1946 Ford Truck Specifications
by Amelia Allonsy
Ford Motor Company halted civilian auto production by Feb. 10, 1942, in order to aid in the World War II effort. Ford went to work building bombers, jeeps, tank engines and other military vehicles. The 1946 Ford truck was the first Ford truck model on the assembly line following the end of the war in 1945. Parts from the 1942 model were used, which explains the similarities in the two trucks.
Engine and Performance
The 1946 Ford pickup was a 1/2-ton truck that came with either a 226-cubic-inch in-line six cylinder or a 239-cubic-inch V8. The six-cylinder engine produced 90 horsepower at 3,300 rpm and 180 foot pounds of torque at 1,200 rpm. The eight-cylinder engine produced 100 hp at 3,800 rpm and 180 foot pounds of torque at 2,000 rpm. It was only available with a three-speed manual transmission on the floorboard.
Design Features
The generation of Ford trucks that included the 1946 pickup had a waterfall-type grill, hood moulding and side hood louvers. They also featured hydraulic double-acting shock absorbers. The Ford name was exhibited on a wing-shaped plate mounted on the hood, just above the grill. Similarly, the Ford logo on the hubcaps was given a winged appearance. It had round headlights, which were accented by smaller round marker lights on each fender. The pickup bed was framed with welded steel. Wooden planks constituted the floor of the bed, with steel strips bolted between each board.
Optional Features
Even vehicles built in 1946 came with a wide range of options, although most are standard in modern vehicles. Drivers of the 1946 Ford truck could request rear shocks, an interior heater, passenger-side windshield wiper, passenger-side taillight, a sliding rear window and an oil bath air cleaner. There were also several options for paint color, including black, greenfield green, navy blue, botsford blue, modern blue, dynamic maroon, dark slate gray, silver sand, willow green and light moonstone gray.
References
Writer Bio
A former cake decorator and competitive horticulturist, Amelia Allonsy is most at home in the kitchen or with her hands in the dirt. She received her Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University. Her work has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle and on other websites.
