1936 Chevrolet Pickup

Description

For all the millions of pickup trucks built, it's remarkable how few truly special ones like this 1936 Chevrolet survive today. Most were worked to death and thrown away, because it is only recently that trucks have endeared themselves to collectors. This one, more than most, will find fans everywhere it goes thanks to a combination of good looks, reliable power, and good old-fashioned functionality.

In the 1930s, trucks were workers, but they also looked great. This little Chevy is dressed up beautifully in blue livery with traditional black fenders, along with flashy white pinstripes. There are definitely familial styling cues that leave no doubt that this is a Chevrolet, yet it's still highly functional with running boards and a beautiful maple-lined bed. The restoration is quite a few years old, so it's no longer perfect, but it looks great even from a few feet away and will be a joy to take to local cruise nights and to the garden center on weekends where it'll surely draw a crowd. The big chrome grille is pure 1930s artwork, particularly since it's topped with a beautiful hood ornament that looks much more impressive than the Chevy's price would indicate. Sealed beam headlights are a big upgrade for nighttime driving, along with a set of turn signals for safety on the road.

The upright interior is nicely finished with black vinyl on the original bench seat, stitched in a 1930s pattern that looks right and is all-day comfortable. Door panels are simple steel stampings painted gray to match the rest of the interior equipment, and the latch mechanism is a wonderfully simple pull knob in the center of the window molding. That giant steering wheel is perfect for muscling the truck around parking lots and provides unobstructed views of the instrument panel, which is full of unquestionably original gauges. That crank on the dash opens the windshield for additional ventilation, a nice feature that you'll probably find yourself using quite often, particularly in conjunction with the cowl vent. There's a lot of new wiring under the dash for reliability and a big heater just in case.

Chevy's indestructible "Stovebolt Six" displaced 207 cubic inches and made a respectable 72 horsepower and 155 pounds of torque. While this may seem modest by today's standards, clever gearing gives it plenty of pulling power and it's easy to drive around town where it'll pull anything but a dead stop in high gear. A downdraft carb and compact air cleaner provide air and fuel, while a single exhaust system gives it a trucky engine note that you'll enjoy while you're putting around town. The 3-speed manual transmission is synchronized, so shifting is a pleasure, and by 1936, Chevy had adopted hydraulic brakes, so stopping power is better than a comparable Ford. Simple rigid axles on leaf springs hold up both ends and the ladder frame is straight and solid, so you can still put it to work if that's your bent. Handsome color-matched artillery wheels with trim rings and hubcaps add an upscale look, especially with those 5.25/5.50-17 Firestone wide whitewalls.

Fun and practical, this Chevy makes a great case for keeping an old truck around your hobby shop. The fact that it's also great-looking is only icing on the cake. Call today!