This 1948 Chevrolet 3600 amply demonstrates the desirability of classic pickups. Since the owner listed it for sale, it has already received an impressive twenty-five bids. People are obviously taken with what it offers, and it is easy to see why. It is a remarkably solid old vehicle and would make the perfect candidate for a restoration or restomod build. Adding to its appeal is the owner’s decision to offer it for sale with No Reserve. Located in Great Bend, Kansas, you will find the Chevy listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has hit $5,300, and with No Reserve to consider, this classic pickup is set to head to a new home very soon.
This old pickup is loaded with plenty of good news for potential buyers. The decades have baked away its original Seacrest Green paint, but there is still evidence of it in various locations across the vehicle. It now wears a consistent coating of surface corrosion, but the good news is that penetrating rust is minimal. There is some visible in the floors, but this is a patchable proposition. The usually prone areas like the lower cab corners are clean, while the frame is rock solid. The panels have accumulated their share of dings and dents, but once again, these appear repairable. The bed timber has rotted, and replacing this will represent an integral part of the restoration process purely from a practical perspective. A couple of pieces of glass are badly cracked, so the buyer will need to source replacements. The external trim is present, and most of the chrome pieces are a restorable proposition. While it would undoubtedly look stunning returned to its factory-fresh state, there will be those who will see preserving the existing appearance and returning the vehicle to a roadworthy condition as the perfect path to follow. That will be a matter of preference, and it will be interesting to read your feedback.
The originality of this old Chevy extends to its drivetrain. The original owner ordered the 216.5ci six-cylinder engine that should produce 90hp and 174 ft/lbs of torque. The power found its way to the rear wheels via the optional four-speed manual transmission. While neither output figure appears startling, it was still enough power and torque to allow the 3600 to cart its maximum load relatively effortlessly. It seems that this pickup was parked many years ago due to a starter issue. The owner has attempted to coax it back to life and managed to get the six running nicely. However, the starter issue has proven to be a faulty ring gear, which has broken away from the flywheel. The buyer will need to source a replacement, but they know that the motor appears to be in good health. The tinkering also revealed that the fuel tank leaks, which will be another item for the buyer to add to their shopping list. The brakes will undoubtedly require attention, but it seems that returning this classic to a roadworthy state may not be a major undertaking. That opens the tempting option of performing the work and then hitting the road in this pickup as an unrestored survivor.
While a few smaller items are missing, this Chevy’s interior is essentially complete. The seat will require new springs, foam, and a cover, but that will be the most expensive part of this interior refurbishment. The lock for the glove compartment is missing, but the dash itself appears to be complete. The wheel sports numerous cracks, but it remains restorable with the products available on today’s market. A couple of smaller components that usually go MIA are intact. These include the horn button and the radio blanking plate. If the buyer wishes to achieve a striking contrast, they could perform a high-grade restoration on this interior and leave the exterior largely untouched. I have seen this approach in the past, and it makes quite a positive visual impact.
This 1948 Chevrolet 3600 Pickup will probably attract the attention of three distinct types of enthusiasts. There will be those who will be itching to perform a faithful restoration, returning this classic to its former glory. Alternatively, there will be some who will want to return it largely untouched to a roadworthy state and enjoy it as an original survivor. The third group will see this as a prime candidate for a restomod build and allow their imagination to run riot as they decide how to tackle it. Do you fit into one of these groups, or do you have a fourth alternative that we haven’t considered?
Just drive it! If you restore it, it’s not really the same as original, since YOU took it all apart to restore. Leave it like this and drive it as it came out of the Chevrolet factory in 1948. Now, that’s a classic!
Leaving like it is, is not driving it as it came out of the Chevrolet factory…..when it came out of the factory it had paint, a glove compartment door and different tires. It’s glass wasn’t busted nor cracked either. I wonder if it had a horn button when it left the factory…..ya think?
That’s a great question….do you think before you post?
Sorry Semrad, but do YOU think?
The article clearly says that the horn button is still present. It also says that the glovebox LOCK is missing, but the door is still there.
Don’t be critical of someone’s ability to “think” when you apparently don’t even read the article.
Brandsma was using a figure of speech. He doesn’t literally mean that the truck looked just like this when it was new.
Now please start treating others more kindly. There is already too much nastiness in the world.
When I was a kid my uncle had the same model. Hitting any sort of bump in the road would launch you into the roof. My dad who worked for a Chevrolet dealer and sold him the truck said you could run over a dime and he would be able to tell you the date.
My first paying job (at age 12) was driving one of these (1951 3600) owned by a neighboring farmer in the fields while he loaded baled hay on the original factory stake rack flatbed with the sideboards removed. Just once I forgot to turn on the ignition key before pushing the floor mounted starter button. I was mortified until the farmer reached through the window and the steering wheel and clicked the key on before I ran the battery down, without any real evident aggravation with me. People like him taught kids like me how real adults act and I realize in retrospect that there is no better upbringing than being around farm folks. Good memories…..
We owned a used 1949 GMC with same power train. A true work truck that could do it all including haul a yard of ground,plow snow with a homemade v plow tied behind,or push a garage onto its new foundation. A true joy to own and use!
Jim