Most people nowadays would never consider buying a car that's 20 or 30 years old. Even fewer people would dare to go further back in time and pick out a car that might just be older than they are. But how many people would go as far as the late '40s in search of the perfect automobile? Going back that far in time does come with a series of challenges, but every great challenge might bring along a great reward.
It was just yesterday that I was once again falling in love with the Ford F-150 SVT Lightning, and now here I am, redirecting my attention to a 1949 Chevrolet truck. And, of course, this one has something special going on. It's a Chevrolet 3100 that has gone through an extensive rebuild process, with the aim of creating the perfect restomod version of it. Still true to its original lines, but things have been spiced up quite a bit.
This thing might have left the factory seven decades ago with a "whopping" 81.5 horsepower, but in the true spirit of any restomod, it now features a much more modern, fuel-injected, 350 cubic inches (5.7-liter ) Ram Jet V8 engine, which should be good enough for 345 horsepower and 396 lb-ft (537 Nm) of torque. Since it was built, the car has been driven for slightly over 10,000 miles (16,000 km), which means it should last for at least a few more years.
Of course, everything on this truck has been upgraded to bring it into the modern era, including a fully upgraded suspension, leather-lined interior with working A/C, power windows, power steering, the whole nine yards. Although an AM/FM/CD Stereo was cleanly hidden away in the glovebox, you'll be more interested in hearing the V8 rumble, which was made even better by the introduction of a Magnaflow dual exhaust.
The truck is currently located in Tampa, Florida, and is available for purchase for a price of $94,995. A base 2021 Corvette Stingray will set you back roughly $60,000 in comparison, but won't offer you the same unique and special status, although you do get a series of other benefits instead. At the end of the day, if you already have a few modern vehicles in your garage, and if you can afford a restomod, then, by all means, go for it. I know I would.
The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S. Full profile
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