Daily Slideshow: 1945 Ford Pickup Shows Off its Wartime DNA

War Effort

Got a spare $340/month? That's all it takes, that and 20% down, to transport yourself back to the tail end of the war years. Streetside Classics, in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area is advertising this freshly-restored example of a vehicle many people don't even know exists. While most domestic civilian auto production was on hold during U.S. involvement in World War II, trucks were the exception—they were needed to keep the country running. Goods and services needed to change hands, and America depended on trucks to get it done. This 1945 Ford 1/2 ton was part of that effort, and today looks much the same as it would have back then.

Revisionist History

We say 'much the same' because the Ford's been given some tasteful and useful updates, with an eye toward keeping the appearance strictly wartime. Pickups from this period look like their immediate predecessors, though dressed-down by a dearth of chrome, which was needed for military applications and as a result was almost totally unavailable for civilian use. That's okay because this truck looks just fine with its painted body-color grille and off-white trim pieces. The Ford was completely disassembled and taken down to bare metal in preparation for its new red paint. All bodywork was done in steel, with steel running boards, and the pickup's bed features a sprayed-on bed liner to preserve the bed below. In fact, the only obvious deviations from period-correctness outside are the radials and dual exhaust. 

>>Join the conversation about this restomoded Ford classic right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.

Windsorized

If you trace those twin exhaust pipes and custom exhaust forward, you'll find the key to keeping a '45 fun in 2018—a healthy 351 Windsor V-8 that sounds as good as it pulls. The freshly-rebuilt motor features an Edelbrock cam, intake manifold, 4-barrel carb, and air cleaner, and utilizes an accessory drive system from a 5.0-liter Mustang, making parts availability a non-issue. The engine's torque makes it quick off the line, the C6 3-speed automatic transmission makes it reliable and effortless to drive, and a 9-inch rear out of a Lincoln Versailles yields a 3.25 final drive ratio, making trucking on down the highway no sweat. Other mechanical upgrades include a new aluminum radiator and a new front suspension from Fatman Fabrication. The Fatman set-up is fully-independent and brings a much more precise and controllable feel to the pickup's handling, while all new 4-wheel disc brakes are a welcome update, both in terms of safety and performance.

>>Join the conversation about this restomoded Ford classic right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.

Benched

Another welcome update is replacement rubber everywhere and new glass, offering clear vision and quiet, leak-free cruising. The theme for the interior was to keep it simple and stock-looking, without having to hunt down NOS 1945 vinyl and the like. The bench seat was reupholstered in tasteful black pleated vinyl an the floors are covered in correct-looking rubber mat. The steel door panels, which would have been painted body color originally, was finished in satin black to give the truck a tougher look—and to keep the red content from becoming headache-inducing. A tilt steering column was installed, retaining the original wheel, and vintage-look Dolphin gauges take the place of the original instrument panel. This '45 came without a radio, so no holes were cut to install a sound system in the pickup, though the new owner could always add one under the dash, as was done with an aftermarket air conditioning system—all-metal trucks tend to heat up under the summer sun. 

>>Join the conversation about this restomoded Ford classic right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.

Pizazz

Rounding out the build/restoration are wheels that continue the theme of vintage-yet-usable: Custom WheelSmith steelies are wrapped in substantial 235/75/15 Goodyear radials at all four corners, ensuring traction won't be a problem for this 1/2 ton. With only 416 miles on the counter since the restoration, maybe you can find room next to your F-150 for a piece of history. We like this member of the Greatest Generation, though we'd have to see raised white letter radials on it before we could commit to those black walls. Even veterans look good with a little extra pizazz.

>>Join the conversation about this restomoded Ford classic right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.

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