40 Beautifully Restored Rare Trucks
The majority of these trucks have also been customized.
1964 Ford F150
This 1964 Ford F-150 was originally used as a service truck for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The folks who handled this restoration job did some beautiful work. The engine was rebuilt, body work was completed and the F-150 was painted its original Forest Green.
1966 Ford F-100
Staying in the Ford family for our second truck, this 1966 Ford F-100 pickup is a beautiful example of a restoration done right.
1961 Ford Econoline Pickup
What is now a boxy and unattractive line of cargo vans, this 1961 Econoline pickup truck is anything but that. Introduced as part of the Econoline model line for 1961, the Ford Econoline pickup truck was based upon the cargo van.
1949 Dodge Power Wagon
This 1949 Dodge Power Wagon has been restored, refurbished, rebuilt – you name it! 1949 was the fourth year in the Power Wagon series. What you may notice in the image above is the doors. Rarely, if at all, will you see a 1949 Dodge Power Wagon with two doors.
1956 Chevrolet 3100
Ocean Green and Bombay Ivory – these are the colors you see here. What we’re looking at is a 1956 Chevy 3100 that’s been completely stripped and rebuilt. It was lying in storage in a garage in California since 1973.
1931 Chevy Pickup
Rare, and beautiful…what a combination. This truck dates back to the Great Depression. Its exterior has been refurbished since then.
1930 Ford Roadster
Not so much a pickup as the rest of them, it does still have a Brookville bed in the back of the extended cab. The Roadster Pickup is a spinoff of the Ford Model A series, produced from 1927-1930.
1954 Ford F100
This custom Show Truck couldn’t be dropped any lower if even it wanted to. The red exterior mixed with beige interior gives this 1954 Ford F100 a classic look. The brand new V-8 engine under the hood gives it a modern feel and sound.
1939 Chevrolet Pickup
Completely rebuilt and completely classic, this 1939 Chevrolet Pickup is simple, clean and runs like a charm. Complete with a 235 inline 6 engine and 3 speed manual transmission, it’s rebuilt to original specs. The only exception is that its upgraded to a 12V system and electronic ignition.
1950 Chevrolet Truck
Professionally refurbished, this 5-window 1950 Chevrolet Truck features a chassis engineered by Streamline; consisting of a 1968 Camaro sub-frame with quick ratio steering, 4 link rear suspension and 12 bolt rear end. Its exterior is simple Gray and its interior color is called Distressed Luggage.
1937 Plymouth PT-50 Pickup Truck
Hot Blue. That’s the awesome color of paint you see on this 1937 Plymouth pickup. 1937 was the first edition of this model, and this one seen here has a rebuilt engine and power glide transmission. Also new is the paint job, chrome accents and tires.
1940 1/2 Ton Ford Pickup
Refurbished from head to toe, this 1940 1/2 ton pickup truck is in perfect condition. The exterior couldn’t be in better condition and the Titanium Green Metallic paint job is stunning. 1940 started a trend for Ford where the trucks began to style similar to Ford’s other cars. But the main difference were the monster original engines: two flathead V-8 engines: a 136-cubic-inch 60-horsepower unit.
1951 Ford F-1
This classic is the first-generation Ford F-series pickup truck. It’s an F-1 from 1951 which is a couple of years before Ford changed the F-1 to an F-100 (rumor has it, this was partially because of the popular F-100 Super Sabre aircraft). Anyway, the cherry-red paint is a custom job, as is much of the rest of the vehicle. The 1951 trucks were restyled with a single bar type grille and a headlight at each end of the grille bar.
1940 Ford 1/2 Ton Pickup Truck
This is our second 1940 1/2 Pickup Truck on this list, and there’s good reason. It’s gorgeous! The Ice Blue paint job is immaculate on this refurbished time capsule. This image was captured at the 2006 Del Mar autoshow, so there’s no telling what kind of condition this vehicle is in today. But we hope it’s just as good-looking as it is in this photo. Ice Blue is one excellent paint color for a pickup truck.
1956 Chevrolet 3100 NapCo 4×4
This bad, bad machine is a totally different truck than the other 1956 Chevy 3100 on this list. This one is a 4×4 monster. NapCo (Northwestern Auto Parts Company) was a four-wheel drive automobile parts manufacturing company founded in 1918. NapCo was bought out not long after this very truck was made, so that makes this Chevy 3100 all the more awesome.
1937 Chevy Pickup
Sunset Pearl. That’s the beautiful hue of color you’re looking at right now. This 1937 Chevrolet Pickup Truck jumps off the page with that beautiful paint job. Believe it or not, this refurbished Chevy is made up of a lot of different parts from a lot of different vehicles. But the frame is classic 1930s Chevrolet.
1977 Mercedes Benz Unimog 416
This 1977 Mercedes Benz Unimog 416, painted Viper Red, is outfitted with a dump bed for extra utility. In the United States and Canada, the Unimog was sold as the Freightliner Unimog. It has myriad purposes, including military, commercial, motorsport and in this case, civilian. The cab was stripped to bare metal before undergoing a color change. The bed and wheels were sandblasted before painting, and the end result is one clean looking truck.
1962 GMC Crew Cab
Allegedly, this is the only one like this left in the United States. It’s one-of-a-kind but it’s not custom. There were only six of these workhorses back in 1962, and it looks nearly the same now as it did then. The differences are a new paint job, wheels, tires and other small items.
1966 Chevrolet C10
This 1966 Chevy C10 has been stretched to a four-door frame, painted Black and restored nearly from head to toe. The steering wheel, steering column, dashboard, bumpers, hood, grille, and drivetrain shifter are all stock. Everything else on this awesome refurbished truck is new and improved. The restoration took over a year.
1958 Chevrolet Apache NapCo 4×4
In 1958, Chevy changed some things. All light-duty trucks were now called “Apache”, medium-duty trucks called “Viking”, and heavy-duty trucks called “Spartan”. However, this isn’t the standard Apache pickup. This pickup truck is one of the rare ones with the NAPCO Power-Pak conversion – which is most noticeable in the body of the truck bed. It’s a beautiful truck without the conversion, but with it this 1958 gem looks even better.
1948 Ford F1
The first F-Series truck, which was also called the Ford Bonus-Built, was introduced in late 1947. They were a replacement for the pre-war Ford trucks. Compared to prior Ford pickups, the F-1 has a flat, one-piece windshield and integrated headlamps. It has a wider cab than prior trucks.
1938 Ford F1
Speaking of pre-war Ford pickup trucks, here’s a beautifully restored 1938 Ford pickup. Ford pickup trucks were fitted with a new cab in 1938, front-end sheetmetal, and bed. The debut of a truck that slotted between the light-duty car-based pickup and the heavy-duty 11/2-ton models was an increased attraction. The 1938 model weighed one ton, and was appropriately called the “One-Tonner.”
1929 Ford Model A Pickup Truck
This is the second Model A on this list, and the more conventional of the two. Mainly because it still has a full cab on it. The 1929 Model A has several varieties of pickup truck: Roadster Pickup, Deluxe Service Pickup, Deluxe Pickup and this one, the standard Pickup model.
1950 Chevrolet 3800 One Ton Flatbed
It was a workman’s vehicle back then, and it’s a workman’s vehicle now. Even after a well-done restoration, this black one-ton flatbed workhorse has a clear purpose. To get the job done. Many restorations are done for show or for dough, but this one seems clearly planted on the opposite side of the fence.
1924 Ford Model TT
1924 was a big year for Ford pickup trucks. Before 1924, all Ford pickups were sold with what’s called an ‘open-cab’. Basically it was a rolling chassis and Ford left the bed work up to the buyer or third parties. But this truck seen here, the 1924 model, was the first Ford truck to come with the bed attached.
1929 Ford Model A Woody Wagon
Beautifully restored by a group in Atlanta, this 1929 Ford Model A Woody Wagon is a rare piece of history! The exterior of this Woody Wagon is super clean, with a classic, natural shade of Beige. The Maple and Birch paneling makes this Ford look like a time machine that’s jumped straight from the days of President Calvin Coolidge into modern times.
1940 Plymouth Pickup
This Green & Yellow tribute to John Deere classic colors is actually rebuilt on a 1991 Dodge Dakota chassis. If you’ve never seen a Plymouth pcikup truck before, it’s okay. They didn’t last too long, and at the time, weren’t received very well by the public. The first of Plymouth’s first two forays into trucks lasted from 1937-1940. They tried again later in the 1970s as well.
1941 Willys W23 Pickup
Now this is a treat. With a brand new General Motors ZZ3 350CID V8 engine under the hood, Ferrari-red paint job, custom wooden bed and completely retooled interior – this beautiful 1941 Willy’s W23 Pickup truck is one sweet ride! Known mostly for their Jeep-style trucks, Willy’s pickup history is less known. This rare piece of machinery is just beautiful.
1942 Chevrolet AK
This beauty comes to us from Gateway Classic Cars in Philadelphia. The Chevrolet AK Series truck was a light duty truck sold under the Chevrolet brand. Production on the AK series began in 1941 and only lasted until 1947. Due to World War II, there was no production of the AK trucks for the public in 1942. All trucks were designed strictly for military use. This 1942 AK is one of those trucks. It’s got a TON of power and might under the hood and frame, and the fact that it wasn’t commercially available makes it quite rare!
1946 Studebaker M5 Pickup
This 1946 Studebaker M5 1/2-ton pickup truck is restored to mint condition. The Champion 169 ci. I6 engine is still under the hood, but has been completely restored. Studebaker began production on its trucks in 1940 and several versions were used across Europe and Russia during World War II. This one here is painted Deep Navy and has a custom, new bed in the back.
1947 Dodge WD21
This 1947 Dodge WD21 resotration job has 45,300 miles on the truck even though it’s been around for nearly 75 years. The restoration gave the truck a stop-and-stare look with the fresh coat of Blue and Black paint. The wooden panel bed received extra care to make the wood look as if it were still back in the 1940’s.
1947 Chevrolet 3800
This is a workhorse, no doubt about it. The ’47 Chevy 3800 received a complete frame-off restoration and it was excellently done, no doubt about that. It’s got a 9-foot bed and has been painted Butternut Yellow. Most of the Chevy 3800’s you could find are rusted out or beyond repair.
1948 Ford F6 COE Ramptruck
This is a lot of truck! The 1948 Ford F6 Ramptruck is one of the lat of its kind that’s still on the roads. Tuxedo black and completely restored from the ground up, this Ramptruck turns heads (and probably even bodies) everywhere it goes. The best part of this restoration? It’s got a 140-decibel train horn attached. If no one could see or hear this truck before, they can now for sure!
1948 Ford Pickup/Rat Rod
This is just fun. This 1948 custom job has a lot going on. The rat rod is hard not to notice in any environment, but especially on this list of traditional pickups. Satin green sets the tone on the body and the pops of red are what create the ‘Wow’ moment. This custom-job gave what was otherwise a standard 1948 pickup new life.
1948 Ford F100 Panel Truck
This is another fun one. A complete custom job, this restoration-turned-renovation has Mustang parts, Corvette parts and several other vehicle parts as a part of this finished project. What’s that beautiful plum color, you ask? DuPont Hawaiian Orchid, obviously. With as in-depth of a restoration that is this F100 Panel Truck, an in-depth paint scheme is just as necessary.
1949 GMC 3/4 Ton FC152
We’re on a roll with the outlandish trucks now. This one is as rare as it is fun to stare at. Obviously, the exterior paint scheme is the first thing that stands out (Bronze Firemist), but look deeper at this truck and you’ll see some excellent worksmanship. This truck underwent a four-year, frame-off restoration.
1950 Ford F4 Flatbed
The basics are beautiful in this 1950 Ford F4 Flatbed. Restored only minimally, mainly the engine and exterior aesthetics, this F4 still has original fenders, hood, doors, cab, running boards and chassis. The aggressive red and black paint scheme look perfect on this machine built for the long haul. We love this restoration job on such a classic truck.
1954 Ford F100
Of all the Ford F100’s on this list, this has to be the most eye-turning paint job. It’s a lot to take in, but once your eyes are adjusted to the orange/red/flame gradient, you’ll begin to notice how well-done this restoration is. But what you won’t notice at first is what this thing is packing under the hood. A massive 468 CID V8 engine with an equally massive blower is engineered to fit under the tilt hood, turning this classic truck into a street racer!
1955 GMC Tow Truck
Here’s a truck to tow all the other trucks on this list. The excellently-done restoration job on this tow-truck makes has turned this work-only into a work-and-play vehicle! The Sky Blue paint job is a classic and an amazing frame-on complete restoration of this truck was carefully performed including the in-line six-cylinder motor.
1965 Chevrolet P10
We have to go out with a bang! Yes, this truck/van is real and yes, it moves. What you’re looking at is a custom Mint Green 1956 Chevrolet P10. It’s quite different than the rest of the trucks on this list, but it’s also one of the most rare. This was definitely created with show in mind, and it does not disappoint. The engine is original but mostly everything else has been retooled one way or another.