word and remind others exactly how it should be applied. The beneficiary of an 8-year, frame-off restoration, receipts total up to the tune of $269,969 with nearly $64,449 in paint and body alone. And, driven just 533 miles since completion, the pickup has already claimed a Classic Custom Trucks feature and numerous accolades including Best Interior, Best Engine Compartment, Best in Class, and Best of Show. Ready to fill that empty space in your trophy case? Just keep reading!

BODYWORK/TRIM

The project began with a standard 1948 5-window Chevrolet pickup that had seen very little aside from hard work during the course of its life. Like a lot of restorations, it started out as a simple OEM build but turned into something MUCH bigger along the way. Looking over the truck today, there are some modifications that quickly jump out and others that take some time to fully reveal themselves. As the first thing most will notice, the paint is probably a good place to get the conversation started. If “clean” is the goal, what better color than white? It's a GM variant, traditionally found on Monte Carlo sheet metal. The paintwork shows well from every imaginable angle and gives the truck a level of class most ex-work horses can only dream of.

Of course, the majority of that $64,449 was spent on work that hides underneath the top coat. The most obvious modification is the roofline, which sits roughly five inches lower thanks to a chop. The windshield has been V-butted while all the other glass, and there's a lot of it in these 5-windows, has been custom cut to fit inside the new proportions. Around the cab, the windshield vent and side cowl vents have been smoothed while the 2-piece factory hood was scrapped in favor of a sleek one-piece unit. The front end is capped by a show-ready chrome grille, frenched headlights, and a deleted bumper. The side profile benefits equally from the smoothing process. All badges are gone, the door handles are shaved, and the heavily modified running boards are now neatly molded into place. Behind the cab, a bed borrowed from a 1989 GM pickup serves as the foundation for more wild custom work. The bed itself was narrowed 30 inches before the tailgate was welded shut and a new rollpan was burned in. The rear end is rounded out by a pair of classic Cadillac taillights. Inside the bed, a removable panel shows some American pride while protecting the crisp white paint on the bed floor.

ENGINE

Under the one-piece hood, the engine compartment strikes the perfect balance between show quality cleanliness and cross country reliability. The core is a 305 cubic inch GM V8 that produces an estimated 300 horsepower thanks to the addition of a few high quality upgrades. Under the polished and finned scoop, a 600cfm Edelbrock carburetor bolts up to a polished Edelbrock intake manifold. At the sides of that intake, cast iron heads are dressed with ball-milled valve covers, which provide a nice contrast to the black engine block. The front of the engine hosts a sturdy billet accessory drive which spins a polished alternator, a modern power steering pump and a polished AC compressor while a Walker radiator keeps the small block running cool. Pertronix Flame Thrower ignition fires the engine to life while spent gases are ushered through coated headers. Visuals remain equally nice around the engine thanks to a shaved firewall and custom inner fenders. And details like the billet thermostat housing, machined aluminum timing pointer, and polished hardware ensure that there are no disappointments on any level.

DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION

Put this pickup on a lift to discover a detailed undercarriage that's fully prepared for battle on the show field. During the restoration, the original 1948 frame was updated with a Mustang II front-clip, then sandblasted, primed, and shot with a sleek coat of dark blue Durabak to protect against rust and chips. Aside from the added durability, it looks great and serves as a nice break from the sea of white above, Behind the small block, a GM Turbo-Hydramatic 350 3-speed handles shifting duties, dressed with a Lokar dipstick and polished aluminum pan. Power is fed down the custom driveshaft to a 10-bolt, 8.5-inch GM differential that was borrowed from a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am. That pumpkin features a posi-traction differential and 3.25 gears. The truck's aggressive stance comes courtesy of Heidts tubular control arms, drop spindles and leaf spring shackles. Sway bars can be found at both ends while new shocks round out all four corners. The updated suspension further benefits from a power rack-and-pinion that keeps steering light. Braking is equally competent thanks to a power front disc conversion from Heidts. Those classic fenders are filled by a set of polished 17x8-inch American Racing Torq Thrust IIs wrapped in new Falken rubber.

INTERIOR

The smooth theme continues into the interior where a sleek dashboard is devoid of anything other than a hybrid speedometer/tachometer. More instrumentation can be found both overhead and below, where a neatly placed set of Classic Instruments gauges keep tabs on voltage, fuel, time, oil pressure, and temperature – one even shows which gear the automatic transmission is currently in. A chrome T-handle shifter offers authority over said transmission while, further back in the console, controls for both the stereo and HVAC system remain under a lid and out of sight. At either side of the console, Recaro buckets from a 3rd-generation Trans Am have been rewrapped in white and bolted in over attractive blue carpeting. Behind the seats, a Jensen marine AM/FM/CD stereo offers a direct connection for iPods and Sirus radio. At either side, custom door panels incorporate sculpted arm rests over traditional tuck and roll while a taut white headliner caps of the cabin in style. Driver input is offered through a polished Flaming River tilt column topped by a Billet Specialties steering wheel while billet gas and brake pedals reside below. While a chopped-top pickup may not sound like an ideal place to spend time, there is a plenty of room to stretch out and enjoy the modern conveniences hidden away in this sleek space.

OUR SALE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATION

* A 3-ring binder that features a 44-item Table of Contents and a 3-page Build Prologue
* Restoration receipts
* Restoration photos
* Restoration notes
* Component literature
* A copy of the truck's Classic Custom Trucks feature

There's an interesting “Cost of Build” page in one of the notebooks that breaks the build down in very direct terms. Of the eight years it took to create this custom, an average of 144 days per year were spent on this pickup. That breaks down to roughly 1,152 days, 5,760 hours, and nearly $172K in labor. Where that time could have resulted in some untamable 1,500 horsepower show beast, it instead produced an amazing custom pickup that can be shown just about anywhere and reliably driven on nice weekends in between. You don't get much more “total package” than that. If you're ready to help redefine “clean” in one meticulously built bowtie, don't miss the chance to call this 1948 Chevrolet your own!

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SUMMARY

* The beneficiary of a 5,700-hour, $269,000 restoration
* Featured in Classic Custom Trucks Magazine / A copy of the truck's feature is included with the sale
* 305 cubic inch GM V8 / 300 horsepower
* Turbo-Hydramatic 350 3-speed automatic transmission
* Custom leather interior / Vintage Air conditioning / Modern audio
* Over 20 body modifications / Chevrolet paint
* Custom suspension / 17-inch American Racing Torq Thrust II wheels
* 10-bolt Trans Am rear axle / Posi-traction differential / 3.25 gears
* Power rack-and-pinion steering / Power front disc and rear drum brakes
* Sale includes: Restoration photos / Restoration receipts / Restoration notes